Cambodia

Siem Reap

I began my Cambodian adventure with my friend Steve. We set out on bus from Bangkok, and with only moderate hassle at the border followed by hair-raising driving into oncoming traffic, we made it to Siem Reap. The very first evening, after our $1.50 dinner, we wandered into a street party accidentally as we were looking for our guesthouse. It was a combination New Years party (it was the 4th) and Hotel Grand Opening party right there in the dirt street. It looked blocked off at first, but the six cops that were outside the railing motioned us that it was OK to walk through. There were tables and chairs all around leading up to a dance floor. There was a band on stage, and people in the street dancing around a pot of flowers. As we made our way past the dance floor, one of the guys motioned for us to join them. Who am I to pass up a good time? Before long we found ourselves engulfed in this festival of fun with free beers being placed in our hands and laughing away with people who barely spoke English. A great first night!

The next day, for $12, we commissioned a driver to take us to Agkor Wat and many of the other surrounding temples. They are truly spectacular.  Built in the 12th and 13th century, they were first Hindu and then Buddhist. An amazing feat of construction in any day. Some of the temples have been used in the Tomb Raider movies with Angelina Jolie, and every guide can will tell you that!



The Killing Fields (warning - this section contains very sobering information)

From Siem Reap we traveled to Phnom Penh and visited the famous Killing Fields at Choeung Ek. It was a sobering experience to say the least. In 1975 the communist guerilla group known as the Kmher Rouge, marched into Phnom Penh to the cheers of Cambodians longing for peace. Led by Pol Pot, the party moved to create a socialist utopia  by transforming the country into an agrarian collective. To do so, they exterminated everyone that could be a threat to their ideals. This meant anyone with connection to the previous government, religious monks, intellectuals, teachers, writers, basically anyone educated plus their families. From 1975-1979, more than 1.3 million were brutally exterminated in "Killing Fields" such as the one at Choeung Ek. Men, women, children and even babies were killed in horrific ways, one by one, without the use of guns. Estimates of the total number of deaths resulting from Khmer Rouge policies, including disease and starvation, range from 1.7 to 3 million out of a population of about 8 million. Even though communist Vietnam came in and toppled the regime in 1979. The Khmer Rouge continued in power in the jungles, mostly on the border with Thailand, until 1996.

On July 26, 2010, the director - known as Dutch - of S-21 prison camp (the prison where people were housed and tortured before being sent to the killing fields at Cheoung Ek) was sentenced by a UN war tribunal to 35 years in prison for crimes against humanity.

Oh my Buddha!

This is a common thing to hear along the beaches of Sihanoukville (where Steve and I went after Phnom Penh to soak up some sun) from the child vendors  - usually after you tell them that you won't buy one of their bracelets. A typical conversation might go something like this:

Child: "Buy bracelet?"
You: "No thank you"
Child: "Why not? Cheap cheap!"
You: "Oh, I don't need one, thank you."
Child: "Come on! You help me business. Open your heart, open your wallet!"
You: "Haha, that's clever, but still no thank you."
Child: "Ok, you play me game? I win, you buy bracelet, you win, I give you free."
You: "No, I'm pretty sure you'll win and I really don't need a bracelet!"
Child: "Oh my Buddah, you so CHEAP!"

This whole conversation takes place with a 7-16 year old, with suprisingly good English, and a sharp wit. It bounces back and forth between nonchalance and over-dramatization. It truly is impressive to watch these kids work, but it can get tiring having the same battle day after day. When asked about school, each child has a good story about going on different days or different hours, but you begin to wonder if it is true.

I fell in love with Sihanoukville. It is a small but up and coming town. It is very popular among backpackers as well as vacationing Swedes and Russians. A private room can easily be found for $7. During the day, you can lay out on one of the many lawn chairs and enjoy the sun and the sound of the tide. When you get too warm, take a dip in the clear, perfectly cool water. Have a big bag of fruit for a couple dollars and get an hour massage on the beach for $6. You can also get a manicure or pedicure or get your hairs plucked with string (ouch!), each for a few bucks. In the evenings a full seafood for $3 and .50 cent beers can be found all along the beach strip. There are a number of secluded islands that can be visited and private bungalows can be had for a few dollars a night.

One night, the staff at "my" restaurant invited me to go Karaoke with them, which of course I couldn't turn down. I sung and sounded horrible of course, not helped by the fact that my options were Cambodian music, or Cambodian music!

Another night, there was a movie filming (budget Australian film about backpackers at a full moon party) that I was a part of. I'm pretty sure I made it on camera a fair amount. Look for me in theaters June of 2012!


Cambodia is a beautiful country with some of the friendliest, genuine people I've met! Definitely worth a return visit!