Comments on: A Geek in Cambodia: Day 2: TonlĂ© Sap http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/481 Crunky! This is a blog about an English teacher living in South Korea. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:08:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: ::A Geek in Korea:: » Blog Archive » Shave their heads, they are ready for war. http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/481#comment-3227 ::A Geek in Korea:: » Blog Archive » Shave their heads, they are ready for war. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:02:37 +0000 http://www.torgodevil.com/archives/481#comment-3227 [...] mention that anyone as Xenophobic as she appeared to be wanted to travel outside Korea, she could book a Korean owned tour. They make SURE none of the money ever gets into a foreigners [...] [...] mention that anyone as Xenophobic as she appeared to be wanted to travel outside Korea, she could book a Korean owned tour. They make SURE none of the money ever gets into a foreigners [...]

]]> By: torgodevil http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/481#comment-2655 torgodevil Thu, 31 May 2007 01:43:35 +0000 http://www.torgodevil.com/archives/481#comment-2655 I do feel spurred to action. I want to present this country in an honest light as well as I can so that people can consider it as another worthy tourist destination. Despite the poverty, I felt safer in Cambodia than in Thailand, or South African ghettos. But the fact is that even though poverty was "in your face", you <strong>WERE</strong> doing something by being there and putting money into the hands of working Cambodians. Even the children that absolutely relied on pity to sell their wares would back off and let you go to the site eventually. There were always guards to make sure they didn't bother you past a certain point. People on big guided all inclusive tours are ensconced inside a bubble of their own culture that they take with them, preventing them from interacting with most people as they hop off a bus, see something, then go back to a tourist restaurant and order the same food they would have back in their own country. If it's free and easier, why would they break out from the tour and do their own thing? Any money going to Cambodians helps improve their situation, but I felt like backpacking with locals was the best way to help short of volunteering for some relief work. You simply can't just go around handing out money to everyone you meet. You can only do so much and still enjoy yourself on vacation. I do feel spurred to action. I want to present this country in an honest light as well as I can so that people can consider it as another worthy tourist destination. Despite the poverty, I felt safer in Cambodia than in Thailand, or South African ghettos.

But the fact is that even though poverty was “in your face”, you WERE doing something by being there and putting money into the hands of working Cambodians. Even the children that absolutely relied on pity to sell their wares would back off and let you go to the site eventually. There were always guards to make sure they didn’t bother you past a certain point.

People on big guided all inclusive tours are ensconced inside a bubble of their own culture that they take with them, preventing them from interacting with most people as they hop off a bus, see something, then go back to a tourist restaurant and order the same food they would have back in their own country. If it’s free and easier, why would they break out from the tour and do their own thing?

Any money going to Cambodians helps improve their situation, but I felt like backpacking with locals was the best way to help short of volunteering for some relief work. You simply can’t just go around handing out money to everyone you meet. You can only do so much and still enjoy yourself on vacation.

]]> By: aphd http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/481#comment-2653 aphd Thu, 31 May 2007 01:11:07 +0000 http://www.torgodevil.com/archives/481#comment-2653 Without being too typically cliche, being reminded of such levels of poverty really does (or should) make one think. What it makes me think is that I would have a hard time being a tourist in such an area. While I don't think guilt is usually a good motivation to do things, I think in this case - seeing the poverty up close - I would probably be somewhat overwhelmed and, considering my own comparative wealth, feel I needed to do something. But then I think of all of the other places in this world that are equally poor and get myself into a paralyzed state of mind boiling down to (basically) "where do i start?" or "what can just one person do?" It can be a bit overwhelming to ponder, and I didn't even witness it first hand. Without being too typically cliche, being reminded of such levels of poverty really does (or should) make one think. What it makes me think is that I would have a hard time being a tourist in such an area. While I don’t think guilt is usually a good motivation to do things, I think in this case - seeing the poverty up close - I would probably be somewhat overwhelmed and, considering my own comparative wealth, feel I needed to do something. But then I think of all of the other places in this world that are equally poor and get myself into a paralyzed state of mind boiling down to (basically) “where do i start?” or “what can just one person do?” It can be a bit overwhelming to ponder, and I didn’t even witness it first hand.

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