Over the last eight months many of our travel plans changed and morphed - we skipped Indonesia entirely, reworked our Japan itinerary, stayed twice as long as we had planned in Malaysia, added an extra month to Australia, and added a stopover in New Zealand. Of course those are just a few of the changes to our plans; there were so many other smaller shifts and re-jiggerings while on the road it was sometimes difficult to remember the original plan, which usually stops mattering once you set off anyway. A bus breaks down, you get kicked off a bus outside your destination unable to understand why, a city captivates you immediately, a city repulses you even more immediately. Whatever the specific circumstances, real-life travel is rarely much like imagined travel at all. And that is indeed one of the beauties of travel. But one plan that remained un-fussed with and that we're glad about leaving alone, even though it would have been easy to squeeze out entirely because it was our last destination, was our decision to go to Cambodia at the end of our trip. For many reasons, Cambodia has been the perfect place to end our journey.
We did not know much about Cambodia when first planning our time in SE Asia, but we knew enough about Angkor Wat and its surrounding, crumbling splendor to plan for at least one week in Cambodia between Vietnam and our flight home from Bangkok. Now that we have been in Cambodia almost that full week, we can tell you that one week is not enough time to fully experience and appreciate the warmth and wonder that is the Cambodian people and spirit. But for us one week is both perfect and necessary, as we are quite literally running out of time (something we didn't think was possible with eight months to work with) and looking more and more forward to seeing our friends and family as our flight home draws near. We are also burning out, as bug bites, small ailments, and exhaustion have all beaten us into near submission. We will hopefully come back to Cambodia to explore the path less trodden, which many other 
tourists skip (ourselves included) as they take about six or seven days to hang out in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, just long enough to get a taste of the capital and thoroughly templed-out at the Angkor temple area. Judging by the small, delightful taste we have gotten, we can imagine that if Cambodia had happened somewhere around June or July, or even August or September, we might have gladly tacked on an extra week or two!Cambodia is a beautiful country that, despite it's difficult recent history, exerts a quiet, consuming energy that is surprising and infectious. Our first stop, Phnom Penh, helped bring us closer to the country's culture, history and people, and we saw very quickly, even in Cambodia's largest city, some of the shining personalities Khmer people are famous for. A waiter at one of our lunch-stops was so excited to talk with us and practice his English that he spoke with us for a good ten or fifteen minutes after we had finished and paid. This was not a tip or any hospitality industry massaging. This young man was genuinely interested in meeting us and learning about us. He smiled and laughed and joked his way to getting our contact information so he can Skype with us when we're back home. There was nothing but a real excitement to make new friends in his approach and discussions with us. Beyond the language barrier, he was curious about us and what we thought about Cambodia (as well as the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum we had just visited, which will be the focus of our next post).
PP is a city of over 1.5 million, but it feels a bit smaller - a la Vientiane, Laos. There are many expats and tourists, as well as many busy roads and large buildings, but the city is laid-back almost to the point of lazy. It is just a really easy city to be in, whether that means to live in, sight-see in, explore, or whatever you like. Phnom Penh effortlessly becomes almost anything you might want it to be. Fancy restaurants and hotels for the snooty, really excellent and dedicated charities and NGOs (that help landmine victims, disabled Cambodians, and street youth find better lives using innovative and sustainable methods) for the giving, river-side bars and restaurants for the fun-loving. Although cozy and friendly, PP has a lot to offer.
Also on offer, whether sought out or not, is an introduction to Cambodia's sad and often violent history. Reminders are everywhere - from young children with landmine injuries begging on the street to museums grimly recounting the colonialism, civil wars, genocide, and upheaval that has rocked and divided Cambodia for the last 100 years. PP can excite and horrify all within a matter of moments, but the emotional realities brought to light in PP are important to learn from.
PP captivated us, and we held our gaze for better and worse. We stared and took note when PP surprised and warmed us with it's friendliness, culture, and big-city pleasures. And we stared still, in a different way altogether, when PP terrified and disturbed us. Undoubtedly and unreservedly, Phnom Penh introduced us to both sides of Cambodia - its dark, sad past, as well as its bright, hopeful future.
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