Beyond the wats

THERE IS something to be said for taking time off to explore a new country, or rather, allowing the country’s rhythm of life take you on a journey to its soul.
This includes the often overlooked pleasure of travelling without an itinerary, or even a list of bookmarks the internet has proclaimed you must see.
Enter the beautiful Kingdom of Cambodia.
A combination of cheap flight tickets and a short flight away (about an hour and 45 minutes from Kuala Lumpur to its capital, Phnom Penh) makes taking a trip to this Buddhist country an easy one.
Mention Cambodia, and images of wats (monasteries) spring to mind. Most notable is the temple complex of Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world and Unesco World Heritage Site.
Located about 5.5 kilometres north of the town of Siem Reap, this icon is so synonymous with Cambodia that it is even depicted on the country’s national flag.
Although most visitors might make a beeline to this landmark – or one of the over 4,000 other temples throughout the country – you really don’t have to set foot in one to find inner peace.
Despite our two countries practically sharing neighbour status, Phnom Penh temperatures can get intense.
This bustling capital is how Hollywood portrays Asian cities in the movies: scorching heat, almost impossible-to-navigate traffic, and hustlers on every street corner.
Besides the Cambodian riel, the US dollar is also widely accepted.
Cambodia’s economy has been steadily growing amidst declining poverty rates.
Though the positive growth is not immediately apparent in the countryside, Cambodians are certainly rich in one aspect: their warm hospitality.
That really made my getaway truly stand out. Cambodians are always ready with their big toothy grins and the sampeah, a local greeting where they put their hands together and bow.
As I was walking towards the open-air market spilling with fresh produce and exotic street delicacies, I was inundated with friendly questions of: “Tuk-tuk? Tuk-tuk, Miss?” from Cambodians young and old, leaning on their auto rickshaws.
Their smiles never disappeared, even after I politely declined one after another of the many drivers lining the street, eager to take me to my destination only 500 metres away.
One said: “Walking’s no good. Walking’s tired. Tuk-tuk?”
Another innocently asked: “Where are you from?”
When he found out I was Malaysian, he cheerily exclaimed: “Oh, I know Malaysia! We’re the same!”
Taking a deep breath of the pungent Mekong River, I managed to muster a meek “no, thank you”, when the affable Khmer eventually asked if I needed a ride.
Just like that, all the little exchanges, pleasant small talk, and well-wishers culminated into unsought or more accurately, an unexpected feeling of content.
Sometimes, you just need a little perspective – which travelling has a knack of achieving – to realise being too much of a worry-pot can make life seem bleaker than it actually is.
Everybody’s hustling to make it, but in the chaos that is Phnom Penh, kindness is definitely a virtue that induces tranquillity.