A post-COVID Cambodia

Just arrived in Siem Reap today. The streak of 15 years in a row was broken by COVID. This is also the first year to visit in October. Normally we arrive in July or August, right as the rains begin to quench parched and broken land. Looking out the window on arrival the town appeared flooded. Apparently that's normal for October. The massive Tonle Sap lake in the center of the country is at its healthy peak instead of looking desperate.

During the pandemic it was hard to get clear information about the state of the disease here. First hand accounts are best. Turns out COVID itself wasn't a major blow to the country directly. Those reports were surprisingly accurate. It could be the general outdoor lifestyle. Or perhaps willingness to wear masks as a cultural norm. Or even a collectively bolstered immune system from decades fighting malaria, dengue fever, typhoid, and more.

The damage was indirect. The heavily tourist-centered industry evaporated. Hotels shut down. People moved back to home villages. Business owners renegotiated loans, started selling shares, and paying interest only. The economy was rattled. Don't forget a war in Europe that recently multiplied gas prices. And in true Cambodian fashion, it didn't manifest itself in traditional ways. Somehow streets were paved that no one ever thought would get attention. Restaurants moved. Hotels rebranded. Things generally shifted instead of decayed.

It's not over. This should be the high season. Tourists should crash against the walls of shops like a tidal wave. But they're not here yet. It's quiet. Like the small cat who can lounge undisturbed on what should be a busy hotel path.