Cambodia is a country recovering from genocide. Between 1975 and 1979, the communist Khmer Rouge regime executed between 1.5 and 3 million people—nearly 25% of the population. They targeted the educated—doctors, journalists, academics—because they sought to create an agrarian society and keep the people of Cambodia under strict control. Thus, after the Vietnamese defeat of the Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodia was left to recover without the help of medical professionals, lawyers, or teachers. This left the country cripplingly poor: the people have had to start from the ground up, rebuilding everything and reestablishing a system of education.

People also use their horns much more often than in the US. Drivers honk their horns essentially to announce their presence—before passing someone, as they are turning a blind corner, or as pedestrians cross in front of them. Nobody really stops for pedestrians or bikes—they just sort of beep at you and go around you, nearly hitting you.   The most popular type of vehicle seems to be the motorcycle. There are far more motorcycles than cars, and, because you don’t need a license to drive one, there are often little kids driving, or groups of three or four packed onto one motorcycle. There are also lots of tuk tuks on the road—little two-seater carts towed by motorcycles. The drivers take tourists around in them.

We begin our journey in the city of Siem Reap, which means “Thai defeated”. Siem Reap is home to the best-known tourist attractions of Cambodia: the stone temples at Angkor. 

Biking through the city is a chaotic experience. The roads are very busy, and people seem to create their own traffic patterns and rules. Though vehicles are supposed to drive on the right side of the road, in reality they drive wherever they want.