Cambodian Lessons Learned

We had been in Asia over six weeks when we arrived in Siem Reap. We were tired and irritable which was only magnified by our treacherous road journey and the incredible heat. So when our guesthouse owner told us he would arrange moto drivers for us we didn't question and we just accepted his offer. The next morning after some breakfast we headed out to the Angkor ruins.

Money at this point was becoming a mild stress factor in our journey. We were reaching the end of our time in Asia and consequently the bottom of our bank accounts. We had known there would be no atms in Cambodia so we had stocked up on Thai baht before leaving Bangkok. However, when the Lonely Planet told us that American dollars were accepted in Cambodia it likely should have read "only American dollars". Any place we went prices for foreigners were listed in USD and when we attempted to pay in baht we were losing heaps on terrible exchange rates.

First lesson learned when travelling in Cambodia bring your money in American dollars.

Needless to say shelling out $20 USD per day for a pass to the ruins was a painful experience made even more excruciating by the poor exchange rate the ticket attendant quoted. But the worst was yet to come when we returned to find our moto drivers. Everything we had read and been told led us to expect a price of between $6 - $10 USD per day to hire a driver. The price varied depending on the proximity of the ruins and we had the impression the rates around the ruins were standardized. So we were shocked when the drivers told us we would have to pay double the expected price. When we attempted to barter them down they flat out refused to negotiate.

Admittedly I did not handle myself in as dignified a manner as I would have liked. I was irritated that the drivers had deliberately waited until we were inside the gates and left with no other option. But mostly I was upset at myself for not having negotiated the price back at the guesthouse.

The next lesson learned in Cambodia, as with the rest of life, never assume anything.

I was impressed with how well Kirsten maintained her composure. She managed to calm me down and barter with the drivers for a slightly better rate. It wasn't the price that we had been expecting but it was within the realm of affordability.

Of course in retrospect the extra dollars that we spent seem trivial since we have returned to a country where spending a few dollars on a coffee and doughnut are daily occurrences. It is certainly easy for one’s perception to become skewed when traveling in a country where a meal with beer costs a hefty $2 USD.

Even with all the hassles touring the ruins was an absolutely amazing experience. More to follow....

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