Yesterday and the day before were mainly spent exploring Ankor Wat. As expected, pretty damn cool (though I think that Egypt is still the grand prize winner in all categories). Hooked up with a French chap called David on the way down from Bangkok, we seemed to get on pretty well, so it was nice to have some company.

The first day we went by tuk-tuk which was good as we could cover a lot of ground quickly and get a feel for the layout of the place. The second day we hired bicycles and cycled round the temples we hadn’t seen yet (Ankor Wat is a massive *collection* of temples covering maybe 50 square kilometers). The latter was really nice because we were doing some of the more remote ones, which meant a lot of quite tranquil time, and some contact with the locals. The people here are with very few exceptions just really really nice. Oh, they’re keen to make a buck, and they’ll charge you what they can get, but they’re also really warm, and very often seem to go out of their way to be friendly and helpful with no thought of personal gain.

Cambodia makes Thailand look rich. According to the guidebook, $20US a day is a month’s salary in a typical government job. To put that in perspective, I would spend an average of $20 A DAY here, being fairly cautious with my money.

More distressing still, on the way down to the boat today it became clear that there are many in this country who couldn’t even imagine the sheer wealth of a $20 a month job. Once outside the Siem Riep where the tourists leak greenbacks like some sort of broken cistern of wealth, the houses became poorer and poorer until they were literally hovels averaging 6 cubic feet and constructed entirely of uneven sticks and woven raffia. Each dwelling is raised up out of the river on stilts to the level of the road which was elevated. Each would have a single room with 5 walls and a corrugated iron roof, no furniture and some form of curtain across the front. In each dwelling a family of 3 or 4 apparently lives, meals are prepared on the floor, beds are hammocks strung from the ceiling. There is no toilet and no running water. The river apparently serves as the sole source of washing water, cooking and drinking water, and food (fish), and also the sole means of disposal for raw sewage!!!! Needless to say there is rubbish and filth EVERYWHERE and you or I would get chronic dysentry merely walking into the place. In short, there but for the grace of god go I. It is truely humbling to see.

On a brighter note, Phnom Penh is actually not a bad city. It’s more or less like Bangkok would have been before things went vertical.

Traffic is insane but at least more or less flows. In this city the traffic drives on the right… generally, but it appears to be more a guideline than a rule. The traffic flows in continuous waves, so the standard method for traffic to turn left (across the oncoming traffic) is to start gently veering into the oncoming traffic 50 metres BEFORE the turn. This way, by the they reach the actual turn, they’re already on the right side of the street, and at a convenient 45 degree entry angle. Meanwhile though they’ve literally driven 50 metres up the street straight THROUGH the oncoming traffic. I mean, the oncoming motorcyles, tuk-tuks, cycle-rickshaws and cars are literally driving AROUND them on both sides!!!! Total insanity. Likewise, since in many places there are no actual gaps in the traffic (they seem to have very few traffic lights) the only way to cross the street is just to start edging out into it and gradually frogger across with the traffic swerving around you. Actually makes Bangkok look orderly!

The people are very nice, much less money-grasping than in Siem Riep and obviously much more prosperous. The food here is very good. Better than in Thailand so far - much easier for vegetarians.

I confess I’m still slightly spooked by the reports of widespread muggings in PP after dark, so I’m staying in tonight. Tomorrow I leave early in the morning for Kratie. PP is a transport hub, so no choice but to come through here, but happy not to stay long. Shame though cos I didn’t get a chance to do the best market in town. The deals on offer at the second-best market would make your eyes pop out (they make bangkok look expensive) and I didn’t really have the time or the money to hand this afternoon to capitalise properly!