Temples and wats and extreme poverty

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Ah ha! I have succesfully made it a full 24 hours without once flashing myself to anyone! (That I didn't mean to, of course!). I knew I had it in me!

Life in Cambodia is going along just marvelously. By the end of my time in Thailand I thought all I wanted to do was just go home. I felt it so bad actually that I contemplated forgoing Cambodia and flying home early. Turns out what I really wanted was to get out of Thailand and on my own again, because I don't ever want to go back home. Right now, anyways. It is so wonderful here. That is if you don't take into account all the poverty and sadness that you see everywhere you turn. Not including that, Cambodia is wonderful. Today I had yet another boy child hounding me to buy something from him. As you can only say no so many times, I finally chose a book that I wanted to buy. He asked a whopping $15 for it, and when I offered him $12 he gave me such a look of wounded hurt as I have never ever seen before. It was horrible. Needless to say I bought two books from him, and very shortly after witnessed him scarfing down a bowl of noodles that I am sure he paid for with one of my former riels.

And these Cambodians sure know how to cater to foriegners too. When I tell them I am from Canada all the kids (it's always the kids that come at you, never the adults) can name off just about every major city in the country, but when asked about their own country they know very liitle. They don't know how many provinces, or any cities/towns outside of Pnohm Phen or Siem Reap. They are all so skinny with clothes tearing at the seams.

I have found out that my driver is the sole money earner for his family, besides for the pittance that the mother is able to bring in. At 49 years old Wen's mom (Wen is my driver) goes out into the woods every morning at 2am with the 4 boys who are still at home (all under the age of 15) to collect wood which she then chops while the kids are at school. The firewood then either gets sold whole or burned by the oldest child to make charcoal to sell. No wonder Wen gave me such a guilt trip when I tried to find a driver for cheaper than $20 a day. I actually did find one to take me to all the temples over three days for $40, but like I said, Wen made me feel so bad that I ended up going with him anyways. I am glad I did though. He is very knowledgeable and way beyond helpful, and really just a super sweet and nice guy.

Today after the first set of ruins he took me to his village where he was born and raised. He seemed quite surprised that I asked to go there, but I think was happy to show me around. All the houses are is shacks on stilts for when the rainy season comes. These people have so little. It's comparable to Borneo in that respect, but these people don't seem to take pleasure in everything like they did in Borneo. They don't laugh as regularly, and there is such a sadness in their eyes. I can only assume it is because until very recently it has been such a war torn country, and so many lives were affected.

I met Wen's family, and when guessed how old they were I was so off base. The 15 year old didn't look a day over ten, I am sure from over work and malnutrition. The kids' toys were the simplest of toys. A few marbles, and ancient barbie doll missing one leg, and a little wee kids drum. School is free for them technically. But the corruption isn't only for the government here. School teachers need to eat too, and because they only get about $30 a month wage, they teach barely anything, then charge the families extra for tutoring what they should be taught in school. None of the families can afford this extra money, so the kids end up undereducated along with everything else.

Wen's father passed away a few years ago, as I said before, and so his mother remarried. Wen says his stepfather is an abusive alchoholic who only comes around in the night for his 'husbandly privelage (I have no idea how to spell that word)". His mother can't do anything about it because she has no money for the bribes needed to get a divorce, or to get the police to do anything about it.

The whole country revolves around money like I have never seen before, and the poor have no chance at all to get ahead in any way, shape or form. I didn't mean for this blog to be so depressing, but I needed to tell you how it really was here. The 1% elite run everything and literally have all the money. The rest suffer. The more I talk with Wen the more clear it becomes to me. Needless to say I will give Wen a substantial tip when I leave here.

OKay, on to brighter things. Saw more temples today, and they were all brilliant. Someone needs to tell the Japanese/Korean tourists though that it is not absolutely necessary to travel in groups of 50 or more, and if they insist on doing that then they need to be told that they don't really have to walk around in a giant gaggle of tourist limbs and torsos. Seriously.

I only went to one major temple today called Banteay Srey. It was so beautiful, but the above stated tourists made it a little less bearable. The rest of the temples were of the smaller, less 'important' nature, thus no giant gaggles of Japanese, and therefore so much more enjoyable. It is so relaxing, sitting on these stone temples that are thousands of years old and enjoying the jungle sounds coming from all around. I really can't put it into words how gorgeous it is there.

The highlight of the day though was going to Wen's village and meeting all the people and playing with the kids. Wen said I was the first tourist he's ever brought there, and very very few others go at all, so I was somewhat of an oddity. Before I knew it the entire village had shown up to take a look at me. Most of them mosey'd off once they said their hello's, but the children all stayed, and boy did we have a blast together. There is nothing like the sound of children's laughter to brighten your day. Wen's mom was so happy to see him and me that she immediately took me into a big bear hug, and refused to let go of me for the first 15 mins. I was there, either hanging on to my hand or arm or just touching my shoulder, grinning like a fool the whole time. His siblings were much more shy, and took a while to warm up to me, but once they did we had a gay old time.

I have to say that I am almost getting used to riding on the back of a bike in Sieam Reap. I only feared for my life a couple of times today. Wen said I was almost a pro.

These Cambodians are very astute. For instance, when you have climbed up to the top of yet another temple and your face is purple with exertion in the heat, and your sweating so much it even feels like it's coming from your eyeballs, one of them will undoubtadly come up to you and ask "It's hot in Cambodia, yea?" No shit Sherlock.

Sarah, it's funny you should write that comment now, as I was just htinking about you yesterday when I handed off my laundry to get washed. Just about everyplace I have stayed in offers laundry service, which hands down beats doing it myself at a laundromat anyday!

And Jeannie, I got your message about the dogs. I have purposefully tried not to talk about them too much because it wrenches my heart to see them so poor off. Malnourished and rangy, always scrounging for food, with so many skin sores it hurts just to look at them. And if the dog is female it's teats are regularly sagging down from having just had puppies. There was a puppy at the village today that I got to hold and pet, and only after having it on my lap for about 10 mins did I notice the abundance of bugs and fleas crawling all over it, feasting on one of it's many skin sores. I mean it when I say Bob Barker needs to come to SE Asia and tell them all to spay and nuture all their pets.

My spelling is shit tonight, and I haven't even had anything to drink.

Love you all,
Cathy

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Photos

Mabon
I just wonder if these guys get danger pay or not?

Land mine music
At every temple there was one of these bands, composed of land mine survivors. In case you can't tell, the guy in front is playing a leaf.

Village Life
This is Wen's mother and siblings. Mom was so happy to see us I thought she was going to burst.

Village Life
Wen and his baby brother

Village Life
There's nothing like the sound of a childs laughter

Village Life
There's nothing like the sound of a childs laughter