Intro to Cambodia

Cambodia has beautiful countryside. I'm not sure what it is about they sky, but it seems bigger and more blue than many other places I've visited recently. Also, the hues of pink and red that illuminate the sky during sunset are ridiculous. I'm sure that if you could find a high point (cambodia is sort of flat) then sunset would be absolutely amazing.

After 1 week here, I'm fairly certain that there is no economy here besides tourism. Cambodia is using Angkor Wat and its proximity to Thailand for all it can get. Well, it might not actually be the Cambodians since they don't really own AW anymore. I saw an article in a newspaper yesterday which said that Cambodia had "increasing exposure to the global financial crisis." But not to worry, the IMF is already preparing to help Cambodia through this economic retraction. Essentially, westerners can't afford to travel so much these days, so Cambodia needs a bail out too. This country needs more than the IMF and NGOs throwing money at it. What I see in Cambodia are the effects of the worst possible type of corruption.

That being said, I've enjoyed my travels here. However, after 3 months in SE Asia, it is no longer merely amusing to me the way things (sort of) work. Now I want to understand why things are the way they are. I want to rack my brain for solutions and help these people (and the rest of the world) just as much as the next person. I just don't think that throwing money at the situation makes it any better. Just like giving candy to the kids begging does not help. It just rots their teeth. Really, I don't understand why foreigners think that kids with their teeth already rotting out of their heads need candy. They need nutrition.

So, my trip planning advice for Cambodia in a nutshell: Spend 1 week or 10 days on the tourist circuit (Siem Reap-pnom penh) renting bicycles or motor bikes as much as possible or bring a dirtbike and prepare for a few months of really getting out there