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Published: April 17th 2008
Salut la compagnie!
Si vous saviez... Je saute, je danse, je vole! Depuis la seconde ou j'ai passe la frontiere, j'ai ce sentiment interieur de bien-etre... Je suis tombee amoureuse du Cambodge!
J'ai tant d'anecdotes, de moments particuliers, de faits marquants... La frontiere en elle-meme est un fait marquant! Meme si c'etait chiant, ardu, si on a tente autant comme autant de nous escroquer, la p'tite Chevre que je suis avait envie de comprendre... d'y etre, tout simplement.
Apres 3h30 de route, on nous a fait perdre notre sang-froid a la frontiere, pour finalement nous installer dans un autobus minable a l'air climatise brise. Courte parenthese: j'ai eu une discussion avec notre guide, lorsqu'il s'est enerve a la frontiere. Je lui ai parle de la facon qu'ils ont de nous voir, versus notre facon de les voir, selon eux. Que leur opinion de nous n'etait pas plus reluisante. Et que, tristement, avec la barriere de la langue, ajoutee a nos perceptions, nous ne reussissions pas a nous voir vraiment. Bref, ce fut un long debat, mais a la conclusion fort surprenante. Un bel echange. Tant mieux pour moi, nous sommes devenus les meilleurs amis du monde par la
suite, et il m'a meme offert une biere.
Direction: Siem Reap. 155 km devant nous... et 6h de route... Pas besoin de vous dire que les routes, c'est une aventure. J'ai passe le voyage la tete par la fenetre, a sourire, envoyer la main aux enfants. J'ai passe le voyage a dire merci, merci, merci. Je suis chanceuse d'etre la, et j'en prends conscience un peu plus chaque jour.
La premiere journee a Siem Reap, je l'ai passee seule, a sortir des terrains touristiques. Vous ne me croirez pas, j'y ai vecu une experience unique, magique... Apres plus d'une heure a marcher dans des rues de terre et a me faire devisager par des Cambodgiens qui finissaient par me sourire lorsque je les saluais dans leur langue, j'ai entendu de la musique... Je me suis approchee... Une famille benissait les maisons pour le Nouvel An. Les enfants dansent et font une petite saynete, avec leurs maquillages et leurs costumes, et les parents et grands-parents sont assis tout autour.
Genee, je suis restee a l'ecart, jusqu'a ce que la grand-mere me fasse signe d'approcher. Je me suis assise parmi eux. A ma vue, les enfants se sont mis
a rigoler; ca a vraiment cree toute une effervescence... Devinez quoi... A force de me faire pousser par les grands-parents, je me suis retrouvee a danser avec les enfants pour benir les maisons du voisinage pour la nouvelle annee, et j'ai moi-meme ete lavee de toute malchance plusieurs fois! C'etait l'hilarite generale, puisque je n'etais pas la meilleure danseuse qui soit!
Le pere est ensuite venu me souhaiter la bienvenue dans sa famille, et l'un des enfants, qui parlaient un peu anglais, s'est mis a traduire toutes les questions qui fusaient.
C'etait magique, je me sens privilegiee d'avoir vecu un moment pareil!
Il faisait noir lorsque je suis partie, et l'un des jeunes garcons m'a rattrapee, avec une p'tite motocyclette, en me disant que sa mere voulait qu'il me raccompagne a Siem Reap pour etre sure que je m'y rende bien.
Je n'ai pas sorti ma camera une fois avec eux, ca ne s'y pretait pas, comme si la faveur qu'il m'avait faite me devait cette marque de respect en retour. Je ne voulais pas qu'ils me voient comme une touriste qui en fait un spectacle, je voulais en faire partie moi-meme.
Le lendemain, une trentaine de
km a velo pour decouvrir les Temples d'Angkor... Je ne connais pas de mots pour decrire tout ce que j'ai vu. C'est plus grand que nature. De penser que la construction de ces temples a debute au 9e siecle, c'est hallucinant. Certains ont ete pilles et vandalises pendant le genocide, ici.
J'ai d'ailleurs lu 'D'abord, ils ont tue mon pere', histoire d'une survivante de la terrible prise du pouvoir par les Khmers Rouges, avec a leur tete Pol Pot, qui s'est passee entre 1975 et 1979. Si pres... Pres de 2 millions de morts... Ca change les perspectives; je ne regarde plus les Cambodgiens de la meme facon. Chaque fois que j'en croise un qui a manifestement plus de 30 ans, je ne peux m'empecher de penser qu'il a souffert autant...
Depuis plusieurs jours, je suis a Sihanoukville; j'avais envie de profiter de la plage. Apres une seule journee a me baigner et a profiter de l'endroit, je suis tombee maladee et suis restee alitee hier, ainsi qu'aujourd'hui, bien que j'ai recommence a manger. C'est bon signe!
Je repars demain midi pour la capitale, Phnom Penh, mais je ne crois pas me diriger au Vietnam tout de
suite, je me sens beaucoup trop faible. Je verrai comment les 4-5 heures d'autobus se passeront demain, et deciderai par la suite. Comme je quitterai les petits villages, je devrais etre en mesure d'ajouter des photos et de repondre a vos courriels... Enfin!
Je pense a vous enormement; bien que le Cambodge ait ete, somme toute, une experience incroyable, etre malade seule a l'autre bout du monde, c'est pas ce que j'appelle rassurant.
Je vous embrasse!
Hi everyone!
If you only knew... I am jumping, dancing, flying! Since the 1st second after I passed the border, I have this feeling inside... I fell in love with Cambodia!
I've got so many stories, unique moments, highlights... The border itself was quite the experience! It was hard, so hard, and everybody there was trying to rip us off in so many ways, but the little girl I am just wanted to get to understand it more... to be there, simply.
After 3 and a half hours on the road, they really played with us, trying to make us lose our temper at the border. I had a little discussion with our guide; I tried to talk
about the way they think we see them but that they never think about the fact that the way they see us is not brilliant as well. And that, sadly, because of the language AND beacuse of our perceptions, we don't even try to understand each other. It was a long debate, but ending on a surprising conclusion and, luckily for me, we became best buddies after that and he even offered me a beer.
We ended up in our bus for Siem Reap: 155 km in front of us... and 6h on the road... No need to tell yuo that the roads, here, are quite the adventure. I spent the whole trip my head out of the window, smiling, waving to the kids. Spent the whole trip repeating Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm lucky to be here, and I realize it a little more every day.
My first day in Siem Reap, I spent it on my own. I left the touristic sites and decided to BE surrounded by Cambodians. You will never believe it! After over an hour walking down a dusty road and being looked at by Cambodians who were finally smiling after
I would talk to them in their language, I heard some music. I got a little closer... A family was celebrating the New Year by giving the blessings to their houses. Kids were dancing and doing a little play, with make-up and costumes on, while parents and grand-parents are sitting all around.
I was shy, so I stayed a couple of meters away, but the grand-mother kept looking at me. She was trying to get me to sit with them, which I finally did. You should have seen the kids when they noticed me... Laughing and looking at each other, with so much surprise on their faces! It really created an effervescent moment! Guess what... After being pushed constantly by the grand-parents, I ended up dancing with the kids, blessing the houses and getting washed of all bad luck myself! I wasn't the best dancer ever, so the kids couldn't stop laughing but were happy to show me.
The father finally came up to me after, in front of everybody, to welcome me in his family. One of his sons, who could speak a little bit of English, was translating all the questions from everyone. Lots of questions!
I will never forget what happened that day, and feel very lucky to have been able to be with them. It was magic!
It was dark when I left, and a young kid caught up to me on the road with a motorcycle, telling me that his Mom asked him to give me a ride, just to make sure I would make it back in town just fine.
I didn't use my camera even once while I was there... Didn't feel it was right. They were giving me something so special, I didn't want them to see me just as a tourist that was taking it as a show, I wanted to be part of it...
Next morning, a 30-km ride to discover the Temples of Angkor. Can't say in words what I saw there. It's so huge, so... When you think about the fact that the construction of those temples started around the 9th century... Lots of them were vandalised during the genocide here...
I read 'First, They Killed My Father', touching story of one of the survivors of the Red Khmers, with their leader Pol Pot, between 1975 and 1979. So close... Almost 2 million
deads... It changes the way I see everything. I don't look at Cambodians the same way. Every time I see one that looks older than 30, I keep thinking that he was there; he suffered that much...
I've been in Sihanoukville for a couple of days now; I felt like being on the beach and doing nothing! Well, after just one day on the beach, swimming and having fun, I felt sick... and I am sick since then... Yesterday, I spent it in bed all day. Today also, but started to eat again. It's a good sign!
I'm leaving tomorrow for Phnom Penh, but don't think I'm gonna head to Vietnam right away, I feel way too weak. I'll see how I survive the 4-5 hour bus ride tomorrow, and will decide after. As I'll be leaving the small villages, I should find a connection that will allow me to answer to your mails and download some pictures, finally!
You are in my thoughts all the time. Even if Cambodia is a place I really enjoyed, being sick alone, at the other end of the world, is not what I call something reassuring.
Big kisses!
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Tina
non-member comment
Hi sweetie...again, I messed up just now...
Hi sweet Emilie, Sorry didn't mean to send that comment before I could finish... What I wanted to say was how your "Cambodia update" brought goosebumps to my body, tears to my eyes and yet a big smile to my face. I am so proud of you that you are taking in as much as possible! Thank goodness you are not shy and ready to "participate" and "experience" everything you can. You didn't have to take pictures of the "family" experience...you described it so well, I could see it in my head and you made me feel as if I was there with you, watching you dance and everyone laughing not at you but with you! Your positive upbeat attitude is just one of the things I love so much about you... I do hope you feel better soon, I hope it's nothing serious and just maybe too much "fun"!!! I love you, I thank you for your updates. My niece (in Georgia) told me she is feels like she's making this trip with you...I do too! Thanks sweetie...kiss kiss, Tina