# Everything Goes - "No Money, No Honey"
Cambodia is the last bastion of freedom. Anything you wish, crave or desire is available at a very reasonable price. Everyone can open a restaurant, start a business, become a teacher or live on a beach for months on modest savings. All it takes is the desire to do it. Yes, there's plenty of drugs and plenty of booze in Cambodia. But it's really not that outrageous as it might look from afar. Maybe drugs are a bit more openly available and drinking heavily a bit more common here than in Europe. It's beside the point, really. It depends more upon the people you hang out with it than the country you're in. Junks and drunks will find ways to get their fix anywhere. Some still see Cambodia as a paradise for sex tourist. It might have been in the nineties; today it's not like that anymore. But don't take my word for it; The Post ran an excellent article about this subject a few weeks ago ("Professional girlfriends: Moving beyond sex work" by Dr Heidi Hoefinger). Feminists, backpackers and other moral-high-ground-goofballs love Sex And The City but cry "Victim!" when they see a Khmer (Cambodian) girl with a barang (white man)... Oh well, when you come with an open-mind and without instant-judgements; Cambodia is a free-spirited, fun-loving country in the sun. Being friendly and respectful is all it takes to get along. Everything goes; even better, everything goes with a smile!
# The Buddha Always Smiles - "Same, Same But Different"
Cambodia is a country of smiles. On average, people are incredibly friendly and laid-back. This is a place (contrary to the European rat race) where being quiet and gentle will get you further than acting like an aggressive, big-mouth macho. Reaching an agreement that's good for everybody is often preferred over gaining maximum personal profit. Even religion is relaxed here. It's the only place in the world where there's room for laughter and jokes during religious ceremonies. Cambodia is nowhere near as dangerous as some people still think it is. Violence against barangs (foreigners) is extremely rare. On the contrary, being surrounded by friendly, smiling people forces you to become more sociable, friendly and laid-back. It's hard to be shy and hide away in a place like this. It's all good; the Buddha always smiles!
# Tomorrow Never Comes - "Next Year? Next Life!"
Cambodia is all about the sweet urgency of now. Satisfaction is usually preferred over working hard to save for a rainy day. Far more than anywhere else, life is about happiness instead of longevity. Smokes are cheap, speeding on a motorbike is the norm, gambling is welcomed. Urgent medical attention or a steady income are hard to find. Worrying about the future only brings headache. Tomorrow's always uncertain. So it's better to dance today!
I rest my case. These are just a bunch of general statements, made by a white dude living the good life in a beachtown. The Kingdom of Cambodia is much, much more than this (both in good and bad ways). The only way to really understand what makes Cambodia unique is to visit the country yourself…
Why not spend your next holiday in Cambodia?
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