Sorry it has taken me so long to write this summary of the trip but I have been busier than the proverbial "one armed paper hanger" since I returned.
First off, this was a terrific trip. I learned a lot. Nathan was fantastic as both photography instructor and tour guide. Both his living in Phnom Penh and speaking Cambodian made a huge difference, I believe, in what we, as a group got to do and see. Chris and Peggy were a delight to travel with and the sharing of experiences from previous trips was fun and enlightening.
As for Cambodia, I loved it! There is an "aliveness", if that is a word, to this culture which has made such a dramatic recovery in just the thirty or so years since the Khmer Rouge were driven out. During their reign the country was driven back nearly a thousand years as Pol Pot tried to reestablish an agrarian culture devoid of any modernity. People, in addition to being persecuted, were starving and had to eat anything they could get their hands on, including spiders! Today, the country seems to be making huge strides in improving infrastructure (I had a better cellular signal there than at home!) and modernizing as quickly as possible. This is a little scary and sad to some folks, who don't want to see the country lose its character. But people are busy doing all sorts of things that indicate a reviving economy and food seems plentiful. Still, compared to us in the west, these people have virtually nothing in terms of material possessions, but still they seem happy. Maybe I am being too simplistic or seeing what I wish to here, but everyone we met was very friendly and quick to smile. Many people speak English. Of course we were in predominantly tourist areas so that may not be representative. In speaking to one of the Buddhist monks that allowed us to photograph him I was told that learning English helped one obtain a good job. I also learned that many young men became monks in order to obtain an education and would eventually return to secular life.
One interesting fact was that the US dollar was the "currency of the realm" so to speak. Many prices were quoted in dollars and most ATMs issued dollars. The local currency, the riel, exchanges at 4000 to the dollar and is used like small change. Apparently there is no actual coinage in circulation.
The food was wonderful, very similar to Thai. Lots of seafood. Everything was very fresh and I never got sick, but we only ate at restaurants so I can't speak about the "street food". My favorite was Tom Yum anything, but especially shrimp. Fresh fruit was a delight. You don't know what a mango really tastes like until you have had one that was tree ripened.
So, would I do it again? Absolutely! Where to next? Well, there's someone at home who would like to clip my wings a bit but I am hooked! I absolutely want to continue the adventures. If I have my druthers it will be off to Burma. I'm always on the lookout for interesting folks to travel with, so, if you are adventurous and have a place in mind, or on your bucket list, let me know. Maybe we can team up for a new expedition. You don't have to be rabid about photography, but it helps. Contact me at apex01@roadrunner.com.
