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Published: February 5th 2009
Tuk tuk with extra passengers
Note the piglets in the basketWhat a wonderful time I had in Cambodia! Before I left on this little adventure, I was told of the beauty of Vietnam and to be very careful in Cambodia. But I have been pleasantly surprised. Perhaps it was good that I did the hustle and bustle of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) first. I got used to dashing across streets where traffic was chaotic, avoiding eye contact with aggressive hawkers in the market, learning to say a firm "No thanks" to persistent tuk tuk and motorcycle "taxis". The noise, pollution, hustle and energy of the big city left me thinking - I guess this is what SE Asia is like. But my trip to Cambodia revealed a gentler side of this part of the world. Folks still drive erratically, but they aren't aiming to run you over. If you are lucky, as I was this morning, you might even see a motorcycle driver carrying a basket full of piglets or, as I saw a couple of days ago, a motorcyclist carrying a 100 pound live sow - laying on her back, feet tied together, staring into space. I had the great pleasure of seeing a couple of Apsara dancing performances.
I learned that during the Khmer Rouge extermination of the educated class, professional dancers, artists, writers etc were also all killed. Only within the last 15 years has their been a resurgence of this art form. When you visit the Angkor Wat temples, you see exactly the same dance positions carved in stones from the 9th century. Another highlight of my time here at Siem Reap was a cooking class that I took at a local restaurant. I met some wonderful fellow travellers and we enjoyed shopping in the market for ingredients and then following our cook Sophia's instructions as we each prepared an appetizer and main course from the restaurant menu. Of course, after the class, which lasted about 4 hours, we got to enjoy sitting together and sharing our dishes. What a wonderful day! My hotel in Siem Reap was luxurious! I have heard you can stay at a "guest house"for $7.00 per night - that will give you a very clean room, western toilets and a hot shower. My hotel was a lot more than that and they advertise a rate of $100.00 per night. I think I only paid about $40. when I reserved online. I
am treated like a queen, especially since most of the regular staff know I am travelling alone. They make a point to sit and chat with me while I'm eating. The young woman who works in the restaurant in the morning, brings me her English homework to check over and we've spent quite a bit of time talking about when to use "didn't"or "doesn't". The manager of the kitchen chats with me every evening and prepared a special table for me to watch the hotel's Apsara dance performance. The hotel is owned by Cambodians, a real rarety in this part of the world where anything that is special is foreign owned. Even the Angkor Wat site is operated by a Vietnames company and most of the proceeds leave the country. I've become very aware of checking to ensure that I am buying locally so that the money I spend stays in the country. I'll do the same in Vietnam. My most treasured memory of this beautiful country is of the warm and friendly people I've met. They have made me feel very welcome and I would encourage anyone to visit this beautiful land.
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