Hard right? For the many of you who, like myself prior to this trip, have never been to Cambodia, it is difficult to know what to expect.
In the recent past it has been most famous for genocidal attrocities that happened just outside of my generations frame of reference. We grew up associating the name of Cambodia with that of slight unknown danger without being able to put a fine point on what the issue was. As such it seems strange that this country has become such a prominent stop of the backpacking trail. Somewhere along the line tourism started to build up and it just became accepted that this was a place to visit. Those who know me can likely attest to the amount of planning and preperation I put in to the running of my life (note: minimal at best) so it will surprise few of you to know that my first impression of Siem Reap was one of bewilerment.
Driving in to Cambodia is a trip in it self. If anyone has seen the episode of South Park in which they visit Canada only to discover that there is only one road in Canada (ala the yellow brick road) and if you follow it, eventually you will get everywhere. That is how Cambodia felt upon arrival. One looooong road. Surrounded by a vast degree of nothing. Sometimes nothing with a large dirty trench. Somtimes nothing with a few shacks. Sometimes nothing with a cow. But mostly nothing. At points there isn't even road at all.
If you follow the road far enough though, it starts to change. It is as if the country is a sparse field of cultural farmland and in certain locations they have sprinkled seeds of urban development which look like they are just starting to sprout. Siem Reap is one such area, a budding city. With very few establisments taller than two stories to be found, the buildings are the fledgling crops, the tuk-tuks are the flies.
In lieu of any kind of public transport network, a swarm of tuk-tuks choke the streets. Each man with his own bike drawn carriage, just falling over himself to transport you to your destination for a debateable price. No matter how hard you swat at them, they keep buzzing around. They provide a service of course, it just so happens that most places you wish to be are easily walkable, even in the heat. The main reason people visit Siem Reap is to witness the majesty of the ancient Angkor Wat temples, beyond that there are a number of smaller attrractions, quite a few markets and of course bars.
Lots and lots of bars.
Cambodia is striking and surprising at every turn but there was one thing that took me aback. When I first set foot in the rooftop beach bar at The Mad Monkey hostel (where I happened to be staying, great place!), it rang with the chorus of British bar banter. It was honestly like stepping back in to university. Of course you expect a lot of young Brits to be a travellin', just like myself but this was the greatest concentration I had so far witnessed and by some margin. Aside from the vocal clatter, there was also a firmly established beer pong set up and a 'Grenade' leaderboard.
What is a Grenade I hear you ask? Why a Grenade is a shot of tequilla wedged next to a shot of jaegermeister in the rim of a glass containing a small measure of red bull. The idea is that one consumes the shot of tequilla, thus causing the jaeger to fall in to the red bull, which is promptly consumed subsequently.
Why would one drink such a concoction I hear you ask? Well as far as I can tell there are two types of people. Those who would ask that question, and those the inherently know the answer. As the Red Hot Chilli Peppers would say, if you have to ask, you'll never know. It is clearly a serious business to hostel owners around Cambodia though. In every town or city there will be one bar with its own drinking challenge and a leaderboard against which you represent your country. Bazookas in Phnom Penh (absinthe and sambuca), Jaegerbombs in Sihnoukville, even the remote paradise island of Koh Rong has a bar with a beer shotgun leader board. Someone realised the most potent ingredient they can put in a cocktail is patriotism and boy is it paying dividends.
In Siem Reap once the hostel bar kicks out, you are off to Pub Street. Yes you heard that right, Pub Street.
What is Pub Street I hear you ask.... you know exactly what Pub Street is.
It is like someone tried to force feed all the neon illumination of Soho in to the digestive tract of a developing city that couldn't stomach it. As such it was thrown back up and the resulting upheaval fell in a strip across the heart of the city. Someone then approached the mess of partially chewed razzle and half digested dazzle and decided to build bars either side of it. Thus Pub Street was born.
To be honest, it is a lot of fun. There are two main bars that are directly opposite each other along the road. One is called Angkor What?, the other is simply called Temple. They do love their temple theming over here. Given that Cambodias only temperature setting is set firmly to ' unrelenting swelter ' everyone ends up dancing in the street, flitting from one bar to another depending on which song you prefer at the time. Its energetic, its unhinged but it sure as hell doesn't feel like Cambodia. It feels like Europe.
There is an almost unsettlingly surreal feel trying to reconcile the notion that you are travelling through an undeveloped, spiritual country when you are dancing all your cares away on a road that feels like a donated limb from Magaluf. The locals are clearly cottoning on and adapting accordingly but you must kind of question whether they should have to. With the amount of Europeans passing through, it is inevitable that cultural baggage will be left behind, this lifestyle seems to be our gift to the city.
As the urban cornfield that is Siem Reap continues to grow, you can already see that a crop of a whole different kind of sprouting up beneath. It may not be healthy for anyone but i'll be damned if it doesn't know how to show you a good time.
No comments:
Post a Comment