CAMBODIA - charming & challenging

Cambodia is so hot at the moment. The monsoon is threatening with a reprieve. The Khmer people perservere in wearing jeans, long sleeves & hats. I realize they are not as affected by the heat as we sweaty Westerners are. In fact not one drop of moisture forms on their brow. But I know, like most Asians, they are protecting their skin from its darkening rays. Unlike us who grill ourselves brown for the desirable 'I've just been to Barbados' tan. In our culture, a tanned skin is a status symbol, a sign that we have the time & money to loll around. Where in Asian culture, a tanned skin means you are a labourer, someone forced to work out in the sun. So it's a reversed status symbol. In fact, milky white skin was prized in Western culture until the Industrial revolution. But once the masses became pale from labouring in factories or down mines, white skin lost its glean. And eventually,the obvious signs of holidaying by the sea became the status symbol of the wealthy.
And while Westerners are rubbing in tanning solutions, Asians are unfortunately bleaching their skin. Im not convinced that it works anyway, like Im not convinced anti-wrinkle cremes work. But the young Cambodian girl in the photo paid the equivalent of 2 weeks wages for the treatment!

Meanwhile it is wonderful to be back in Cambodia, especially Siem Reap. It's an easy town and the people are gentle & hospitable. Prices are so cheap. Four of us went out for dinner to a lovely restaurant, the Golden Temple. We all enjoyed a 'more than ample' Khmer style meal, a couple of cold beers each, and the bill between us was about $16.

I hve been visiting Cambodia for nearly ten years. Each time l return to Siem Reap it feels like it has doubled in size. The main attraction of course are the Temples of Angkor and more than a million people pass through the temples every year. What an amazing legacy was left to the people of Cambodia. Tourism has provided  some welcome employment for a struggling economy after the military regime of Pol Pot. I was surprised to know that there are criminal trials still in process in Phnom Penh, in an attempt to finally try & convict some of the generals of the regime for crimes against humanity. But with all the corruption & lies, the Cambodian people do not believe there will ever be any justice.


I enjoy coming back here to visit Jimmy's Village school. Jimmy is an exceptional young Khmer man who teaches English for free, to possibly about 100 Cambodian kids. It's an after school class, there are 3 clsses every night. The children attend from Mon to Fri, and then Sat is fun day. Jimmy's mum does a big cook up of noodles & the desks are pushed aside and the singing & dancing begin
s. Not ony traditional Kmer music but also K-pop & Katie Perry. The children have become quite confident in themselves & their conversational English. Jimmy encourages anyone visiting Siem Reap to please come along & help teach the children English. Even for just 1hr.  Jimmy's English is excellent but not perfect.

The children love to hear about where tourists are from and what their life is like, what their favourite food is, ect. It's an amazing opportunity to share some time with these enthusiastic children who have already spent the day at school, helped their parents with chores and then walked into town, willingly, for the chance to attend an English class. Jimmy explains to them that English is the torch that will lead them out of poverty. I guarantee you will be impressed & enjoy an unforgettable experience. It's a win/win!


MY favourite guesthouse isdifficult to remember (only joking) It's The Siem Reap Hostel. Extremely well managed & maintained by Australian/Khmer owners who understand just what a backpaker is looking for. There's a cool pool which is a welcome luxury after a hard day at the temples. The pool is near the bar & Happy Hpur is fro 5-8pm serving 50c beers & $1.50 cocktails!! There is now a comfy cinema showing interesting documentaries about Angkor as well as popular & new relese movies. And of course there is the mandatory 'Tomb Raider.'
 Great atmosphere, great people, costs from $7 pn. Female dorm S9. And as always I am meeting the most amazingly interesting women who are volunteering here. Absolutely inspirational, compassionate & a bunch of fun!
There's lots to do in Cambodia as well as lots to be done.