It's chaotic and serene, disgustingly dirty on the streets, yet you enter someones home it will be (generally) spotlessly clean, swept three times a day, tiles hosed, everything straightened.
Right outside their door though can be a stinking pile of rubbish dumped there by all the neighbours. The pile will go down steadily during the day as the various recycling collectors pass through, sifting through the mound looking for cans, cardboard or whatever is their specialty. By afternoon when the rubbish truck arrives the mound will be half the size. Within minutes of the rubbish being cleared a new mound will begin to arise.
It could be a metaphor for Phnom Penh.
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| Mekong sunrise |
Walking to the Riverside at 5.30am to catch the sunrise there are literally hundreds of people sleeping on the streets or in their tuk tuks and taxis which double as both home and work. A few hours later and the streets are full with tens of thousands of motorbikes interspersed with a few Range Rovers (vehicle of choice for rich Khmers), taxis, trucks,vans ranging in condition from brand new to 'how the hell does that thing still go'.
Someone the other day likened the traffic here to how in western countries you try to merge like a zip when entering the motorway whereas here it is like a thousand zips all going in random directions controlled by a demented lunatic cackling wildly. A weird controlled chaos which somehow works.
I will NOT be driving in Phnom Penh even though I now have a Cambodian licence. Took a moto (motorcycle taxi that will take you most places for a couple of dollars) the other day. It was great fun in a near death experience kind of way. I'm fairly sure I'll get used to it but serious injury is not on my list of to do's in the Kingdom of Wonder so I think I'll just ease myself in. Tuk tuks only for the moment.
A lot of life is lived on the street from local markets to food to haircuts, moto repairs and a thousand other needs of everyday life. 2 million people squashed into a space slightly larger than Wellington of whom 80% are just struggling to survive (most of the people here live on NZ$60 - $80 per month) makes for a vibrant and to my eye appealing place even with all its flaws.
The Khmers I have interacted with so far have been unfailingly polite and smiling no matter what their station in life.
My favourite building so far has been The Mansion, a live band venue that is basically an old wrecked french colonial villa, no windows or doors that I could see, that is set up for bands outside with bar and lounging areas set up for each gig inside. Very cool.
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As an aside my Khmer is up to 6 phrases now and I'm trying to add at least 2 a day so I should be reasonably conversant by the time I leave :)
Also I have lost at least a couple of kilos already. My time of chubbo is coming to an end.
Jim rip leah
Si
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