Who you calling "normal"

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Geo: 14.0583, 108.277

I thought that all the confrontation to the senses and perceptions that I encountered during my time in Siam Reap would prepare me for anything that may come my way in other areas, whether that be within Cambodia or other countries. After all Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the region and Siam Reap one of the poorest regions in Cambodia.
Again I over estimated myself and underestimated the diversity that can exist in a small area with such a huge population, and mixture of ethnic groups.
While living in my little bubble in Siam Reap it was easy to fall into a comfort zone, the place and way of life became "normal". Step outside that bubble and you soon realise that "normal" is defined by those who live it from day to day. One mans normality is another mans madness.
I left Siem Reap to visit a friend in Phnom Penh, she had been living and working there for 2 years and knew the place well. I'm grateful to have such a friend, Phnom Penh doesn't have a lot going for it, its a big city with loads of people that all seem to either be going somewhere during the day and then sitting around in public places looking at each other at night, and every one of them drives a moto.
The cyclo, moto and taxi drivers are extremely aggressive. I understand that most of these people have a limited English vocabulary. Usually restricted to asking if you want a ride, "boom boom" (use your imagination) or where you are from. Unfortunately the one English word they haven't seemed to grasp is "NO" .
These guys will laterally stalk you, they follow you and incessantly ask you how much you want to pay, until after a period of time they spot another potential customer and take off after them.
I'm not sure if its because everybody either has a bicycle or moto but the concept of walking somewhere is considered completely absurd, and this seems to only apply to foreigners of course.
If it wasn't for Tina being able to show me how to avoid the touts then the assault would have been overwhelming.
I happened to be in Phnom Penh for the Kings birthday, this is a national holiday and in a ceremonial field next to the Royal Palace a symbolic ritual takes place on this day every year. Its one of the few times of the year the King is actually in his country ( he lives in China). The story goes that the King is "gay" and in Khmer there is no word that describes a same sex couple, the closest word translates as "lady boy" as for women in that situation there is nothing, rumor also has it that the King and the Prime Minister Hun Sen don't get along. So in typical fashion they have an understanding, the King doesn't interfere in politics and the Government tolerates his lifestyle, as long as it doesn't happen in Cambodia.
But due it being the kings Birthday he was in town ( Hun Sen wasn't) and a grand procession takes place where some oxen are walk around a field 7 times with ploughs attached led by the king (or in this case his proxy, the real king just sat and watched it all) to signify the coming of the grain season and after the ceremonial ploughing is over the oxen are lead to 5 bowls which contain different grains, whichever grain they eat the most of signifies the type of harvest and year the country will have, as read by the oracle's.
Due to my connection I had the chance to watch this from a balcony overlooking the ceremonial field and as with all royal occasions it was full of over dressed people sitting uncomfortably witnessing something take place that they all wish would finish quickly, so they can go and have a G&T and a cucumber sandwich.
While thousands of the countries population strained to get a look at their monarch, standing 15 deep on the streets waving flags, some of whom had traveled days.
The one thing the ceremony seem to achieve was to actually give the police something to do for the day, usually they are sitting around doing nothing except making people feel uncomfortable.
They where out in full force and you have never seen shinier shoes.
Phnom Penh has a few other attractions, S21 and The Killing Fields.
Two of the most atrocious places that have ever existed during the history of man.
S21 was a high school which when the Khmer Rouge evacuated Phnom Penh they turned into a torture prison. They estimate 17,000 people went in and only 7 survived.
The killing fields is where most of these people ended up, bludgeoned to death and buried in shallow graves.
Neither of these places should be glorified but unfortunately they have been turned into tourist attractions.( The Killing Field where 147 mass graves have been identified was sold by the Cambodian Government to a Japanese company who are currently making a profit from the Cambodian peoples misery)
They deserve very little mention but do give an insight to the collective mentality of the present day Cambodian population.
Tina showed me around a few other places and thankfully signs of culture, art and individuality are starting to reemerge, though it does appear that it will be a long time until the Khmer people catch up with the rest of the region.
From their it was in to Vietnam, first stop Sai Gon, a crazy town with more moto's than Cambodia and a culture that has continued to evolve over Milena, you can see the Thai, Khmer and Chinese influence.
The Southern Vietnamese differ from their northern cousins, they seem more helpful, gentle and honest. The Northern Vietnamese are rough aggressive and often down right rude. I don't know enough about the history of the country to make guess as to why, but its a palpable difference and everybody I have met has made the same observation.
I wanted to see some of the country side so I headed to a place in the hills called Da Lat and spent 5 days there, trecking, canyoning, one rest day and then a 2 day mountain bike ride to the coast.
Thankfully this is one of the few areas not effected by the use of exfoliates by the U.S. during the Vietnam war so its possible to see the country as it has always been, and its quite spectacular.
From there it was a train ride to Hanoi.
Hanoi seems to work on the concept that you are foreign, you have money and we will find any way possible to make you pay far more than is necessary for everything.
Value for money doesn't exist.
Its quite disappointing really because it could be enjoyable, its like they don't really want anybody else to come there but since you are we may as well rip you off. They are quite blatant in pointing out that there is a local price and a foreigners price.
North of Hanoi is Ha Long Bay and in particular Cat Ba Island. A visually stunning place with thousands of rocky islands rising out of the sea. Trouble is you can only see it from tourist boats and being an island where else and what else can you do, so you pay the money and take exactly the same photos of exactly the same things that everybody else who has visited there does. Its a tourist conveyor belt.
Again I was quite lucky in one respect the woman who ran the guest house knew somebody that would hire out sea kayaks an option often ignored by tourist, due to the geographical lay out. There are no real maps of the area and you can get lost without even realising it. But hiring a kayak is what I did and for about 2 hours paddled the islands and wondered at the beauty of it.
There are literally floating villages that farm fish, an unfortunate a by product of this is that the water shows signs of high pollution, you got to wonder where do these people through their waste or go to the toilet? then again sometimes ignorance is bliss.
I'm glad I went there, I'm glad I got to see such a stunning and unique place, but I could have done without the attitude shown to foreigners.
So now I head back to Siem Reap, to say goodbye to the workers and the families that I had the pleasure of working with and for and to remind me of why I came here in the first place.
Those are the memories that will stick with me for the rest of my life and no matter what others may think personally in my opinion money has very little to do with memories.

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