From the Coast to Phnom Penh
We just arrived in Phnom Penh a few hours ago, and the city's hectic pace is a big change from our time on the coast. Five star hotels alternate with run-down cinderblock buildings. What should be four lanes of traffic seems more like twelve.
The last few days we were on Rabbit Island, which is a few kilometers off the coast, near the former resort town of Kep. Rabbit Island is practically uninhabited, and is only 10 kilometers in diameter. There are a few rustic bamboo bungalows and that's it. It was a good place to decompress for a few days, and to recharge our batteries for the last two weeks of our trip.
I've been feeling a strong interest in Cambodian culture, much like the way both Zander and I feel about Burmese culture. It's just staggering to think of what Cambodia has gone through over the last 30 years (since the Khmer Rouge's "Year Zero"), and so far, the country's future doesn't seem particularly bright either. One of the saddest things I've noticed so far is the high rate of prostitution. In Sihanoukville, another beach town where we spent a few days, the going price for a girl is only $2. Not surprisingly, there's also an incredibly high rate of HIV. There's a certain level of physical contact in the culture that I haven't seen anywhere else on this trip. In its positive manifestation, it's a very affectionate energy, and the kids will come up and playfully jest as they try to sell bracelets. One boy even drew two dragons for my diary. On the negative side, there's an undercurrent of violence to the contact-- pushing, mock fighting, and the like. Physical abuse is all too common and I've already seen too many instances of it.
In a country where until recently more than 50% of the population was under the age of 15, the future really does lie in the hands of the kids.
The last few days we were on Rabbit Island, which is a few kilometers off the coast, near the former resort town of Kep. Rabbit Island is practically uninhabited, and is only 10 kilometers in diameter. There are a few rustic bamboo bungalows and that's it. It was a good place to decompress for a few days, and to recharge our batteries for the last two weeks of our trip.
I've been feeling a strong interest in Cambodian culture, much like the way both Zander and I feel about Burmese culture. It's just staggering to think of what Cambodia has gone through over the last 30 years (since the Khmer Rouge's "Year Zero"), and so far, the country's future doesn't seem particularly bright either. One of the saddest things I've noticed so far is the high rate of prostitution. In Sihanoukville, another beach town where we spent a few days, the going price for a girl is only $2. Not surprisingly, there's also an incredibly high rate of HIV. There's a certain level of physical contact in the culture that I haven't seen anywhere else on this trip. In its positive manifestation, it's a very affectionate energy, and the kids will come up and playfully jest as they try to sell bracelets. One boy even drew two dragons for my diary. On the negative side, there's an undercurrent of violence to the contact-- pushing, mock fighting, and the like. Physical abuse is all too common and I've already seen too many instances of it.
In a country where until recently more than 50% of the population was under the age of 15, the future really does lie in the hands of the kids.
posted by Franz K at 5:14 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home