Leaving Cambodia

Cheers!

It's time to leave Cambodia. It's been ... what should I say? … I loved it? I hated it? I endured it? I was awed by it? I can’t summarize it with just one expression. It was a little of each. Mostly, I loved it. But still it bothers me. It’s so dirty. The streets are dirty. The establishments are dirty. And I’m not even comparing it to the Western world. I’m comparing it to Laos, the much poorer neighboring country. Despite its poverty, I didn’t see any garbage lying around in Laos. In Cambodia, it’s as if they’re saying “Hey, look at me, I’m poor and this gives me permission to dump my garbage however I want!”

Vendor at the fish market

The people seem laid back. They don’t hurry to do anything. Rather, they wouldn’t do much at all. They needed to be reminded repeatedly when I wanted anything, such as repairing the water heater, cleaning my room or refilling the water filtering device. But I know it’s just the way they are. Time flows more slowly in these parts of the world. They don’t hurry and they don’t stress out. As I already know from my experience in South Africa, the only way to blend into this environment is to go with the flow. Slowly, calmly, patiently.

I probably shouldn't generalize. I also dealt with many local people who work really hard. The enterprising tout in Kratie is an example. He sold me everything I bought there as he always seemed to find me when I was looking for something. I know I was paying him a commission for the bicycle rental and the bus ticket, but he saved me the trouble of finding it myself and I was happy to pay for his service. Also, the people at the organization where I work stay long hours and even come to work on the weekends sometimes. They really set an example and it gives me a greater sense of satisfaction that I volunteer my time where it is appreciated.

I met so many friendly local people, at work, at my guesthouse and even at a few places where I went to eat on a regular basis (I usually bought my mango shake from the same stall). Unfortunately, I don’t speak Khmer and most of the locals speak only basic English so it was difficult to have conversations, although I had the feeling that many of them, both men and women, would have liked to chat.

In addition to meeting local people, I enjoyed staying at the guesthouse and socializing with other volunteers who worked in various non-governmental organizations in Cambodia. They came from many different parts of the world, most of the them with the same purpose as me: to enrich our travel experience by helping the poorest and making a difference in the world.

Aerobics at the Olympic Stadium

I'm looking forward to returning to Cambodia in the future. If for nothing else, to do another round of aerobics on top of the Olympic stadium.