The other day while eating breakfast at our hotel, I looked around and realized that Barry and I were the only Westerners in the room--and this has been true generally for us in Cambodia. A tuk-tuk driver told us the top two nationalities that visit are the Chinese and Korean, but we've also met visitors from Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Burma, India and even Bangladesh.
We've met a few Australians, French and Americans, but not as many as Asians.
Although we usually go early to the temples to avoid the hordes and heat, I don't mind being there with other people around. Other tourists can be just as entertaining as the ruins. The Japanese, in particular, are fun to watch. They tend to pose for pictures in kind of campy ways, with arms flung wide, or wrapped around a monolith. I admire their enthusiasm. I think I'd feel a bit silly being seen in poses like that.
We haven't met any tourists from Cambodia, Vietnam, or Laos. We read, poignantly, that very few Cambodian schoolchildren have the opportunity to visit Angkor Wat or learn about Khmer history. A Japanese nonprofit is working to change that with a program called "School Trips for Cambodian Children."
Many countries have contributed to the restoration of Angkor Wat. We keep seeing signs like "German-Cambodian Angkor Wat Restoration Project." India, China, Japan, France, Switzerland, and even the Czech Republic have offered financial and technical help.
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