Ambition, Hope, and SUVs

We are about to hop onto the Thai Airways L.A. Express - the nonstop flight from Bangkok to LAX. Only 14 hours and 30 minutes flight time.

Looking back on our visit to Cambodia, one of the most striking things we will remember is the magnitude of the changes since our last visit in March 2006. We got the impression that despite all the problems of the past, everyone is looking ahead to build a better future. The attitude of the people is one of strong ambition to make a better life for future generations in Cambodia. Everyone works (at least one job) and education is becoming more important.

Sure they have their share of problems (corruption, prostitution, child labor, petty crime, pollution), but there is a lot of evidence of a society trying to make giant leaps forward.



Some simple, but telling signs of progress:

• the large international airport terminal in Siem Reap is new since our last visit
• during "rush hour", streets are clogged with motorbikes, and new Toyota, Lexus, and Honda SUVs
• there is more than one stoplight in downtown Siem Reap
• storefronts have stacks of flat panel TVs for sale (and people are buying them)
• streets, sidewalks, curbs, and markets in the downtown area are all under construction
• the price of real estate is skyrocketing
• increasing numbers of children attend school and NGOs are building a lot of new schools
• a brand new golf course opened on the road beyond Angkor Wat
• a Mexican restaurant opened