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(N) After bidding a fond farewell to Bodhi Villa, the four of us jumped on a bus to Sihanoukville, Cambodia’s main beach town, Party Central and a firm fixture on the South East Asia backpacker trail. We skipped it and took a boat from there to Koh Rong, a tropical island three choppy hours by boat away. Matt and I weren’t in particular need of beach time but Jamie and Lisa were – they hadn’t been at the sea for months and had two months of tough travelling in India ahead of them – and we figured it would be a great end to our time together. And it was. We shared a nice bungalow on a hill overlooking the beach, swam during the day, listened to music and chatted away in the evening. We also attempted a hike to the other side of the island, where a paradise beach and a mysterious guesthouse called “Mr Jones’ place” were rumoured to be hidden. But we got lost. Jamie and Lisa had to leave the next day, and as we were heading in different directions and we had a bit of time to spare, Matt and I decided to stay another night
and attempt the hike again the next day. The farewell was emotional as this time, we didn’t know when we were going to see each other again; but that’s travelling, and you get on with it. J&L jumped on the boat back and we went off in search of the elusive Mr Jones...
Believe it or not, we got lost again, and ended up abseiling/clambering down a steep hill through thick jungle for the better part of an hour before stumbling onto a path that led to the guesthouse. Turns out the walk was clearly marked but nobody had told us (you don’t see marks on trees when you don’t know they are there). The only sign we did see was a plastic container hanging from a branch, to which ropes were attached. A clear sign to us but we later found out that this meant “do NOT go down here”. The hazardous journey there made it all the more special, though. The beach is utterly gorgeous; white sand, turquoise water, a jungle backdrop, near deserted. Mr Jones’ place was rather run down but the concept, setting and layout beautifully thought through. The place just needed a bit of
TLC, then you would have the most stunning Robinson Crusoe-like beach accommodation. Unfortunately Mr Jones remained elusive, and after an attack of nasty sand flies we decided not to spend the night but hike back.
Our next destination was Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. We arrived with low expectations as every single traveller we had met had told us they didn’t like the city– bar Ced & Virgie, who did like it but were cautious in their description, as they had heard the same. Well, we absolutely loved Phnom Penh. And we couldn’t understand how anyone could not like it. It is full of history, has French style sweeping boulevards, beautiful old colonial buildings, gorgeous temples, and is incredibly chilled. There is no crazy traffic; a lot of people walk or take “cyclos” - cycle rickshaws - to move around town. It’s a very cosmopolitan city with an interesting mix of people and cultural establishments; there’s a funky bar or a seriously good restaurant around every corner. We saw so many places we wanted to check out but didn’t have the time. And then of course, there are the people. We were told upon arrival at our hostel that Phnom
Penh is a dangerous place (mainly at night) but all we ever encountered were beaming smiles. Which is truly astonishing considering what Cambodians have been through not very long ago. We got a bitter taste of the country’s history when we visited the infamous S21 prison and the Killing Fields, harrowing memorials to the genocide that killed off a quarter of the population . The cruelty that Cambodia’s people suffered under the Khmer Rouge was so unspeakable that you would expect the survivors to be zombies, emotionally crippled and weary of anything they do not know. But they have come out warm, open and apparently happy. It is astonishing and commands my deepest admiration.
Of course not everything is hunky-dory. Cambodia has a huge problem with child prostitution, corruption is widespread, and aid workers complain that the government does nothing to alleviate poverty but relies entirely on foreign NGOs to deal with the issue. This of course does nothing to help the country become self reliant but I bet the aid workers are secretly glad for the aforementioned reasons...
We left Phnom Penh after four days for Battambang in the north west. It was a quick stopover of
two nights; there is not much going on there. We hired a tuk tuk for the day and visited some nearby temples and the “Killing Caves”, one of many sites used by Khmer Rouge soldiers to dump the bodies of whole families. A young local boy of maybe ten showed us around, switching between knowledgeable guide expertly chronicling local history and innocent child, happily sliding down the railing of the steps down to the caves as if it was a playground. On the way back, we rode through beautiful countryside and rural villages, children running after us smiling and waving at us. I love the children in Cambodia. They are the cutest and most beautiful children in the world, and they seem to be able to find joy in everything. I love them and I want one. Because they are so gorgeous, Cambodia recently changed its adoption laws to prevent westerners like Angelina or myself running away with one of them. However the law isn’t in effect yet; I checked, I still have till July...
Our next and last stop was Siem Reap, the gateway to the temples of Angkor. Every tourist passes through here; the town knows it
and is well-equipped to deal with the masses. People who have been to Siem Reap in the past say it has lost much of its charm, but we both thought it was still a lovely place. There is an abundance of restaurants, bars, hotels and guesthouses catering to every taste and budget. After a bit of looking around, we found a great little place with a swimming pool for $10 a night. The pool was a godsend, especially after a whole day of temple sightseeing – April is Cambodia’s hottest month, and the heat is brutal.
Like most people, we bought a three-day ticket to the temples, and made full use of it. We hired a tuk tuk driver and told him to take us around the temple circuits in reverse; that way, we dodged the worst of the crowds and amazingly, had two temples practically to ourselves – including the magnificent Bayon, which is decorated with a multitude of gigantic faces that have been carved into the stone. We had already done two full days of marvelling at Angkor, but this one took our breath away. We were so impressed Matt and I wandered off in different directions
without noticing and only met up an hour and a half later. Another favourite was Banteay Srei, some 20 kilometres away from the main temple area. It’s a beautifully intricate temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, and is made of pinkish red sandstone. Matt was like a kid in a candy store, examining every tiny carving there was in 40 degree heat long after I had sought refuge in the shade.... I never knew he was such a geek :-)
On our third day, we went to see the Roluos group, Angkor’s oldest temples. Many people skip these as they are a bit further out of town, and nowhere near as impressive as the bigger temples. But we had a great day. Due to the distance from town and the relative lack of visitors, it felt authentic rather than a tourist attraction. We chatted to some monks at a nearby working monastery, and spent time at two orphanages, where kids are trained in craftsmanship to enable them to make a living for themselves after school. We watched the children work for a while, carving beautiful images into leather and sandstone – the latter were so professional, they would
not have looked out of place in Angkor Wat. We bought a small carving from a young boy, who broke into the proudest, biggest smile I have ever seen. It was a beautiful last day in Cambodia. In the tuk tuk back to Siem Reap, we reflected on how rich our experiences were and how much warmth and hospitality we had received.
So on our last evening, we went to the local hospital to give blood. It was the first time either of us had done this - Matt had needed convincing - but it was painless, quick and easy. And it felt good to give something back to the country we love so much.
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