Some observations about Cambodia PART 1
on So Now It's Cambodia (Cambodia), 01/Jan/2010 10:50, 34 days ago
I have been meaning to write this for some time. I have been aware that most blogs tell the most recent activities we’ve been doing and very little description of what life is really like here. If I were still in England would be asking lots of questions about what it’s really like here so I will try and describe life in Cambodia as best I can. Those who’ve seen the many photos will, of course, have a good idea of its physical appearance.Firstly, I was surprised by just how much like the Fens much of it looks!!! I know you may think I’m joking but we have both commented on this many times on our journeys. In the areas we have visited it is really flat - you can sometimes see for miles and miles with maybe a line of palm trees in the far distance. The differences are many, of course, and these include the many tropical trees -mainly palm or coconut trees of various types and heights, lots and lots of banana trees – very much a feature - as well as papaya.The rice growing or paddy fields are everywhere and whilst they are completely flat - like the fens– they are a variety of light greens in colour and the water and irrigation channels add an exotic appearance which reminds us it’s Cambodia not Cambridgeshire!When he first got off the plane we were hit by the heat and this has not really let up. It was the end of the rainy season when we arrived so was very humid and the sweat just poured off us. However, much of our VSO training (ICT) was in an air conditioned room so we weren’t always aware of it.It did cool a bit (relatively) with the change of season– the afternoon downpours have stopped and the nights can get so cold we need a sheet! In fact, we bought a blanket in our placement house as it got so cold – usually about 4.00 – 5.00 in the morning. There was nothing the first night and I was so cold I put a towel over me! It has turned quite humid at the moment so it’s hard to keep cool and the nights have warmed up again.We’re going through the cool and dry season when it’s best for visiting. It’s also best for weddings as transport is easier and it doesn’t rain so it’s also called the wedding season!So what? - you might say - but weddings are a big thing here. They set up long colourful marquee– sometimes taking over the whole road and the music and chanting starts at about 4.40am! It’s very very loud!! Everywhere we go there are banks of massive PA speakers and megaphones on poles which blast out everything so the whole town can here it. They usually last a couple of days or so and how they manage to keep going I don’t know – the bride and groom will watch the sedate Aspara dancing looking gracious then pose for loads of photos again looking very made up and glamorous. It really is a chance for everyone to really dress up and slap on the make up - a bit like the school proms these days!!From our point of view the“music” etc. is really anti social as it’s a form of noise pollution and you can’t get away from it. The music is sometimes played live on traditional instruments such as the circular gamelan or metallophone and with xylophones with the bars set out on a curved frame. There may be a form ofviolin like stringed instrument. Even this is amplified! We walked past one in Siem Reap the other day and had to cover our ears it was so loud. I noticed a bank of 6 massive bass speakers with 4 smaller ones on top!We have been woken frequently by this wedding music-which can also be Khmer pop music– usually the same tune over and over again. Then there’s the endless chanting…..add to that the dogs barking it’s not the quietest of places. Khmer people Alison has spoken to also complain about these noises then when it’s their wedding they keep up the tradition of deafening everybody!Back to the scenery. It can look very beautiful and does vary from province to province. As we drive from Mongkul Borei to Phnom Penh there are hills in the distance which border Thailand. There are also hills to the east a long way from here nearer to Vietnam– it’s also much cooler there but we haven’t got that far yet.Of course there are the houses. These are mostly wooden– detached, of course, and set in their own patch of ground or compound. The exception is the city where there are blocks or apartments. They will often have chickens and dogs and maybe some white oxen. There are large bowls for reserves of water.Mingled in with these are more modern designs with modern brick/concrete materials. These will usually have a veranda with silver/metal railings. These houses are pretty uniform in their design and can be quite colourful. The front downstairs will often look like a garage and is for general gathering or even parking the car!As we travel around there are many modes of transport: the ubiquitous moto is the most common and (especially in Phnom Penh) the 4by4 Lexus which is like a Range Rover. How they afford these is a mystery and the contrast with the poverty of the rural majority is stark. In addition there are the buses - a pretty good service overall though not without its failings.They have air conditioning but it’s not always brilliant. They are cheap for very long journeys and do the job. They’re just a bit slow which is partly due to the “service station” stops for indescribable food! We usually depend on Pringles (or Mr. Potato as they’re also called here!) to get us through.Fishing is everywhere there’s a bit of water. This can be from the wooden boats on rivers or people just standing in a patch of water by paddy fields and casting their nets. We saw some in Siem Reap today right by the main airport road near the centre of town - just a small patch of water. It sometimes looks like an event is taking place when you see lots of motos parked by the side of the road but it’s just a lot of people wading around in the water fishing.TO BE CONTINUED.....