Return to Bangkok

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It’s rather sad to say this is our last roadtrip, in fact it’s our last day on the tour.

Two hours up the road from Siem Reap we crossed out of Cambodia. It has been a country which has drawn out the strongest emotions. It has extreme poverty, together with extravagant displays of wealth. Corruption is rife, supposedly from the top down, and accepted as a fact of life. Education is free, but there are not enough teachers/schools, so students attend either in the morning or the afternoon. However, whilst education is free, they have to pay the teachers who would otherwise only earn approx $30 per month. Therefore, schooling is denied to the poorest - those that need it the most if they are ever to improve their lot in life.

There is no free state health care. There are only 2 charity-based hospitals in Cambodia, both set up for children. One in PP and the other in Siem Reap. Families with sick children have to start queuing before 4 am to get the chance of seeing a doctor. Many have travelled from miles away. Every day we drove past the lines of people waiting patiently to be seen. They do provide pre and ante-natal care for those lucky enough to live close enough to take advantage of this luxury - otherwise, it is the lottery of the village midwife and crossed fingers.

Cambodia is still coming to terms with the atrocities of the killing field years, one can only guess at the legacy it has left behind - a population of 7 million reduced to under 4 million in a handful of years. In some ways it is hard to see how it will progress - many of its Asian neighbours are buying the rights to many of its resources, e.g. a Vietnamese company ‘owns’ the Siem Reap temple complex, so the $50 entrance fee for each tourist entering goes straight out of Cambodia. There are only 2 Cambodian-owned restaurants in the whole of Siem Reap. The Koreans built a road and therefore have been granted the rights to the access to the lake where the floating village is located, again taking all income from the boat company supplying the village. The list is endless.

We have seen attempts by more conscientious locals and foreigners to improve conditions for some by setting up community-based projects or NGOs (Non-Government Organisations, or charities) - there’s Bud, the American, and his silk weaving, the restaurants training street children, the home-stay village, the quilting shops that we visited, the Swedish childrens’ hospitals and many more. But there are also the scams ... it was noticed that foreign aid was going to orphanages, so now there are a plethora to choose from - most where the children are purchased to attend and sing for the tourists who turn up to watch. There are cases where they have to close occasionally to give the children a holiday to visit their families! The end result, of course, is that we were all warned not to give any money to orphanages ... so, once again, guess who suffers in the end ...

The Cambodians we’ve met have been so lovely and deserve a bright, peaceful, and prosperous future - we wish with all our hearts that this is granted. Goodbye Cambodia, in the words of Vinnie Jones ... it’s been emotional.

So the final roadtrip ends - with a stunning 10-3 crib result over Ross!! (Sorry Ross - just had to crow about that one!!)
A final farewell meal eating our favourite food - Thai curries and suchlike - although mine made my eyes water so much that I had to let John finish it ... and he didn’t so much as hiccough! Whilst those with early starts left early and some of the lone males went in more manly pursuits, the rest of us spent the rest of the evening listening to live jazz and drinking Thai whisky (or rum) ... which will be the source of some regret in the morning!!

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Photos

Check it Out When Next in Bangkok
2nd Floor
Barbali Restaurant
Phra Athit Road
Phra Nakorn
Bangkok