21st March (2020)

21st March

Cambodia on Twenty Dollars a Day.

McGoohan’s Blues (part)

Roy Harper (Folkjokeopus, 1969)

‘.....My age and my time

The blood fire wine and rhyme

That fills my dream reminds me of an atom in

A bubble on a wave

That held it’s breath for one sweet second

Then was popped and disappeared

Into fruitful futilities meaningless meaning

Meaningless meaning....’

It is a Saturday though, to be honest, every day seems to be the same.

To break a pattern, I’ve walked through small lanes which have lead me from Colors of Cambodia (opposite the Angkor Hospital for Children, established 1999), round the back of the Preah Promreath Pagoda (AD 1371), through more narrow lanes, across the infamous Pub Street, to Nai (traditional Khmer food restaurant) at the back of the old market in Siem Reap. 

Nine thirty and I am the only one at breakfast. I’ve been coming here for eight years because the Khmer food is tasty and reasonable on the pocket. Today I have two sunny-side eggs, bacon, toast and two (minute) cups of coffee, Italian style. But I break with the Italian tradition of black expresso, and ask for condensed milk with the coffee. Well, when in Cambodia, do as the Cambodians would do.

As my stay here may be prolonged past two weeks, I now have to consider more careful budgeting. I was quite happy to spend $30, or thereabouts, for three meals per day, and eating in the mid-range Western style restaurants. Now, if my stay is to be more extended, I serious need to consider a more realistic food budget. From $30 it should, more realistically, be $20 per day. That is, roughly, $6 per meal. Hence eating at Nai. That, of course, does not really allow for extras, like buying water and milk for my Lipton’s Tea.

Looking out at the brightness of the mounting heat, still Street 09 is crowded with tuk tuks, motorcycles, cycles, scooters and humanity servicing, or being serviced by, Phsar Chas (the Old Market). On the street opposite Nai, a Khmer lady wearing a mid green polo shirt and matching trousers tilts her white floppy hat as she attempts to make a living selling sugar cane juice. The juice is dispensed from a blue metal trailer replete with cane crusher and big orange icebox (presumably to preserve previously crushed cane).

In a fiscally cavalier manner, and still being thirsty, I order a mixed fruit shake. The bill for the meal, two coffees and one fruit shake, came to $6. Shopping - 1.5 l of water and 1.2 l of milk came to $5 equals $11. I’ll skip lunch seeing as it’s 11.40 am already. I shower, rest and recharge both my Tablet and Phone.

Lunch is not skipped but consists of previously bought bananas ($1 for a small hand) and a mug of Lipton’s Tea, which sustains me until 8pm when I decide to re-visit Mama Shop, (the nearest Italian restaurant). I am over the day’s budget (by one dollar) because I just had to have a glass of Rosé with my very impressive pizza.