Cambodia top 10: Picture Blog

    
2 – Cambodians, like the Latin Americans, believe in a daily siesta. 12 to 2pm are considered quiet time. During these restful hours it’s not uncommon to see tuk tuk drivers scrunched up in the back of their own tuk tuk catching some shut eye and shade from the afternoon sun.

3 – There is always a faint smell of incense in the air. Yet, unlike in the US this occurrence is not the cause of hippies filling the air with patchouli, but rather part of the ancestral worship practiced here. Almost every house has a small shrine in front of it complete with burning incense. It is thought that while the incense burns the spirits come to visit and when the incense is done the spirits head off somewhere else. Although I don’t believe in ancestral worship, I was often grateful for the incense that helped mask the constant smell of urine on our street.

4 – Monks are everywhere in Cambodia, or perhaps they are just easily spotted in a crowd. It’s not very hard to miss a shaved head atop a smattering of orange robes and bags. Many of the monks walk serenely past you with their token yellow umbrellas in hand, perfecting the image. Yet others can be seen zooming by on the back of a moto, smoking a cigarette with one hand and talking on a cell phone with the other, creating a completely different sort of image.

5 – It is no secret Cambodia is dirty. Trash lines the streets in every part of town, both wealthy and poor. After only a few days in the city it became evident that this problem can not be fixed with the mere provision of trashcans. No, it needs to begin with the people and their mindset. Throughout our time in Cambodia we were encouraged to simply throw our trash into the street without even looking for an alternative and with no regard for the environment or how it furthers the pungent smell that wafts constantly through Phnom Penh.

6 – Eating bugs are not just for tourists. Although it is hyped up and readily available in the touristy areas, bugs are often eaten by the locals as well. My first venture was a grubworm, which although didn’t have a horrible flavor left little to be desired in the texture area. I have yet to try the fried spiders, but I’m planning a tasting once we arrive in Bangkok, so no worries Heidi 🙂

7 – For those of you who don’t like the idea of bugs, have no fear, Cambodia is home to some of the largest fruit I’ve ever seen. All kinds of delicious fruits are sold on the street for unbelievable prices, one of the more impressive varieties – the giant grapefruit… Notice Dre’s hand for size comparison.

8 – Pajama’s are not just for sleeping. Cambodian women have adapted them as regular anytime clothing, wearing their Pjs throughout the day with no worries about how they look. They shop, work at the markets, sweep the streets, even bike in Pjs. Just think how much more use you could be getting out of our Pajamas!

9 – At first glance it might appear that Cambodia has a new lime flavored Pepsi variety, however, you’d be advised not to try this one. It’s actually gasoline. Since a majority of the tuk tuks don’t have functioning speedometers or gas gages “mini-gas stations” line the streets in preparation for the inevitable out of gas experience.

10 – You won’t find large red phone booths here, instead littered across town are tall box like objects covered in numbers. These are in fact Cambodian phone booths. How does it work?  Behind each one of these boxes you will find a person waiting with a cell phone,  simply pull up on your moto and pay the person behind the glass to use their cell phone. (The numbers on the outside tell you the cost to call different area codes.)