Surviving Siem Reap

---

So... we had to come back to Phom Penh to get our Loas visas sorted out. Guess someone should have paid more attention to the guide book. It's not that big of a hitch... We'll get to see a few thing tomorrow that didn't fit into our Jam-pack schedule a few days ago. In spending time here I wish we had left more time to explore this country. Who ever says you can do Cambodia in a week probably fell off one of the motos without a helmet.
In Siem Reap we spent three deays at Angkor Wat and, well Magical and Majestic, they are better expressed in pictures. I don't have pictures on my blog because I'm not interested in spending lots of money and wasting time in a country that I haven't explored just so you all can see what I saw. So... I'll probably post photos when I get home and you all can see them then.
What I will tell you about are the people we met. Firstly, the thing that strikes you here are the number of poor. We were exposed to countless children, each cuter than the last, asking for you to buy their bracelets, postcards, water, books etc. The conversation goes something like this "Mista, Mista. You want cold drink. Special price for you. If you buy, You buy from ME." Or "Mista. YOu buy my bracelets. 10 for one dollar. Good for you, not good for me! You buy. You don't have these one!" OR " Mista, where you from? Canada? Capital: Ottawa. Population: 32million. Canada people speak english and french. You speak french, Sir? Buy My post cards." But my favourite was " HEy Mista, if you buy something from me I will leave you alone!" That one made me laugh.
While trying to be patient with these youngsters you have to contend with the adults as well who are weilding malnutritioned (or not malnutritioned) babies begging you to eat at their restaurant or buy something from them. There are the Tuk Tuk drivers who won't let you walk five steps to your location. Everywhere is too far to walk. At the bus station when we arrived at Siem Reap The tuk Tuk drivers made a mad sprint to where the bus would pull up in order to be the first to harrass us weiry travellers for little more than a dollar.
In the temples we met a boy who had just finished high school and wanted to tell us the history of Angkor Wat. We obliged and he talked to us for about 45mins. At the end of his lesson he told us about the Khmer Rouge and the impact it had on his life. HE lived in the country and was completing school by living with the monks. HE had been there since the he was 16. His mother had survived the Khmer Rouge but after years of forced labour in the rice patties she is basically crippled by back pains. We gave a bit of money for medicine, knowing that his story may or may not be true, but acted of the side of reason... in this country it is much more than possible.
Which BRings me to our driver and friend Ang. Ang is a 21 year old married orphan who drives a tuk tuk for the guesthouse we stayed at. He also completed school by staying with a monk. At 17 years old he went to work in construction but soon grew tired. When he had saved enough he bought a Tuk Tuk and found a guesthouse he could work for. Ang was not greedy (as some locals get when they see foreigners) but was very giving and protective. HE told what things were worth, noegotiated fair prices for us and was blatantly honest. We offered to buy him lunch and he explained to us that whenever we buy something he makes comission, yet he made sure the prices were fair, probably by cutting into his commission.
He told us about meeting his wife. WHile he was driving guests to Angkor Wat he met a funny looking girl who he immediatley pitied. He started buying things from her, then started buying things for her. Soon, he said " My pity turned into love" and they were married.
Ang also saved our lives. When we where driving down the narrow roads of Angkor Park a tourist bus decided to pass us. The bus bumped our tuk tuk off the road in a colision course with a knarled old tree. The impact would have meant certain death... a tuk tuk is a motorcycle pulling a wagon; not the safest means of transportation, but easily the most common. Ang's quick reflexs swerved us around the tree and back on to the road with out a scratch. When we stopped to catch our breath I congradulated him on his quick thinking and he simply replied " we three are lucky together." He was concerned that the incident would ruin our temple experience so we constantly reassured him we were fine. An exciting day for all.
When we parted we bought Ang a necklace to remeber us by and he, in turn brought us breakfast to eat on the bus as we left rather early this morning. Without Ang our Siem Reap experience would not have been the same. It was sad to leave and I hope I will hear from him in the future.

---

Comments

[Sharron]

Ang will certainly thrive in his country.....
Ang sounds like someone whom you wish could be taken out of that environment and brought home to Canada.....to at least represent the thousands you didn't meet in the same situation. Your experiences with him will no doubt stay with you forever. You don't experience that profound human connection in your life every day and you are lucky to have met him.