First impressions of Cambodia and Phnom Penh

Cambodia.

The moment we crossed the border we felt like smiling.
Sometimes the feel and the atmosphere of a country is really noticeable. In Cambodia it is that of homeliness, peace, joy, beauty and relaxation. Riding towards the capital Phnom Penh we let our eyes rest on the magnificent Cambodian country-side (will try to visit and add pictures at a later time)- puddles after puddles (the Mekong river overflows these shallow lands in low season), people on boats cruising the land, harvesting and fishing, rice fields as green as the grass in Ireland, tall solitary palm trees breaking up the horizon and cute little houses lifted upon the waters with wooden poles from each corner. There is something very mellow and beautiful about these vistas.

Reaching Phnom Penh we weren't exactly sure where to look for accommodation. Finally we asked to be taken to the little backpacker area near the lake. It was dark and we were riding along tiny dark alleys. A little feeling of unease crept up our hearts, it didn't look too promising. All the hotels in this area are little old wooden houses, literally standing on top of the lake on poles, patched up all over from the continual decay of humidity, and topped with tin roofs. Very basic and in a suspicious area. Hmm...



However after 3 days of staying here, we are in love with both the hotel, the area, the city (and the country in general). The hotel feels like home, we have sun-tanned on its balcony, eaten some great Khmer food, befriended some local people and learned a few words in their language. There are hammocks to watch the sunsets from and even some gym equipment for our increasing travellers bellies. :)

The area itself has so much character- it feels like a little village of its own. There is apparently a project on hold about taking the whole area down in order to make yet another stretch of modern comfortable houses, this would be a great pity.







On the streets in our backbacker area











Visiting a Buddhist pagoda, the temples are always filled to the brim with Buddha statues, usually with some money wrapped around their hands.















Near the temple

The Royal Palace at the riverside What do we love about Cambodia already? The people. Cambodians are instantly welcoming, genuinely friendly, always ready to laugh, and very much relaxed. In fact they seem to be... simply happy people. We have never seen any hard haggling or hassling, everything is asked with a joking style. Surprising especially after what they have been through. We have been learning a lot about the horrors of the Khmer Rouge rule, been totally shocked and moved by the unbelievable inhumanity and cruelty. These people have been through hell, there is no doubt about it. Yet they have emerged full of optimism and the great ability to live in the present moment. Of course their eyes will fill with sadness when asked about that period of time in their history. Yet they have such a strong sense of self and nationhood, they have Buddhism, and their attitude about life just seems to be spot on. At least these are our little first impressions and instincts after the short time of being here.

From Cambodia

The monument at the site of the mass graves

Another noticeable aspect of Cambodia is the children. Apparently almost 40 % of the entire populace is under the age 15. There are unfortunately a lot of street kids and child labor, these kids seem extremely sharp and witty, cracking jokes and speaking several languages from very young, yet its very sad that they don't have better chances to be educated.

We will stay here in Phnom Penh for several more days as we are waiting for some visas. Yet for the first time we are glad to be waiting, to be stuck. :)