Welcome to Cambodia

The details of the early part of the day we crossed into Cambodia seem irrelevant now. After 25 long days, I was in a hurry to leave Vietnam and explore the less-travelled byways of a country long-ravaged by civil strife and political upheaval. The only thing that made any impression on my mind before our arrival in Phnom Penh (at 7pm) was an arrogant and idiotic French man who was travelling with us. Somehow, despite the fact that everyone else had one (including his girlfriend / wife!), he had managed to present himself without a visa. An hour-and-a-half wasted in the baking sun on the side of the river did nothing to improve my opinion of the French. The other, slightly more pleasing outcome to the situation was a big row with his spouse…resulting in her flirting outrageously with every other man on board for the rest of the journey ;-).
From the river, we took a coach through the countryside towards Phnom Penh. It was a chance to glimpse the obvious differences between these two neighbouring countries. For a start the Cambodians are much darker and finer-featured than the Vietnamese. The women are darkly pretty with thick, often wavy tresses – in sharp contrast to the flatter features, paler skin and fine straight hair I’d grown used to. Probably as a result of the contrast with their darker complexions, wide toothy grins seemed brighter and more welcoming too.
Architecturally, the biggest difference is in the temples: high, flame-shaped adornments opposing the heavy, dragon-centric detailing I’d seen on so many religious buildings in Vietnam. Cambodia also feels like a truly Buddhist culture – wats (temples) are everywhere and you don’t have to travel far to catch the flash of an orange monk’s robe and tonsured scalp.
Finally – and as I have since confirmed on several tortuous journeys – the roads felt and looked in much poorer condition. There is the same chaotic melee of traffic (although driving the wrong way down the wrong side of the street is the rule, rather than the exception here!) but with the added frisson of swerving to avoid Grand Canyon-sized potholes…or taking them at speed and suddenly being teleported to the other side of the road in time to earn some heavy horn action from an onrushing truck. Call me insane, but every kilometre widened the grin on my weary face.
Once, belatedly, in the nation’s capital, Jonah and I were too weary to strike out for a cheaper or better-located hotel and ended up checking into the guesthouse whose minibus had so conveniently picked us up from the river. After a wash and brush up, we ventured into the local neighbourhood (miles from the town centre) and found a decent-looking eatery (the beer girls were certainly decent-looking!) where we ordered one of the local specialities: Beef Volcano. Essentially like a Korean barbeque at the table with local ingredients. This was gratefully washed down with a bottle or two of the world-famous, national brew: Angkor Beer.
After dinner, I joined Jonah on a mission to say hello to a girl his cousin had ‘gotten to know’ when he was in Phnom Penh. We ended up playing pool with two startlingly attractive girls at an American-owned bar…certainly a pleasant way to end my first day in Cambodia.