Sarah Abroad: Cambodia: Same Same But Different

Any traveler in Southeast Asia will tell you that if there's anything continuous among all the countries, its that slightly endearing, slightly annoying phrase "same same but different." In Malaysia & Singapore you hear it every-so-often, in Cambodia it was definitely there, and in Thailand, where I'm guessing it originated, you'll even find it on t-shirts.

Every time I heard this (usually said to me when a local was explaining a certain custom or traditional food, and trying to tell me that it was similar to what I know, but different in some way or another), the English Teacher Demon inside of me wanted to explode at how this grammatically incorrect English saying was the most popular in the region. However, I am fighting that demon for the moment, as the phrase happens to be a great way of explaining how I felt about Cambodia.

A Happy Couple in Angkor, Cambodia

I'm no expert of course, having only been there for 6 days, but Cambodia felt like a really different place to me. Of course it was still SE Asia with the rice, curries, stifling humidity, and endless hawkers and touters, but something about it felt more genuine and more familiar to me than any other place we've been so far, including Malaysia. I have a couple of theories as to why this is:

1) It could be more familiar because it is definitely the poorest country in the region, and the sight and atmosphere of poverty and begging children reminded me of traveling through Central America. I suspect this is part of the truth, not all of it.

2) It could be more familiar to me because, growing up, I had a series of Cambodian babysitters for about 10 years, and apparently I understood the Khmer language as a baby. In fact, I was hoping that the language would come back to me within minutes of being there, but I guess 23 years is long enough to forget something completely. So yeah, I don't think this theory works too well.

3) It could feel more familiar to me because my personal values and outlook on the world is more in line with what I experienced as Cambodian values and perspectives. I think this is my favorite theory. The general "feeling" of being in Cambodia was different. It was as if the people we spoke to actually recognized us as fellow humans, not just as white tourists, which has been most of our experiences here. Even in just quick conversations with people, I could see their personalities and their senses of humor right away. Maybe it was just a more open, friendly culture, I don't know. When I travel, I try as hard as I can to connect with people on a personal level, and in Cambodia I felt this was actually possible. Even in Malaysia, after 5 months, I still find this to be a challenge. I guess that the importance I place on personal, human connection was finally returned in Cambodia, and that felt great. In a way, I think I'd rather spend our last 2 months there...

I love the Cambodian Sense of Humor

On the note of personal connections, Ez and I had a GREAT one in Siem Reap. We were strolling the main tourist area looking for a place to eat dinner, when a Cambodian man at one of the cafes we passed got our attention.

"Are you from Costa Rica?"

We both immediately noticed that Ez was wearing his "Universidad de Costa Rica" t-shirt, and hence the question. Without giving the particulars of the question much thought, Ez replied,

"Yes."

I still don't know (and neither does he) if he meant to say it, if he misunderstood the question or what, but that's the way it went. Turns out, I am so glad he did. The man proceeded to speak to us in almost perfect Spanish! He explained how he studied English and Spanish in school, but that he always loved Spanish and loved to practice it with tourists. So, we had an entire, flawless conversation with a Cambodian in Spanish. I'm pretty happy about that.

Streets of Siem Reap

Our time in Cambodia also included seeing the famous Angkor Wat and temples of Angkor and, for those of you who know about it, the incredibly frustrating journey across the border from Bangkok. Angkor Wat was incredible. We spent a whole day (we could have easily spent a week if we had more money) walking around looking at the ruins and imagining how way back when these places were actually bustling, important cities. Ez pointed out that they still are bustling cities and always have been, since thousands of tourists are there every day. I liked that a lot. It's definitely a different kind of city, but one just the same. (At this time, your túk túk driver would point out that it's "same same but different.")

The Bustling City at Angkor Wat

The border trip was less amazing (the way there, that is; the way back was strangely pleasant). After a 5 hour bus ride from Bangkok to the border, we had to argue with a túk túk driver about how much he was charging us to take us to the immigration station (turns out he gave us a fair price and we were being the jerks. Sigh...you never know). Once through the border, we were met by a shady guy holding a sign with my name on it. What?? We did not request to be picked up by anyone, and knew that this side of the border was full of scammers. So, I told him we wouldn't be going with him, but asked how he got my name.

"Your hotel, Golden Temple Villa, sent me!"

"Why didn't they tell me they were going to do that?"

"Oh, yes, that's always a problem, but I promise they sent me."

Luckily I had a phone number to call. I called the guesthouse, and sure enough this man "worked for them." He led us to a taxi, asked for a tip (Ez gave him 10 ringgit because it was either that or a $50 bill, and the man sneered). We later found out that this man "working" for our guesthouse meant that he paid them for my name so that he could get a tip for helping us find a taxi. Anyways, we then took a 3 hour taxi ride to Siem Reap, which went really well, despite the fact that it was a dirt road filled with potholes, "Beware of Land-mines" signs lined the street, and that we couldn't tell which side of the road Cambodians drive on until about 2 hours into the trip. It's the right side, though you might never know it.

Honestly though, that day was my only complaint about our travels there. After that it was smooth sailing, as peaceful as my butterfly friend:

There's one more thing I have to say. Cambodia has a deeply troubled and violent recent history, and that sadness is still palpable. Although the Khmer Rouge is long gone, the effects of the genocide and the repressive regime are everywhere. Cambodia is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, and men, women, and children who weren't even born during the years of Pol Pot are often injured (sometimes killed) by land-mines. Obviously, people who survived the terror still live with the trauma, both mental and physical, as well the memories of what happened to their neighbors, families, and friends. I think its easy for us to forget the atrocious things that have happened in the world, especially if they were in the past, but being in Cambodia (and Vietnam of course) reminds me that the legacies of violence are alive and well, unfortunately, and its our responsibility to educate ourselves about them, learn from them, help fix them, and help prevent them.