Cambodia – Phnom Penh – November 17 – 20, 2002

Chantu and Mai at the Hotel California. Just wonderful people who made our life a little easier in Cambodia, and who always had a great sense of humor. Mai is also a master 4-square player.

The crowds grew over the two days we were there. If the police hadn’t cordoned off the grass, there would have been nowhere for emergencies!

L Food vendors were everywhere, all in from the countryside. They had to pay the police to get a location, both in their home town, and in Phnom Penh.

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The crush of people the last night we were there was amazing, and at one point it took us over an hour to negotiate the one block back to our hotel. The boat races were great, the people warm and friendly, but incredibly poor. It was easy to eat in a restaurant, since there were zero local people eating in them (no cash). The average wage in Cambodia is only about 260 USD per year and is one of the poorest in Asia. The lack of effective law enforcement, with the police earning almost nothing and then charging for almost everything (we and most of the rest of the world would call it corruption). And almost everything is for sale. We bought a ticket to the royal box to view the boat races from a policeman guarding the place. Ten Dollars. And we sat right next to the Japanese embassy people less than 100 feet from where the president was sitting earlier. So much for serious security. And almost everyone is worried about the transfer of power with Sihanouk over 80 years old, and with Han Sen, the prime minister, wielding so much power. While we were there, one candidate for a local office was assassinated – one of 8 recently – for opposing some action of the party in power. A rough and tumble country, with friendly people and a river of mistrust running through the middle.

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