I have been thinking about what to write about Cambodia since we left our lovely private guide, Soeu, yesterday. It was an amazing experience to spend 3 days in Cambodia with him. Like visiting other areas of Southeast Asia, you cannot possibly leave without feeling blessed. Blessed to be born in Canada, to have clean drinking water and accessible healthcare and education. As Mark said to Soeu after we finished touring the floating village near Siem Reap, it is amazing to see how much easier (not necessarily better) our lives are compared to most people in Cambodia.
Chatting in the evening after our floating village tour, I said that Soeu probably also felt lucky to be born in Siem Reap and not in one of the rural provinces. Yesterday I found out that is exactly where he was born. His older brother encouraged him to move to Siem Reap when he was starting secondary school (7th grade) and let me tell you, his life was not easy. He is happy and cheerful and so positive. He has 2 little boys and a wife who sells items in the market daily. He sent this picture to Mark on WhatsApp, and we got it while we were waiting for our connecting flight. He told us all about the doctor from Switzerland who built a hospital so that mothers and children could get healthcare. On his day off, after helping his wife in the market, he donated blood.
Did you know that the life expectancy in Cambodia is less than 60 and many people die in their 40’s? He mentioned nutrition and alcohol, and of course, water. Wow. He also said people are so much better off than they were when he moved to Siem Reap in 1999.
While we were having yummy drinks and eating on a patio on PUB STREET (fun place near our hotel) a man stopped by our table. He was an amputee from the 90’s when he stepped on a landmine. He had 3 little kids to support. We gave him a US dollar the first night but not the second. Then we realized that his 3 children were also begging (and selling) on Pub Street. I bought two I LOVE CAMBODIA bracelets from one of his sons. I introduced myself and asked him what his name was. He was smiling broadly when I paid him his dollar.
As you can see from the pictures, the food in Cambodia did NOT disappoint - absolutely delicious! Mark chatted up the manager of the Italian place we ate at - he was obviously not from Cambodia - he was actually from Syria! They talked about the earthquake and how most of the aid is going to Turkey. His comment was that nobody had paid any attention to what was happening in Syria for the last 12 years so it was not surprising - akk!
We paid our TUKTUK drivers $2 instead of $1 (our choice).
We met a lovely woman in the Night Market on our first day. It was empty. She had been back at it for a few weeks – after 3 YEARS!! And again – it was empty.
Mark bought me 2 dresses for the beach – when it is time to bargain one of us always gets lost – we are not the best tag team – LOL! When he settled on the price, he told her that he knew he paid too much but he was happy to support her family (they were there). When we first arrived at her stall, she said that she had not sold anything since she had reopened and that she hoped we would bring her good luck. I hope so too.
If you GOOGLE Southeast Asia Tours, there will be many choices for a combined tour of Thailand and Vietnam. I implore you NOT to forget about the “poor cousin”. Cambodia. It is worth the trip, I promise you.
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