Sihanoukville is a completely different place from Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. It is a coastal, hilly town. It is located at the South of Cambodia.
There are six beaches in this town, which I cannot remember all the names of those beaches. Very few people, less than 200,000 are living in this quiet town. The long beaches are of fine sand and clear water. There are not many tourists or westerners, mostly are the Cambodian people. There are many relaxing restaurant on the beach, with some beach chairs. I ordered a mixed fruit shake, just US$1, and then I could lied on the chair for a whole afternoon or morning. Being told by the motorbike driver, there are usually parties at night. I did not go as it was always raining. It is the rainy season.
Tourism has not yet developed very well, although there are many guesthouses and hotels. I think the biggest business there should be the port. There is a big port, and then of course many containers and trucks. Yet in the coming future digging oil will be another big business since the oil reserve was discovered in 2004 and some companies invested it.
Sihanoukville in fact is a small town. Green is everywhere. There is forest as well. Going into the forest you can find waterfall. The waterfall is not a huge one, but still you can feel the power of the nature. Particularly did I because I went there when it was pouring. It did stop but the water volume was huge. I stood very close to the waterwall, and heard the sound of the water pouring down like some kind of roars. There were some children and they jumped into water, which seemed very exciting. Some people took picture when they stood in the stream. It was not very developed, so it was still very natural that one should not miss it. There was a crocodile pond as well, but I did not look at it carefully.
Spending there is more expensive than Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, but the reason is not clear to me. I stayed there for two days, absolutely not enough. I went to all the beaches, and one of them was very quiet without people. I went into the sea and enjoyed the silence. The beach was likely mine.
The rock there is very awesome. It is a special kind of rock which I could not recall the name. That makes me want to study geography again. It is really an interesting subject. It is like a kind of shale with some layers, or a kind of sendimentary rock along the coast. They are gorgeous. Besides you can find the power of sea water erosion. The water was stroking the rock and finally erode the stones. I always love to see all of these things.
Something to add is I went there by bus for four hours from Phnom Penh. The bus fare is inexpensive as US$4. It is worthwhile to go to this small town.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
- continued -
There is a "must" sight-seeing spot in Cambodia - Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is located at Siem Reap province, which includes over 600 buildings. They were built by the great Angkor dynasty since 9th century for over 400 years. Wat means temple. The ancient Cambodian worship the Buddist and so they built all these wats, believing the god would protect them and maintain their prosperity. Certainly they did not help, yet they made Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in Asia, a cultural-rich place.
Since the rainy season lies from April to September, it is the low season of tourism in Cambodia. From October to March, the sunset and sunrise in Angkor Wat is very beautiful. They would absolutely kill the film in your camera.
You need to be a good walker if you want to walk around Angkor Wat. The steps are very steep and narrow. There are so many wats as well that make you confused. Sometimes they look all the same. There are one-day pass, three-day pass and one-week pass. People usually choose three, but if you are getting bored with the wats you better not do that.
A lot of souvenirs can be bought in Siem Reap. However most of them are not made in Cambodia but Thailand as they did not develop their own outstanding art besides the buddist and Angkor.
Reading a magazine after I came back to Hong Kong, I was told there was a tour provided if people want to see how poor the Cambodians are. I feel pathetic because it should not be the way that people try to raise the public concern or make money by exhibiting their poorness. Yet I know it is just under the pressure from reality. No one can stop this.
Siem Reap has developed into a tourist province, which is completely different from most of the other provinces in Cambodia.
I truly miss this country.
Angkor Wat is located at Siem Reap province, which includes over 600 buildings. They were built by the great Angkor dynasty since 9th century for over 400 years. Wat means temple. The ancient Cambodian worship the Buddist and so they built all these wats, believing the god would protect them and maintain their prosperity. Certainly they did not help, yet they made Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in Asia, a cultural-rich place.
Since the rainy season lies from April to September, it is the low season of tourism in Cambodia. From October to March, the sunset and sunrise in Angkor Wat is very beautiful. They would absolutely kill the film in your camera.
You need to be a good walker if you want to walk around Angkor Wat. The steps are very steep and narrow. There are so many wats as well that make you confused. Sometimes they look all the same. There are one-day pass, three-day pass and one-week pass. People usually choose three, but if you are getting bored with the wats you better not do that.
A lot of souvenirs can be bought in Siem Reap. However most of them are not made in Cambodia but Thailand as they did not develop their own outstanding art besides the buddist and Angkor.
Reading a magazine after I came back to Hong Kong, I was told there was a tour provided if people want to see how poor the Cambodians are. I feel pathetic because it should not be the way that people try to raise the public concern or make money by exhibiting their poorness. Yet I know it is just under the pressure from reality. No one can stop this.
Siem Reap has developed into a tourist province, which is completely different from most of the other provinces in Cambodia.
I truly miss this country.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Siem Reap
Basically Cambodia is one of the Mekong Delta countries - others are China, Laos and Vietnam. The kingdom is also the member of ASEAN. From Mekong, Tonle Sep to the sea, Cambodia composes of a huge piece of land facing the Pacific Ocean. Hilly relief is found along the coast, while a large piece of green land is in the offshore area.
The history of Cambodia is a melancholy. The great dynasty of Angkor in 14th century was likely passed forever. It suffered from a long violence, chaos and wars. One particular part of the tragedy is the Pol Pot regime and the Khmer Rouge during 1975-79. People are now still conducting a tribunal. Many people died at that time inhumanly.
Usually the one who treat you the worst is you.
Corruption, bureaucrazy, insufficiency transparency are the characteristics of the Cambodian government. Cambodian People Party (CPP) and the FUNCIPEC party form the coalition government, while the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) led by Sam Rainsy remain the biggest opposition group. Nonetheless the SRP yet sometimes has interest conflict involved CPP. In our acknowledgement Sam Rainsy is one of the corruptive people as well, yet he was awarded as a recognition of a fighter for independence and freedom - it is irony.
There are two English papers in Cambodia - the Cambodia Daily and the Phnom Penh Post (PPPost). I started to be an intern reporter in PPPost on 15 May, and ended on 29 June, which is around 7 weeks. The PPPost is published bi-monthly, and most of the readers are foreigners and international subscribers. I've done two big story about the garment industry and the license system of Cambodia's tourism.
Weird things happen everywhere in Cambodia, regardless of the government or local people. However it is still very interesting to stay in Cambodia, particularly because the people there are kind and agreeable. Certainly there exist a lot of bad people. A distinguishable difference can be found there.
It is well-known that Cambodia is a less development country. People are poor and many of them are homeless. The government is poor due to severe corruption. The education remains weak that it could be said that an degree does not mean anything at all. The state also lacks technology to develop various production, even though the country has tremendous potential.
The popular currency in Cambodia are the US dollar and Riel. A rough exchange rate between the US dollar and riel is 1:4000. The living standard there reveals a great difference between the rich and the poor, and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows the expensive living in this country. The unemployment is unclear because the statistic is hardly found to be convincing, which is varied from 4% to 50%. Nevertheless it is obvious that job is scarce.
The main transport in Cambodia is motorbike. Motorbike taxi is found everywhere, and also the tuktuk. Tuktuk is similar to the transport of dukduk in Thai. The carriage is capable of carring 4 people, and tightened to a motorbike. Cars could be found but most of the luxurious vehicles are owned by the government officials or high-ranking people in society. Related to the transport gasoline is an essential element. It is very expensive for the Cambodian people and much of it is smuggled. Corruption happens in the price of the gasoline imported. Therefore the transport in Cambodia is expensive.
- to be continued -
Basically Cambodia is one of the Mekong Delta countries - others are China, Laos and Vietnam. The kingdom is also the member of ASEAN. From Mekong, Tonle Sep to the sea, Cambodia composes of a huge piece of land facing the Pacific Ocean. Hilly relief is found along the coast, while a large piece of green land is in the offshore area.
The history of Cambodia is a melancholy. The great dynasty of Angkor in 14th century was likely passed forever. It suffered from a long violence, chaos and wars. One particular part of the tragedy is the Pol Pot regime and the Khmer Rouge during 1975-79. People are now still conducting a tribunal. Many people died at that time inhumanly.
Usually the one who treat you the worst is you.
Corruption, bureaucrazy, insufficiency transparency are the characteristics of the Cambodian government. Cambodian People Party (CPP) and the FUNCIPEC party form the coalition government, while the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) led by Sam Rainsy remain the biggest opposition group. Nonetheless the SRP yet sometimes has interest conflict involved CPP. In our acknowledgement Sam Rainsy is one of the corruptive people as well, yet he was awarded as a recognition of a fighter for independence and freedom - it is irony.
There are two English papers in Cambodia - the Cambodia Daily and the Phnom Penh Post (PPPost). I started to be an intern reporter in PPPost on 15 May, and ended on 29 June, which is around 7 weeks. The PPPost is published bi-monthly, and most of the readers are foreigners and international subscribers. I've done two big story about the garment industry and the license system of Cambodia's tourism.
Weird things happen everywhere in Cambodia, regardless of the government or local people. However it is still very interesting to stay in Cambodia, particularly because the people there are kind and agreeable. Certainly there exist a lot of bad people. A distinguishable difference can be found there.
It is well-known that Cambodia is a less development country. People are poor and many of them are homeless. The government is poor due to severe corruption. The education remains weak that it could be said that an degree does not mean anything at all. The state also lacks technology to develop various production, even though the country has tremendous potential.
The popular currency in Cambodia are the US dollar and Riel. A rough exchange rate between the US dollar and riel is 1:4000. The living standard there reveals a great difference between the rich and the poor, and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows the expensive living in this country. The unemployment is unclear because the statistic is hardly found to be convincing, which is varied from 4% to 50%. Nevertheless it is obvious that job is scarce.
The main transport in Cambodia is motorbike. Motorbike taxi is found everywhere, and also the tuktuk. Tuktuk is similar to the transport of dukduk in Thai. The carriage is capable of carring 4 people, and tightened to a motorbike. Cars could be found but most of the luxurious vehicles are owned by the government officials or high-ranking people in society. Related to the transport gasoline is an essential element. It is very expensive for the Cambodian people and much of it is smuggled. Corruption happens in the price of the gasoline imported. Therefore the transport in Cambodia is expensive.
- to be continued -
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