Cambodia has been a real revelation. I figured
it was similar to Vietnam, but it is even more alive on the streets,
one of the last backpackers' havens, and glorious in chaos. Older
Cambodians have the scars of civil war, but the new generation is quick
to laugh and eager to please you, and themselves. The cities are a maze
of traffic and shops of all kinds at once. Plus the dry season's hot
dusty pollution. But there is a babble of languages and cultures
traveling here to take it all in before high-end mass tourism tries to
make it orderly and clean. Right now it's a gem of low cost, high
discovery, and astounding history ancient or recent.
We were caught in a bind by arriving during the New Year's holiday week. Last choice of accommodation, party crowds, and just getting acclimatized. We coulda/shoulda stayed longer in the beach regions of the south. But we have been in Siem Reap for several days making up for the hurrying by chilling between awesome daytrips. It must have been a vision in French colonial days with a narrow river and classic architecture. Today it's the base for exploring Angkor Wat by day and being seen on Pub Street by night. It's a nonstop combo of Carnaval in Rio, SuperBowl in New Orleans, Times Square at midnight, and (insert your favourite festival here).
We have had two nights of blackouts on our street but the neon never died around the night markets and Foodie Row. After dark we roam the fireworks, mysterious meal ingredients, $1 street massages, and say a thousand "No thank-you's" to the tuk-tuk drivers. It's all wonderful energy, a throwback to travel in the best sense of the word. We move on tomorrow...can it get any better than this??
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