View from the Street

Since few of you have ever been to Cambodia, and most of you are new to our blog, I am going to give you a small travelogue of visual, social, and economic realities to add to your understanding of what you can be praying.

Cambodia is a Buddhist county and it is a communist country. Here is a picture of a monk seeking his morning donation, and a woman offering prayers after she has given him money. The monks go on morning rounds seeking their food and money for their needs. They do not go person to person, but rather select someone who must offer something. Meanwhile, this woman's friends continued to eat nearby, unconcerned that they were not selected or that they could offer when not asked.

All of these pictures were taken from one street corner in Phnom Penh while we were waiting for the bus to take us to Battambang. You'll notice that the streets are dense with traffic, most of which are motos, not cars. Cambodia is a very poor country and many can not yet afford vehicles.

There is a pecking order to economic progress, just as in any other developing area. You walk until you can own a bicycle. Then you ride the bike until you can save for a used moto. After that you try for a 15 year old used car. Finally, you may be able to buy a car that is only 5 years old

I am not including pictures here, but in the midst of these bikes and old cars, are brand new Lexus and Hummers. Again, like many developing countries, there are some who "have" at the expense of the "have-nots).
There are streets in Phnom Penh lined with independent dress shops, restaurants, electronic shops, etc. However, for most of the population, economic living is still practiced daily through street side vendors. This picture is looking through a "corner" convenience cart, towards a woman selling morning bread from her head basket. In the following picture, you will note what passes for a "telephone" company. Cell phones are rented through carts and provide the electronic contact even among the poor.

That was the few from the street corner, standing in the same spot, while I waited for the bus.

Now.....as Paul Harvey would say....."for the rest of the story". I thought that you would enjoy hearing about the road practice in Cambodia called "ROAD TRUMP". Traffic and driving rules have been emerging in the last several years. There is an amazing skill of anticipating and blending of needs at intersections where traffic enters from all four directions at one time and works their way through to where they need to go. It is far too complicated to capture on a still photograph.
On the longer highways, though, the rules of Road Trump became clear. I even saw two different dogs start to cross the road, glance towards our bus, and literally step BACKWARDS. The need of Road Trump is that there are only two lane roads, no passing lanes, and such a range of vehicles that an even speed is not possible.

The bus easily had precedence over the chickens and dogs, over the bicyclist, and the ox carts. Bus vs. cars were a draw, as were bus vs. trucks. However, if the truck coming towards you in your lane was a diesel tank truck, or a concrete truck, those trucks TRUMPED the bus, and the bus slowed down, as in the picture above.

But in Cambodia, one animal trumps all: you don't mess with a water buffalo wandering across the road.

In the next blog we will share pictures of the Battambang orphan homes and the reality of praying in their lives.

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