Almost as soon as we crossed the boarder things got better! Not that Viet Nam was bad, by any means, just not very welcoming.
The people in Cambodia were incredibly friendly! They smile at you, talk to you, and genuinely want to learn english and learn about our culture. Most people speak english very well, actually.
Interestingly enough, the currency was familiar. Yup! They use US currency for anything over 1 dollar and Riel, their currency, for anything under 1 dollar (basically removing the coins).
4,000 Riel = about 1 USD
It’s an unofficial currency, but has come to be the norm anywhere you go. It stems from the banishment of currency during the Kehmer Rouge era. Riel lost its value and, when reintroduced, was pretty much given away. Then the United Nations came in with lots and lots of american currency. It all gets a bit blurry, but bottom line… they use USD, and for me, that was great! After being in Viet Nam, where I was using 100,000 notes, it was nice to see something small and familiar.
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