Cambodia

Oh my goodness…Saturday must be burn night. It’s 6 p.m. and I’ve returned to my hotel to breath. Like so many poor countries, there is no garbage pick-up so people just burn their trash. The air is so thick with smoke that you can hardly see, let alone breath.

It is incredibly hot, so hot that the moment I step outside my air conditioned room the sweat just begins to poor.
Outside of those little inconveniences (breathing difficulties and instant dehydration), all is well.

Cambodia is a lot different than Thailand. Although both countries are Buddhist, the Thai seem more formal with their traditions. It is common to be greeted with a big smile and the welcome phrase “Sawadee Kha” (or “Khop” if you are a man) and a bow of respect. Shoes are always removed before entering a temple or private home. The bow to whatever level of respect the person deserves (slight lowering of the head to the hands in prayer position for general respect and a deep lowering of the head to monks, elders and royalty). All this graciousness derives from the belief that their is karmic kudos in gentility and kindness.

The Cambodians on the other-hand do not always smile, take their shoes off or bow formally. Perhaps it is the poverty and the relatively recent “bad times”(war and mass murder of many thousands of people during the 70’s) that give Cambodians a harder edge.

Cambodia is much, much poorer than Thailand. Really, the poverty is just incredible and deeply disturbing. Children accost visitors in droves with pleads that you buy something from them. It may be pencils, clothings, any little thing that they can produce and offer in exchange for some money. If failed to buy anything, I would hear things like “if I no sell I no go to school!” or “okay lady, you buy me food.” Last night I had a little boy of about five hold onto my hand and beg me to buy him food. He was so dirty I could hardly see him in the dim light. His front teeth were all rotted and he had not shoes or shirt on.

Even more disturbing is the number of people missing limbs and with birth defects. I’ve seen probably 20 people with missing limbs today. Many of them carry around signs saying they were victims of landmines and need help. Mostly the Cambodians are not interested in begging but prefer to sell some little item to make a tiny living. One man approached me as I sat and asked me to buy one of his books. He reached out his arm to shake my hand and I realized as I reached forward that he had no hand.

The Angkor Temples are amazingly beautiful. I was told it was a huge area but I did not realize just how huge. There are over 40 main temples and I’ve only managed to see 5 in two days. I have one more day at the temples and then I’ll take a day trip to a floating village not too far away.

I had planned to leave tomorrow to spend my last two days in Bangkok but I’m going to change my flight to stay here until I go home.