Thoughts on Cambodia

I really liked Cambodia, but it was really different from what I expected to find. Before I left, I predicted Cambodia would be a place I liked a lot, because it has a lot of what I like to see (old things) and would be sort of unexplored territory, as I know almost no one who's been there.

Turns out, Cambodia had even more of what I wanted to see than I expected (old things), but was probably the most touristed place I've been to thus far on my trip. Especially Siem Reap, near Angkor. (So apparently, none of my friends have been there, but everyone else has been.)  Had I known ahead of time just how many tourists would be around, I might not have put Cambodia on my list. So I'm glad I was ignorant about that. And it turned it, it wasn't a downside that the country is so touristed. It meant I had a lot of choices about things to do, and felt safe being out alone after dark and having a beer. And I could travel alone, knowing there were reliable buses and clean hotel rooms, etc.

And Phnom Penh was quite different than Siem Reap. Yes, there were a few other tourists, but the town clearly doesn't cater to them, so I got a much more authentic experience there. And it felt like a fun town, easy to walk around in, and easy to catch a motodup (moped taxi). I guess it felt like a community with everyone out and visible on their little scooters and bicycles. Much friendlier than roads full of cars, where you never see the people inside. I'd never thought about how much cars separate people, while bikes and moped reveal them.

In both places, I loved how inexpensive everything was. Hotels were $16-20 (U.S. dollars) each night. Meals averaged around $6, and less when I ate at strictly khmer places. Even the night I accidently bought 4 dinners, I paid only $14. So an airplane ticket from the U.S. to Cambodia isn't cheap, but once you're there, your money goes a long way.

The people weren't overly friendly (at least compared to the people of Ghana, who set a very high standard in that regard), but everyone was hospitable, and they were patient when I didn't understand the language. I would have liked to see more of the (current) culture, like some shows or maybe more of the countryside, but I was quite happy with what I did see.  And there was very little I didn't like.  Oh wait, the mosquitos.  They're nasty little buggers in Cambodia (no pun intended, I just wanted a synonym for the F word).  They bite through your clothes and your mosquito repellant and everything.