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Published: February 22nd 2010
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While looking out the window on the bus ride from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, I kept thinking of ways to express my appreciation for Cambodia. Cambodia! What an impressive country. The Khmers have so many obstacles and yet they manage to be a happy and upbeat people, and I wonder if we were put up against the same trials would we show such resilience? Obviously I've only been in the country a short while, and know very little about life here- but this is how it feels to me. A fourth of their population was brutally murdered not 40 years ago, wars have blighted their land and cities leaving ruins and landmines in abundance, and now poverty keeps illiteracy rates high, roads un-paved, few medical facilities, and children forced to abandon their studies to sell tourists postcards and fake books documenting the horrors of the Khmer Rouge. And yet.. they are happy. I'm beside myself with respect.
We spent about four days in Phnom Penh not doing much of anything. For some reason, John went wild about the city proclaiming it the only place in South East Asia that he would move. I think it had something to do
with the charming French colonial buildings along the river with lots of cafes and restaurants, the beautiful and strange Wats that punctuate the city, and the overall feeling of ease and danger.. Let me explain. Upon entering Cambodia we realized that something was different about the feeling of the country. It took us about a week of deliberation to finally hit on what it was: Freedom. After being in communist countries for so long, freedom felt like a strange new concept. Obviously there are countries far less free than China and Vietnam, but Freedom they decidedly lack. Freedom brings many attributes to a country with it's many faces both bad and good, such as prostitution, child labor, drugs, crime, free speech, access of information, the ability to assemble, to demand rights, to operate NGOs, to protect the environment, to own land and demand a fair price for it, to have a fair trial, to complain, to vote, to have a floating and fair currency, to think what you want... on and on and on. Congratulations Cambodia, you might not be as rich as your big fish neighbors, but at least you are free.
My birthday was a pretty small
affair- both John and I's passports had no pages left (imagine that) so we took a trip to the US consulate to get supplement pages which they provided free of charge! Thank you for that fabulous birthday present, USA, now I can keep my passport till 2016 like I'm supposed too. Also they had air conditioning and big big American style bathrooms, which was much appreciated. We had tacos and brownies with ice cream by the river for my birthday dinner. Also in Phnom Penh we visited the Toul Sleng Prison Museum which was very informative and depressing.. and convinced me that the Killing Fields were probably not for me. I don't even like to see people bleed in movies, I especially don't want to go look at a bunch of battered skulls all day. Instead we visited the Royal Palace, which was kind of silly, but I enjoyed all Chinese tour groups walking around and being Chinese.. (rude and really dorky) and listening to them speaking to each other. Sometimes I feel like such an alien in Asia, and then I remember- I speak one of your languages! In my own small way, I belong here.
Now we
are in Siem Reap, which sort of reminds me of Las Vegas.. maybe because it is so so hot and there are tourists and bright lights everywhere. We went to the fabulous Angkor Wat yesterday, and spent ourselves so thoroughly today our plans are to do stuff on the internet, and then get a mango smoothie. (Did I mention my new found appreciation for mangos?) We left the hotel yesterday at 6:30am to bike to Angkor which is only 6km away. This would be a very easy task for a normal person, but John and I have a peculiar curse when it comes to going places: the roads, no matter how obvious are always closed to us until we go on some long and arduous journey first. For instance, yesterday- the road to Angkor is straight, beautifully and blissfully both flat and paved. But did we take it? No, we found ourselves on a very round about bumpy road that eventually turned into a smaller road, and then a path weaving and winding through the jungle with wild evil dogs nipping at my heels. The path spit us out right by Angkor Wat, unfortunately the ticket booth was 3 km
back towards town on the real road. So. We biked back, got tickets, and then went to Angkor Wat. And it was worth it. The temples are immense and incredible. When we got our first look at Angkor Wat, with the jungle growing all wide around it- I felt a little like I was in an Indiana Jones movie. We visited about 6 temples, bought pineapples for lunch, climbed temples, walked around temples, admired carvings, got exuasted, and peddled our tired selves back to Siem Reap arriving at 4:30pm. I think we ended up biking about 20 miles! One of the temples had enormous trees growing through the roofs destroying the temple and holding it together at the same time. While walking around, I found a small carving of a Buddha's face that had fallen off of the wall that was about palm sized and perfect. I must admit, I was greatly tempted to take it since it was just sitting there on the ground, but I heard Indiana Jones' voice echoing in my head "This belongs in a museum!" and I knew I just couldn't take a 1,000 year old relic from Angkor Wat (not to mention the bad
luck) so I hid it into a pile of rocks waiting to be renovated so no other less moral tourist (or one with less art history education) could take it. What else can I say about Angkor Wat? Everyone should go. It is hands down the most fun old ruin that I have ever seen.
Tomorrow we head back to Phnom Penh to get visas and then onwards and upwards into Laos! Hello Mekong, lazy days in hammocks and relaxation. Goodbye Cambodia, and small glimpse of the life of the free. (Laos is also a communist country) Hey- comments are greatly appreciated, send me a line if you feel like it!
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phoebe Miles
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Go Cambodia!
I just love your updates! You really write in such a refreshing way and make me want to visit both vietnam and Cambodia! Hope you swing through DC sometime so we can catch up in person!