Cambodia
Area: 181,035 km2 (1.8% the size of Canada, 50.7% the size of Germany, 699x Luxembourg)
Population: 14,805,358 ( 42.7% of Canada, 18.1% of Germany, 289x Luxembourg)
Capital: Phnom Penh
Currency: Cambodian Riel (KHR)
Time travelled: 16 days
Distance travelled: 1469 km (overland by bus and boat, 0 km by train and plane)
Highlights in chronological order:
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Communicating with locals
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People are very friendly, always smiling and honest
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Beautiful country-side of Kampot
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Assisting in the ECCC trial of the Khmer Rouge leaders
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Home stay in Battambang with traditional Khmer family
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Excellent food and big variety
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Learning how to make Fish Amok during the cooking class
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Temples of Angkor
We spent only 2 weeks in Cambodia, but really enjoyed it. The people are very friendly, the food was good, the history interesting and the sights beautiful. Below is a more detailed explanation.
The Economy: The country is poor, with the average yearly income around $600 per person. Although it’s much poorer than Vietnam, it is also much cleaner. We didn’t see any rats and never had ants in our food. The country has had a relatively high growth rate in the last decade, but the 80% of the population living in the country-side hasn’t profited much from it. Around Phnom Penh there are many textile factories, taking advantage of the cheap labour. Other sectors include the export of lumber and illegal logging has become a big problem, we were told. Another large part in the country’s growth is played by foreign aid (30%) and foreign investment.
The People: The most striking thing about Cambodia was how nice people were! Really, we couldn’t get over it. Many people also spoke English, so it was easy to communicate with them. Because of the poverty and because of the Khmer Rouge, the population has been hit hard. And yet, they are still always smiling. Because an entire generation (or two) have been wiped out during Pol Pot’s regime, 40% of the population is under the age of 15. Currently the average life expectancy is 57 years and 10% of children die shortly after birth, partly due to lack of medical help. The literacy rate is low (64% for men, 40% for women), but now 90% of kids go to school, so there is hope.
The Culture: The home stay in Battambang was really one of the highlights, as we got to learn about their culture and customs. Although friendly and out-going, they never show affection in public. They also dress pretty conservatively. Since most people bathe outside in the river or by pouring rain water over themselves, people wear a sarong while doing so. There are many places where there is no running water, so people use rain water for washing, laundry, cooking and everything else. Electricity however is wide-spread. The state religion is Theravada-Buddhism, but most people also believe in spirits and worship ancestors. Each house has a little altar where they worship the ancestors and it is said to be the house where the spirits can find a home, if they haven’t found one in the afterlife. The family brings offerings to the altar (usually fruits) and burns incense for the deceased.
The Food: The food is really excellent in Cambodia. Among our favourites is fish amok (Khmer curry with coconut cream), but everything we had was delicious. There is a very big variety of ingredients, veggies, spices and dishes, so we really enjoyed it. The cooking class was also lots of fun and the dishes we prepared were amazing. We hope we can recreate them at home.
Transportation: Roads are not as bad as we expected, but transportation from A to B always takes longer than it’s supposed to. So of the bus should take 5 hours, it means it won’t take less than 5 hours, but can take anything from 6 to 10 hours. It is very cheap, so one cannot complain. You just cannot be stressed when travelling. What was interesting for us is the difference in transportation when you visit the tourist sights. In China you take a public bus, in Vietnam you book a tour and in Cambodia you hire a tuk-tuk to take you there, which gives you the opportunity to talk to a Khmer during your breaks and to learn even more about their life.
