A Place Like No Other
Cambodia is a country full of contradictions, where my experience will never quite articulate the magic of this place. The city is busy with motorbikes and an elephant will cross the road. Kids jump up and down, when they find out they get to go to school. There are many poor people, yet they are the first to welcome in strangers off the streets. The same kids that play and laugh in the park also sleep on the street. Streets are filled with motorbikes and land cruisers. In a way, Cambodia challenges your way of thinking.
Cambodia is a place with a tragic past. It’s a place with intense poverty. Yet, it’s a place where the human spirit thrives and the people are real and amazing. It will never leave me.
The National Flag
The official name of the country is The Kingdom of Cambodia.
The Land
181,035km2 (Canada is 9,093,507Km2). Cambodia is bordered to the North by Thailand and Laos, to the East and the South by Vietnam, and to the South and the West by the Gulf of Thailand.
Cambodia is a flat country, covered by rice paddies. There are mountains in the southwest and in the far north of the country. The Tonle Sap Lake is the largest in the country and the Mekong River is the largest river in the country. There are beautiful beaches in the south of the country in Sihanoukville.
Working in the Rice Fields
Time
The time in Cambodia is GMT + 7 hours.
Money
The currency is the RIEL ($1 CND is approximately 4000 Riels). US dollars are widely accepted.
The Climate
The climate is tropical. There are two seasons: the rainy monsoon season from mid May to the end of October and the dry season from November to mid May.
The Government
Cambodia started to have democratic elections in 1993 and is a constitutional monarchy. Norodom Sihanouk is the king of Cambodia. Most of his tasks are ceremonial. The prime minister is Hun Sen. The government is considered to be one of the most corrupt in the World.
The Population
The population of Cambodia is approximately 14 million (Canada is 32 million). As a result of the genocide by the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia is a very young country with a median age of 21 years old (Canada 39 years old). 35% of the population is under 14 years old (Canada 18%).
The People
The people are primarily ethnic Khmer. Khmer people represent approximately 95% of the population. There are large communities of Chinese and Vietnamese living in the country. There are hill tribes in the northeast of the country. The Khmer people are incredible friendly.
Fishing
Religion
95 % of the population is Theravada Buddhist. Other people are primarily Muslim or Christian. Approximately, 95% speak the Khmer language. English and French are spoken to some extent, mainly in the cities.
Khmer people are very laid back people. In Theravada Buddhism, displaying strong emotions is socially not acceptable and bad karma. Karma is believed to determine one’s lot in life.
Buddha
The Economy
Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in Asia and the World. The Cambodian economy is still recovering from the decades of conflict. 85% of the population lives in rural areas. Cambodia’s economy is based on agriculture and tourism. Farmers often grow rice and other crops for their consumption. Textile and garment manufacturing is a big industry. Cambodia primary exports are rubber, clothing, silk, timber, rice, fish, tobacco and footwear.
City Life
Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia that has approximately 2 million people. Phnom Penh is located at the connection point of the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap. It’s a city that is beautiful and depressing at the same time. The riverfront is beautiful. There are many hip bars and clubs.
Country Life
Many people in the countryside live in villages in simple houses or in floating boat houses.
In the Country
Wild Life
The Cambodian forests have wild tigers and elephants, bears and leopards. There are large water birds including storks, cranes and pelicans.
Food and Drink
Cambodian Food
Rice and fish are the basic foods enjoyed by Cambodians. Cambodian food is a bit like Thai with fewer spices and similar to Vietnamese food with more spices. Most meals include soup or fish. Many dishes are cooked with coriander mint and lemongrass. The classic Cambodian dish is the amok, which is baked fish in banana leaf. Angkor is the national beer. Rice wine is preferred in the countryside. I like the Angkor beer, if you were wondering. I also like the rice wine. LOL.
Art/Film/Books
Much of traditional Khmer art was destroyed or stolen during the Pol Pot days. Dance is an important art form in Cambodia. One of the best Khmer Rouge survivor accounts is a book called, “First they Killed my Father” (2001) by Luong Ung. The popular movie “The Killing Fields” (1984), depicts the life of a journalist and photographer, during the Khmer Rouge tragedy.
Historical Sites
Angkor Wat
The Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious building. The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda is in Phnom Penh. Battambang is a nice resort town. There are floating villages in the Tonle Sap. There are beaches at Sihanoukville. Cambodia has historical sites from the Khmer Rouge period, including the Killing Fields and Toul Sleng, the school-house turned prison.
Festivals
April 14-15-16 – Happy Khmer New Year!!! Cambodian New Years is celebrated for three days after the end of the harvest to mark the turn of the year according to the Buddhist lunar calendar. Every home is decorated, shrines are filled with food and traditional games are played. Families clean their homes to bring in the new year and this is an important time to spend with family.
October 10-11-12 – Bonn Pchum Ben - This is a colorful religious festival blessing the souls of ancestors, relatives and friends that have passed away. Household members attend Buddhist temples. People make offering in the pagodas.
November 23-24-25 – Water Festival – This festival marks the reversing flow of the Tonle Sap river and also ushers in the fishing season. The highlight of this event, are the boat races that are held over three days. When night falls, fireworks light the sky and a lighted boats float for good luck. People of all walks of life gather on the banks of the Tonle Sap for several days and nights.
