Keeping in Touch

I went to Cambodia last weekend on a visa-run, and spent several days in Phnom Phen and Siem Reap (home of Angkor Wat). It felt like returning to a familiar place, since I had been there two years ago. That feeling helps when traveling, cuts back on the anxiety, and lets you see things you didn’t notice before.

I had some work to do over the weekend so I decided to take my laptop with me. I thought I would be sitting in my hotel room typing away, but was surprise to find free Wifi accesses in my hotel room in Siem Reap, and an internet café where I could just plug my laptop in across the street from my guesthouse in Phnom Phen. This allowed me to email, IM, and even skype with friends and family while there. I found this surprising for two reasons. First, Cambodia, as wonderful as it is, is not the most developed country in the world, so such technological facilities are not expected. Second, I remember a time when it was hard to find even a 56k dial-up modem (if anyone remembers that horror) connection, while now high-speed internet cafes are common, even in the most remote places. Now I can travel with my lap-top, surf the web, and stay connected no matter where I am...

Perhaps this isn’t a shocking realization after all, but still I think it puts an interesting perspective on what the future holds.