Stepping off the Bangkok Airways propellor-powered plane on to the tarmac at Siem Reap Airport I was immediately hit by a wall of very hot evening air. Off came the first layer of my “zip off leg” trousers. Off came the compression socks, essential for a journey of more than 24 hours. On went the insect repellent. And off we went on our two week long journey around the rural villages of Northwest Cambodia.
For me, a newcomer to Asia, every part of this trip was an assault on the senses. I was continually treated to new sights and sounds, smells and tastes. We travelled long distances along dusty potholed roads in the comfort of an air conditioned pick up truck. For shorter trips we used the authentic form of transport, the ever present tuk tuk.
A tuk tuk journey along a dusty, potholed road is quite an experience and good fun.Farm workers sitting on top of great piles of rice sacks stacked onto huge trailers pulled by a motorbike were a common sight. So too were entire families and their pets balanced on a small moped. The roads were lined with stalls selling all manner of goods from farm produce to pots and pans, plants to golden statues and pagodas.
The surrounding countryside was flatter and greener than I had imagined with hills and mountains appearing as we neared the Thai border. The occasional giant golden statue popped up on the horizon.
At first I thought the leaves on the trees were brown, dried out and dying but then I realised they were covered in an all pervading red dust.
The first half of our trip was based in Battambang, a lovely city with faded French colonial buildings and dusty streets. Perhaps the conflict at the Thai border had reduced the number of visitors and affected business in the city as it was very quiet in the evenings. After our evening meal we would walk back to our hotel along deserted streets. It wasn’t hard to imagine tumble weed crossing our path, a marked contrast to the noise and bustling night life of Siem Reap.
But what really made Cambodia special for me was the people we met. So many were inspirational, committed to working to improve the lives of the Cambodian people. This is a country full of the young. They are energetic, vibrant and respectful. Wherever we went we were given the warmest of welcomes. The children were happy, relaxed and confident. The young students we met were eager to learn and committed to studying so they could go forward with employment and improve the lives of their families.
We visited projects that Support Cambodia had funded. It was clear to see how this had enabled communities to flourish. Facilities that had been provided were well maintained and being put to good use and plans were in place to improve and grow.
Not everything was rosy. I saw small children sleeping in street vendors carts late into the evening whilst their parents tried to earn money from selling street foods to passers-by. I saw men sleeping in hammocks strung up above their trailers, presumably because they had nowhere else to go. We visited the camps housing people displaced as a result of the border conflict. Many families fled and arrived with nothing. We saw children with rampant tooth decay and mothers needing formula milk for their babies as they were too malnourished to feed them themselves.
Even so there is still a sense of optimism .
Although there is Western influence all around there is still a feeling that the country is unspoilt.
I would love to return……..maybe in the rainy season?……
by Rosemary Downing
