The funny thing about Cambodia...

There are a few things which took us by surprise as we settled in to Cambodia. Currency was one of the first things. The official currency is the Riel, but everything uses US Dollars. Even the ATMs deal in $. Riel is only used to make up the change as the smallest US denomination is a $1 note. There is 4000 Riel to a dollar, so when paying for something that costs so many dollars and so many cent, you have to quickly work out how many dollars and how many Riel you are due in change. It is quite normal for your change to be short by a few hundred Riel too, but any inquiry regarding this will be met with a shrug of the shoulders, though it is normally because they don't have enough change, rather than an agenda to rip you off.


The poverty of some of the people has also taken us aback. Since Indonesia, we have seen plenty of people who have been begging, or begging for a sale. In Cambodia though, this has taken a leap to a new height. What is especially sad to see is the number of children out, carrying a tray of trinkets, or a coat hanger draped in braclets and charms for you to buy. These kids are out well past 9 at night harrassing you relentlessly to buy something. This throws an ethical dillemma because you naturally want to give these kids something, but the aid agancies strongly discourage this as it encourages more children out to work if it proves fruitful. You feel thoroughly rotten for refusing - something you have to do quite forcifully, before they leave you alone. Any restbite, is then only minutes long too. The age of the kids ranges from about 5 upwards. Sometimes we have capitulated, as we keep shifting our opinion on the right thing to do. There are also a lot of amputees in Cambodia, due to it's landmine legacy. A typical day will see you pass probably about 30 indivduals, more in concentrated areas, who sit on the ground, usually right in the way begging for money. We are less resistant to these people, though knowing how much to give is still a difficult decision, as you then have to decide who is most deserving - you simply can't give to everyone.

Traders will also fight over your custom too, whether it's Tuc-Tuc drivers or Hawker (small semi-outdoor restaurant stall) owners. If you are not immediately certain who you want before you get to them they will both shout at you, pulling an arm each, the loser occasionally shouting abuse at you for your choice.


At first, all this was quite difficult to cope with (the children still are), but as we've got used to it, so we have found techniques for dealing with it all. Despite the new level of pressure that comes from some of the Cambodians, they are one of the friendliest and most helpful people we have met yet. Everyone is very smiley and the level of English spoken is remarkable. We hadn't expected there to be very many people who could speak the language, but it is widely understood, and generally to quite a high standard. Even the young children are quite capable of telling you all about their situation, and most can go off the prepared script with questioning too. Cambodians love their cable TV, which accounts for the level of English spoken by some of the people. Every hotel and guest house we have stayed at has had a bettter selection of movie channels and news than we have back home, most of them in English.


What has also been of surprise to us is the lack of development across the country, even in Phnom Phen. There are very few shops as you would recognise in the west - properties with glass fronts and shelves of products. Instead, most people sell a particular ware, that they might make themselves, and these sales happen either on the pavement, at a stall, or in openfronted roadside premises. We visited the country's only mall (opened 2003), with the first escalators in Cambodia but even this was more like an upmarket indoor market. There are no chains to recognise anywhere. 7eleven, which has Malaysia and Thailand tied up are no where to be seen, nor is McDonalds, though we did find a Chinese owned clone called Lucky Burger. Most petrol stations are a single oil barrell at the side of the road, with a giant optic on a stick above it and a flexi-hose. Motorbikes are the normal mode of transport here, with four adults riding on one scooter a normal sight. Toyota seems to be the car of choice with a straw survey on a walk home revealing they accounted for 62% of the market.


Aid agencies are very noticeable too, with Unicef and Red Cross and UN Land Rovers quite a familiar sight driving round. These agencies contribute to a large ex-pat community in Phnom Phen with lots of western style bars and restaurants catering to them. In Phnom Phen there certainly seemed to be more ex-pats than tourists though we managed to find plenty to do in our few days there.