We spent 2 weeks in Cambodia as a stop off between our travels from Thailand to Vietnam. We're very glad we went to Bangkok first because it helped prepare both of us for Cambodia. Phnom Penh, in particular for us, was a magnification of the dirtiness and busyness of Bangkok. Several things that stood out to us include the following:
- Cambodia has their own currency called the Riel however, 95% of business is done using the US dollar, even the ATMs spit out the greenback! The present, unfavourable exchange rate between the Canadian Loonie and the US dollar caused our expenses to jump 30% right from the get go. Not something we anticipated. Granted, the cost of living is still very cheap in Cambodia compared to Canada but it is quite expensive compared to Thailand.
- Culture is more conservative. Couples do not hold hands in public, if you show greater levels of "Public Displays of Affection" be prepared to be gawked at and commented upon (as we were). However, if you're in a "trendy" part of town...then it's more acceptable (and no, "trendy" does not mean "red light." Think mall or cinema).
- Many businesses (spas, stores, restaurants, hotels) seem to significantly overstaff themselves. Superficially we thought it was because labour rates were low or that businesses over-staffed themselves to handle the rush times. After speaking with some local ex-pats, who are in the hospitality industry in Siem Reap, we were fascinated to discover that overstaffing occurs because of unbelievable rates of turnover. The example we were given was that if a job needs 1 person per shift, a manager would potentially have to employ 4 people because it is very possible that 3 of them could quit/leave before the end of the shift. The rationale given was that due to recent history (see last paragraph) and an extremely low unemployment rate (0.8%), there is an underlying belief that life is short and unpredictable, therefore little weight is given to planning for the future (ex. financial planning, resume building, etc.).
- Traffic is even more erratic and wonderfully fascinating. Imagine 2 giant schools of fish swimming across an intersection at the same time...now replace "fish" with "scooters" and you'll get the visual.
- There is a lot of garbage. We don't mean to be dramatic but there's garbage everywhere. It is as if every residence and every business takes their garbage out daily and piles it on the curb. As the week goes on, the thin grocery bags would break open and the contents become strewn about by birds, traffic, bottle pickers, etc. Garbage collection doesn't come everyday and when it does the garbage men also open the bags, dump out the contents into the back of the truck and pick out the bottles. Inevitably not all of the garbage would fall/stay in the back of the truck thus further spreading loose garbage around. When taking the bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat), you'll see that the beautiful countryside is littered with garbage.
- Muggings and theft is also more prolific in Phnom Penh. We were warned of this on several occassions and took appropriate precautions however we unfortunately witnessed a mid-day purse snatch that knocked a young Cambodian women off her motorbike in the middle of traffic.
- Cambodia does not make its own electricity and so has to import it (very expensive); with a fast growing economy (2nd in SE Asia next to China) the increasing draw on the power grid means centres outside of Phnom Penh experience black/brown outs about once a week. While this is a minor inconvience it really added to our experience of being in the locale. Eating in a darkened restaurant can be quite interesting!
- Much less influence from Western cultures/trends. This is a bit of a double-edged sword, since we wanted to experience different cultures the lack of Western-proliferation gave you a more authentic environment but when you're tired of hunting down some kind of basic item to purchase, having a familiar brand is tremendously helpful.
Despite being challenged by Cambodia, we discovered that the country and its people are still in recovery from the civil war that went from 1975-79. Although it was "only" for 4 years, 50% of the population died during the Khmer Rouge regime and those targetted were the skilled, educated, and professionals. Touring some of its most horrific places (Tuol Sleng Genocide prison and museum) these war criminals were only first brought to trial in 2009 and to this day the trials are still on going! Today, 50% of the population is under 22 years old and there is a generation of young men where the only thing they were taught was how to kill. Beyond this, Cambodia's government is rated as one of the most corrupt in the world. It makes us realize that the basic building blocks of a stable society are just being conceived so things like environmental cleanliness, social welfare, and even public works are low on the priority list. We don't want to paint a negative picture of this amazing country. It truly is a fascinating and dynamic place to visit and really gives you a much more coarsely filtered experience.
