Entering Cambodia is kind of like leaving Texas for Oklahoma. While Thailand boasts bustling cities, cultural prowess, and beautiful terrain, it is easy to see that Cambodia can't compete. But what Cambodia lacks in luster it makes up for in personality. You can't leave the country without feeling personally touched by the friendliness, genuineness, and kindness of the Cambodia people.
The terrain itself (unchanging landscape with rice paddies, palm trees, and little else) seems to foreshadow a dull and struggling existence. But the minute you interact on the personal level, you know you've crossed the border. Laughing, smiling, and genuinely curious and friendly, the Cambodian people make you feel welcome everywhere you go.
Though vendors persistently vie for your business in and around Siem Reap, a friendly decline will usually send them smiling about their way. One child approached me and asked where I was from. Being loyal to my home state, I said Texas of course. "Capitol Austin," he replied. A stream of child laughter followed from his friends in tow and a dumbfounded look on my face probably scared him away!
The "big city" of Phnom Penh is a mere shadow of what Bangkok offers. Though boasting a beautiful grand palace and a scattering of museums, this city of 2 million is a humble version of its rival capital to the west. But what Cambodia has to offer goes deeper than museums, monuments, and looks...just visit the Phnom Penh Grand Palace Promenade and you'll see. Residents sit on the lawn enjoying food purchased from nearby street vendors; local boys flip and dive off a metal embankment into the Tonle Sap river; an elephant stops traffic on the main thoroughfare between river and city and onlookers feed it bananas and water. The Cambodian people seem to run on a naturally up-beat pulse, enjoying life at every turn.
Family, friends, and general camaraderie seem to be of utmost priority. On weekends, groups of acquaintances meet to catch the local soccer match in a roadside field. Armed with blankets, snack, and drinks, hundreds sit as spectators while sharing each others' company. Even the size of families here pays tribute to the importance of relationships...a family of 5 is considered small by Cambodian standards!
Things run at a slow pace, but that doesn't mean service is slow or things don't get done. Cambodians are incredibly hard workers and know how to keep customers happy. Rarely do you wait more than 15 minutes for a meal, and on more than one occasion I was given too much change because the vendor didn't have the correct amount. On my final day in Siem Reap, I hired a tuk tuk driver to take me out on my own. Despite ominous clouds and torrential rain, he clad himself in an industrial-strength poncho, drove head-first into the downpour, and still opened my door with a smile.
Family, friends, and general camaraderie seem to be of utmost priority. On weekends, groups of acquaintances meet to catch the local soccer match in a roadside field. Armed with blankets, snack, and drinks, hundreds sit as spectators while sharing each others' company. Even the size of families here pays tribute to the importance of relationships...a family of 5 is considered small by Cambodian standards!
Things run at a slow pace, but that doesn't mean service is slow or things don't get done. Cambodians are incredibly hard workers and know how to keep customers happy. Rarely do you wait more than 15 minutes for a meal, and on more than one occasion I was given too much change because the vendor didn't have the correct amount. On my final day in Siem Reap, I hired a tuk tuk driver to take me out on my own. Despite ominous clouds and torrential rain, he clad himself in an industrial-strength poncho, drove head-first into the downpour, and still opened my door with a smile.
In every situation, every location, and every person, you can't get away from Cambodia's personal touch.
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