1st Impressions

Roomview: Sunrise over Mekong River

Here I am in Phnom Penh! The trip so far has been unbelievable! There’s so much to see! There’s no culture shock but there are many differences. For one, as soon I stepped out of the air-conditioned airport, my first breath of Cambodian air was quite a shock. I have never felt the air so full, so weighed down and so still. All through the night the hot air just hangs there like a gloom over the place.

But the stillness of the air is made up for the constant movement of people and traffic. The traffic system reminds me of the chaos theory. Cars, motos, tut tuts and people flow in all directions, and yet, if you look closely enough, there is an underlying understanding between them to know when to slip in between or go against traffic.

Then there is the movement of people. People gather outside in the palace gardens or litter along the Mekong River’s edge. I still haven’t figured out what they are doing exactly, but there they are: families, friends, lovers, all find their place outdoors until late at night with vendors selling hot corn or fruit along the streets.

The river that flows outside my hotel window is a murky brown with fishing boats floating by. The river and the city are so intertwined. People wash, bathe, swim, cook, drink, farm, fish and live by the river.

Then there are the foreigners. We distinctly stand out. I feel a little strange here. I feel we are just using this country for all its worth because we have money. Funny because as I write this a maid has come in for housekeeping.

The hotel I am staying at is five stars with amazing facilities, and huge rooms and beds. Really catered for the “wealthy” – those they call wealthy is our “middle class”.

I was humbled when one of our human rights trainers entered her studio room and instead of oohhing and ahhhing about how incredibly luxurious the place was, she felt embarrassed because of the hypocrisy of such a lifestyle when we are here to advance the human rights of those less fortunate. Really looking forward to the rest of the trip and meeting the other human rights advocates!

More to come…