Bamboo Island and Notes on Development

So I've arrived refreshed and invigorated from my brief time in Sihanouk Ville. The workshop went really well (apparently nobody could tell that I was a nervous wreck during my presentation . . . and I wasn't even wearing my presentation dress), and I decided to take Friday off and continue my stay in Sihanouk Ville as I was in no hurry to return to the hard streets of Phnom Penh.

On our much needed day off, A. and I, decided to go to Bamboo Island. Wading out into the water, we climbed aboard a small boat and took a 40 minute ride to the island. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the sight of small thatch-roofed huts, clean white sand, lush vegetation, and pretty much nothing else. Joining the rest of tourists, I plopped down, and mentally prepared myself for a day of blessed relaxation.

The majority of the day was spent swimming in the beautiful and clean water and napping in the sand. Needless to say, I arrived back in Phnom Penh completely sunburned. We ate a fantastic lunch of amok (delicious Khmer food that uses a delightful curry/coconut sauce. . . usually cooked with fish and served in a banana leaf) and fresh salad and then swam and napped some more.

The only thing that put a kink in the day was that we traveled with a man who was (how shall I put this) . . . slightly racist. And by slightly--I mean full on. He also openly admitted to using prostitutes but claimed that "I mean, its not like I'm not a pedophile, I always check their ages first." Mmmkay. I think the term "dirty old bugger" is particularly apt here. After we managed to ditch the DOB and made it back to the mainland, we ate at an awesome restaurant called "The Holy Cow". While it was mainly baraang food, it was still spectacular and I have to say that there is nothing like a good meal after a day spent playing in the waves. Blissfully exhausted, we headed back to the guesthouse and passed into much needed slumber.

A NOTE ON TRAVELING IN THE PROVINCES:

Rent your own moto or bicycle. We rented a moto (I of course did not drive . . . ever heard the phrase "accident waiting to happen?") and I totally don't regret it. Having your own form of transportation makes it much easier to explore (and isn't that the point of traveling and having small adventures?), and at the end of the day it costs a lot less money than if you hired a moto or tuk tuk driver. So if you're traveling on a budget, this is definitely the way to go.

A NOTE ON DEVELOPMENT:

I don't know what lies in store for this little town, and I'm afraid to say that development, if not done conscientiously, could destroy all the beauty that Sihanouk Ville possesses. While I will never make the blanket statement that tourism is completely horrible (this town is financially dependent on it), it does bring the negative with it. Already land is being bought up, small shops are closing down, and beaches are not what they used to be (according to sources that have been here before). In addition, there was a publicized case about a Russian businessman who bought an island off the coast and was recently convicted of pedophilia. There are also plans to build a casino on one of the islands, with added airport so that businessmen from the city, Thailand and other Asian countries can just fly right in. Tourism brings jobs and money, but it also brings brothels (which means it brings in women trafficked for sexual exploitation), forced labor, and the destruction of the natural habitat. What is the solution?

I also worry about the kids that come up to us on the beach and that are incredibly over-affectionate (touchy feely, lots of hugs, lots of playing with our hair). We try to tell them that they shouldn't be so friendly with strangers and that "some baraangs are nice and some are not so nice." They smile and nod, but I am always disappointed to see that they run off to another group of baraangs and do it again. Of course there are Child Safe Tourism billboards/flyers around town in addition to NGO groups that walk the beaches and educate the children, but its not enough. Most of these kids speak some English (some speak better English than I do), and are incredibly business savy (they know exactly what to say to get a sale), but undoubtedly, this is not something that they enjoy. After speaking with several, many said that they would much rather be in school. (Oh, how I used to take school for granted.)

It is a complex world, this development business. I struggle daily with the idea that we may be causing more damage than good and the fact that, while it may sound romantic to some, the development world can be treacherous. Do we have to settle for the tiniest bit of incremental change, or is there a better way to do development work? Why are people drawn to the development field? Is it truly altruism? Does true altruism exist? Are the people who are drawn to development unprepared for the compromises that they will have to make or are these people that are coming in too willing to make compromises? Anyway, just something for me to think about, and perhaps you as well.

PEACE