The climate with infinite summer is a very pleasant alternative to our frosty winters and rainy offsens. Someone will objected me that, they say, there are too raining in the "wet season." Who would argue, but only when you walk down the street under the hot weather and when you after the rain does not fall to the tooth, and the hospital leaf becomes a completely natural continuation of the wet legs - it is, you know two big differences. Komarikov and other body midges are not avoided, because the jungle has a jungle, thank heaven that they are not visited by snakes. And do not really hope for traditional mosquito drugs: Of course, they save a little from the invasion of bloodsows, but still local insects read the label, where it is written that they should die immediately, do not know how to try to make friends with you. Take it, in the end, as a given and as an unprecedented manifestation of Asian friendliness.
Unfortunately, the representatives of the most ancient profession are far from uncommon in this country. Prostitutes of any age in Cambodia - mostly, immigrants from Vietnam, although Khmerka is also not lagging behind, but they still differ in their natural modesty, restraint and pressure. The question of the physical health of the maiden does not care anyone - the country has the level of health at the infancy: in order to recalculate the number of hospitals in the country, enough fingers of one hand, free medicine is similar to a wonderful miracle, there is a division, the pharmacy is on every corner, but the drugs are fabricated . In the rural terrain, the care of people's health is shifted on the shoulders of paramedics and sanguars. And what, in fact, do you expect from the country that held 30 years in the war, surviving genocide Paul Pot and "Red Khmer" and having the average age of the population of 30 years at the moment? In particular, the honorable foreigners opening free medical institutions. Not so long ago, the Government of Cambodia announced that he intends to implement a plan to combat prostitution and sex industry in the country. According to the authorities, they can make a visit to Cambodia attractive and without the help of a sex conveyor.
In the country in the hands of the inhabitants still have a huge amount of automatic weapons, in the forests and jungle of anyone else hiding unfinished devils of "Red Khmer" and notorious gangsters. According to these, quite obvious reasons for travelers, it is not strongly recommended to deviate from the long-term tourist routes and settlements.
What still amazes incredibly and causes exceptional interest - people living in this hell look absolutely happy. And somehow they do not really pay attention to floating by the eyes of tourists. We have not met a single sadden for those three hours who spent on the lake. The only crying child on our way was a little beggar with a snake on her neck. But he seems to cry out not because it was unhappy in general, but, as we understood, just wet and frozen and tired of the positive tourists for the damned "One Dollar", who kicked alms kids submorted to their mothers managers.
Another way to make money by children on Tonon SAP - massage spin of tourists riding on the lake.
Oh, no, do not even think about a less decent massage - you will be happy to be expected from the Potzhanka from the strength of 8-10 years old, who first shook you unexpectedly on the hump, and then starts the truck to rub with dirty handles to your camp? Such juvenile "masseurs" officially work (if the word "officially" is generally appropriate in those conditions) as assistants on tourist boats.
In Cambodia (not in cities), child labor is generally quite common in very original specialties: prostitution, massage, assistance in servicing tourists. And in the village of type, the chrome, God himself ordered them to work. And that's why. In Cambodian school, three learning steps. Here, on the water, teach children on two, and to continue education you need to go to the city. The overwhelming majority stop at the first two: after all, in order to raise rice (when water drops) and fishing the fish, as they did their fathers and grandfathers, and this is enough. To be more objective, the guys often finishes study, learning to write and count.
Does the state ambulance from a closed circle of poverty, dirt, prostitution and begging? The ancient Indians said: "Do not judge a person, until two moon passed in his moccasins." I am afraid that I will not stand for so long, although I will not shut down. What I learned and saw here was far beyond my understanding. And yet I can not refuse to Khmers in limitless friendliness and openness, charming and non-conflict, implities and tolerance. Agree, these qualities are valued very high, and there are quite a few ways to smell the skunk. The only way out of Khmer from the vicious circle is to break the stereotypes that have developed over many years, but extremely doubt that such a humble people will soon be decided to say their decisive "no" to the sexual consumer.
I do not exclude that you will find yourself more tolerant, and Cambodia will curse you with your head, as it happened to many of our, stuck there for months and even years.