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Vendor in Kampot’s Central Market

Kampot, Cambodia – Sometimes when you’re the only foreigner in the crowd you get special treatment, like a small, slow child.  En route from Battambang to Phnom Penh, I was the only non-Cambodian on the bus and the little old lady sitting next to me chatted to me in Khmer most of the trip, occasionally patting me on the thigh and handing me orange segments she’d deftly whittled away from the pith.  At a rest stop, even though I’d had lunch, the 20-something woman who had been occupying the seat across the aisle smiled and offered some of her mango slices making sure that I dipped them in a sugar and salt mixture.  It was much better treatment than I received in noisy, dusty Phnom Penh, from which I fled after one night.

Here in the coastal town Kampot, I made my way to the town’s central market for breakfast, settling in at a busy stall and pointing to the glazed pork on view.  The stall’s vendor bettered my order pointing to a pot of julienned ginger with chicken and I agreed.   As I dug into the spicy and sour ginger and the sticky-sweet pork, this jovial vendor continued to chat to me in Khmer and motion with her hands, I think trying to ask me where I’m from and set me up with the man sitting on another bench.  As I neared the end of my dish, she dumped in a salty shrimp and greens combo and more pork (everyone in Cambodia seems to think I need to eat more).   The total bill ran me about 3000 riel ($0.75).  Not bad a deal for extra food and a husband at 7 in the morning.

Bai Sach Chrok (Ginger Chicken) & Chaknhay (Glazed Pork)