[ Ko Samet & Bangkok, Thailand ]
[ Siem Reap, Cambodia ]
[ Siem Reap, Cambodia ]
McGee's guest blog
Lots of people had said that the kids in Cambodia are pretty intense. Every where you go you are accosted by like 20 of them trying to sell postcards or water or whatever. So we were bracing ourselves at the temples for the trauma of poverty stricken children begging for money. The thing is, it is overwhelming but actually these kids are kind of amazing. Even as they are saying ''i'm poor, please give me money... i need to go to school' (which of course is true), they are grinning and running off, totally aware of how they are manipulating the tourists. Á common one is ''when you come back you buy my postcards okay, you promise' then when you get back they accost you saying ýou promise you buy my postcards!'. One kid even swore at Josh (the f word no less!) for not buying her water. Then she ran off kakking herself laughing. So yeah its true, they are poor but they are also smart and funny and sharp as anything. We saw one little boy, only maybe 7, practicing his 'sad' face for begging in front of his friends and then them all laughing when he did it well. I can see how some people get fed up of it but really, how switched on these guys must be to know how to do this! Like i said, really really cool kids.
We decided to stay an extra day in Siem Reap today because we are totally knackered from our epic tour of the temples yesterday. We downgraded rooms from a $13 one to a mere $4- so bloody cheap. There's no windows in the room but there's a toilet so we are happy.
Tomorrow we are moving onto Phnom Penh at 6:30 am. More adventures to be had soon- yay!
Lots of people had said that the kids in Cambodia are pretty intense. Every where you go you are accosted by like 20 of them trying to sell postcards or water or whatever. So we were bracing ourselves at the temples for the trauma of poverty stricken children begging for money. The thing is, it is overwhelming but actually these kids are kind of amazing. Even as they are saying ''i'm poor, please give me money... i need to go to school' (which of course is true), they are grinning and running off, totally aware of how they are manipulating the tourists. Á common one is ''when you come back you buy my postcards okay, you promise' then when you get back they accost you saying ýou promise you buy my postcards!'. One kid even swore at Josh (the f word no less!) for not buying her water. Then she ran off kakking herself laughing. So yeah its true, they are poor but they are also smart and funny and sharp as anything. We saw one little boy, only maybe 7, practicing his 'sad' face for begging in front of his friends and then them all laughing when he did it well. I can see how some people get fed up of it but really, how switched on these guys must be to know how to do this! Like i said, really really cool kids.
We decided to stay an extra day in Siem Reap today because we are totally knackered from our epic tour of the temples yesterday. We downgraded rooms from a $13 one to a mere $4- so bloody cheap. There's no windows in the room but there's a toilet so we are happy.
Tomorrow we are moving onto Phnom Penh at 6:30 am. More adventures to be had soon- yay!
I love guest blogging, it's like when Letterman went in for bypass surgery except you're slightly funnier than Tom Arnold. Only slightly.
ReplyDeleteSounds like those beggar kids are a present day Oliver Twist gang but without the singing. Or the pedophile leading them. Actually they probably have one of those.
I look forward to the new one being out.