Koh Rong is a very popular beach spot midway up the coast near Sihanoukville. To get there you need to take a tourist bus to the reputedly ugly Sihanoukville and get a ferry boat to the island from there. This is not where I'm going and I'm having a very difficult time communicating this to my guesthouse's booking agent. I want to go to the phonetically similar Koh Kong which is closer to the Thai border. The booking agent keeps assuring me with more confidence than English ability that he understands, that the tickets cost the same and ultimately they are the exact same place. This in spite my showing him on the map, over pronouncing everything and writing it down. He nods, smiles and again tries to sell me the same ticket again. After a few rounds of this game, I ask to see his list. Finally by pointing, I get the idea across. In a flurry of laughter and apologies he
sells me the itinerary I want.
Tourist buses in Cambodia are much like tourist buses everywhere, white vans with enough room for a dozen people and their luggage and usually loaded with twice that number. The only difference is that local people also use them. Half the passengers to Koh Kong are Cambodian. We are crammed cheek to jowl with a mixture of Germans, French, Dutch and a broad demographic swath of locals including two toddlers. Every so often we stop to let on another Philharmonic orchestra. I also suspect that the driver is running a courier service on the side. Bags of what may either be produce or cement are somehow crammed into the interior. He is a very good driver. though.
One of the advantages to traveling the way I do, for an extended period and with no strict itinerary, is that when the inevitable road fatigue sets in, you can take a day. This is precisely what I did after being liberated from the clown car in Koh Kong. I walked around the town a few times. I read. I napped. I looked into day trips, I talked with other travelers. I ate delicious local seafood dishes, and I drew some boats at the harbor. Nothing earth shattering, just a nice quiet day in a new town.
Koh Kong City is much more "local" than Kampot or Kep. While it is still possible to get fancy coffee, most of the shop fronts are devoted fishing nets, engine repair and other necessities of a costal community.
I'm starting to get a clearer perspective o the Cambodian character. Cambodians as a whole seem born with a nearly boundless well of patience. It's not that you couldn't annoy a Cambodian, it's just that it would take far more effort than it was worth. In a situation where it matters who "loses face,"first the Cambodian will inevitably win. Their default expression is stoic bemusement. It is, however, remarkably easy to make a Cambodian smile. A smile and wave or greeting will be cheerfully returned. They appreciate good manners and silliness. A polite sampeah ( formal greeting involving a slight bow with folded hands with the phrase "liom reap suah) will be returned, but addressing a small child with an exaggerated version of this never fails to get a giggle. I have gotten a laugh by letting someone pass in front of me with an overstated courtly bow, or pretending to swoon at the restaurant bill (especially if you pay promptly with no complaint immediately after). If caught singing to themselves, taking a selfie or in the middle of horseplay, they always look slightly sheepish until you give a thumbs up, applaud or do something goofy that makes you part of the fun.
To see Cambodians at their absolute best, you need to see them with their families. A Cambodian family gathering involves tons of food, laughter, chatter and semi-feral children. They seem happiest and most relaxed among their relatives.
sells me the itinerary I want.
Tourist buses in Cambodia are much like tourist buses everywhere, white vans with enough room for a dozen people and their luggage and usually loaded with twice that number. The only difference is that local people also use them. Half the passengers to Koh Kong are Cambodian. We are crammed cheek to jowl with a mixture of Germans, French, Dutch and a broad demographic swath of locals including two toddlers. Every so often we stop to let on another Philharmonic orchestra. I also suspect that the driver is running a courier service on the side. Bags of what may either be produce or cement are somehow crammed into the interior. He is a very good driver. though.
One of the advantages to traveling the way I do, for an extended period and with no strict itinerary, is that when the inevitable road fatigue sets in, you can take a day. This is precisely what I did after being liberated from the clown car in Koh Kong. I walked around the town a few times. I read. I napped. I looked into day trips, I talked with other travelers. I ate delicious local seafood dishes, and I drew some boats at the harbor. Nothing earth shattering, just a nice quiet day in a new town.
Koh Kong City is much more "local" than Kampot or Kep. While it is still possible to get fancy coffee, most of the shop fronts are devoted fishing nets, engine repair and other necessities of a costal community.
The pace of life here is calmer and more casual. It is possible to walk around with only minimal harassment from the tuk tuk drivers.
I'm starting to get a clearer perspective o the Cambodian character. Cambodians as a whole seem born with a nearly boundless well of patience. It's not that you couldn't annoy a Cambodian, it's just that it would take far more effort than it was worth. In a situation where it matters who "loses face,"first the Cambodian will inevitably win. Their default expression is stoic bemusement. It is, however, remarkably easy to make a Cambodian smile. A smile and wave or greeting will be cheerfully returned. They appreciate good manners and silliness. A polite sampeah ( formal greeting involving a slight bow with folded hands with the phrase "liom reap suah) will be returned, but addressing a small child with an exaggerated version of this never fails to get a giggle. I have gotten a laugh by letting someone pass in front of me with an overstated courtly bow, or pretending to swoon at the restaurant bill (especially if you pay promptly with no complaint immediately after). If caught singing to themselves, taking a selfie or in the middle of horseplay, they always look slightly sheepish until you give a thumbs up, applaud or do something goofy that makes you part of the fun.
To see Cambodians at their absolute best, you need to see them with their families. A Cambodian family gathering involves tons of food, laughter, chatter and semi-feral children. They seem happiest and most relaxed among their relatives.
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