Cambodia's Rainy Season: More Than Just Rain on a Tin Roof

The Sounds of Cambodia

I sit and listen to the sounds of Cambodia and I am amazed of how wonderful rain is on a tin roof. You see, I'm from the United States, Florida to be exact, and we don't have tin roofs in Orlando where I grew up. When it rains there you only hear the rain hit the window panes not the roof.

To be here, right now, listening to one of life's most simplest pleasures, rain, tickling the tin roofs of Phnom Penh, to me is amazing. I feel like a child learning new sounds all over again. Out here, just about everyone's roofs are made of tin, not tiles, and the tin is of all different vibrant colors. There's tin roofs of sky blue, tin roofs of rusty orange, and tin roofs of earthy greens too.

How can I even explain what rain actually sounds like when cascading down a tin roof. I guess it sounds like a thousand people lined up beating drums. Depending on the downpour of the rain is how loud the sound becomes. A soft rain brings a gentle tin roof rattle sound but if it's raining cats and dogs the sound of the tin roofs turn into thunder.

It can get so loud that you won't be able to hear a thing from your laptop or tv even if the volume is all the way turned up! Amazing how a simple thing as rain hitting a tin roof can either lull you to sleep or scare the crap out of you.

After the Rain

After the rain can leave the streets in quite a mess around here. You see, Phnom Penh's drainage system isn't the best in the world and makes you wonder how people cope with it.

The drains have such small slits, not holes, in them that it barely can handle large amount of rain when it comes down. Water gets backed up on the streets as it pours causing a mini flood in my neighborhood every time. I almost have to invest in a raft to make my way back to my apartment. Trash starts to float down "street river" and blocks the already tiny slits for drains.

I feel like I'm held hostage by the rain stuck in my second floor apartment in Phnom Penh waiting for someone to pull the plug and drain the water away. But that's the charm of this place. It's the slow pace of life in Cambodia. It's being patient for the rain to drain away so I can go out and play at the mall again. In the fast paced environment of the United States no one there would even tolerate a clogged drain let alone want to wait four to eight hours to get out of their apartment.

Could You Do It?

Could you live in Phnom Penh, Cambodia knowing what I already know? Would you even dare to give up your fast paced and modern lifestyle for the more slower paced traditional Cambodian culture? I guess the only way to find out is to try. I invite you to come out and experience the sounds of the rain on Cambodia's tin roofs for yourself. Walk in the flooded streets of Phnom Penh or just wait it out in a chill cafe or your cozy apartment.

You'll never know until you try it for yourself...

Does the thought of listening to the Cambodian rain from your own balcony intrigue you? Turning that dream into a reality is easier than you might think. I specialize in helping people who are ready to plant their roots find their footing in this incredible city.

If you're serious about retiring in Cambodia, see how I can help you make a smooth transition to life in Phnom Penh.