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Published: October 10th 2008
My fourth and final country to investigate in Asia was Cambodia. It was a great way to end my Asian travels as I was overwhealmed by how friendly the Cambodian people are and how great the Khmer spirit and smile really were.
I flew in to Phnom Penh from Laos. Phnom Penh was a place of mixed emotions. I came to love the Khmer people and the amazing smiles that they would give everyone, even when I was turning down yet another tuk tuk driver, but then I also saw the damage that Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge have done to the country.
My favourite part of Phnom Penh was the Psar Tuol Tom Pong (or Russian Market). I headed there early in the morning before the heat of the day, and when all the stall keepers were still fresh and ready to joke, bargin, chat and generally just have a good time. I had a great morning shopping, eating and drinking up the best of Cambodia.
I visited the Toul Sleng Museam (S-21), a former prison and torture centre for the Khmer Rouge where I joined a tour by a women who had been sent to
the camps during the Khmer Rouge takeover. She pointed out the blood splatter that still remains on the walls, roof and floors and told the stories of individuals who had suffered at the prison. It is unbelievable to think that it was recent history, only in the 70's. I followed this visit up with a trip out to the Choeung Ek Killing Fields, many of the prisoners from the S-21 museum were trasported out here (14km out of town) to be executed. Again it is another heart renching spot, there are holes in the ground from where mass graves were excavated and there is a large stupa full of 8000 skulls of the victims who died there.
From Phnom Penh I caught the local bus up to Siem Reap, and again had a great time on the local bus. The locals all thought I was pretty funny and were offering me samples of the food that they bought along the way, I loved that they enjoyed sharing this with me, rather than just looking at me as if I was a stupid tourist.
In Siem Reap I spent two days touring the temples of Angkor by tuk
tuk (yes I finally caught one). I was just blown away by the detail, the beauty and the planning involved in these ancient temples.
Angkor Wat itself was amazing. We arrived there for sunrise (yes very early in the morning, I actually got up at 4.30am, just like being a Technologist again) and got to see the sun rise from behind the temples and reflect in the ponds just outside the inner walls of the temple. I'm glad I made the effort to get up that early.
Mid morning we moved on to Angkor Tom and here I saw my favourite temple, the Bayon, it was the King's state temple from the 12/13th century. The temple has 54 towers rising up in the centre of Angkor Tom, and there are faces all over them, 216 faces staring out in all directions.
Other highlights included the Terrace of Elephants, with a lot of elephant carvings and Ta Prohm a temple that had been overun by the jungle, or as some people put it reclaimed by nature. The temple has massive trees growing through it, and many of the crumbled walls are now covered in a lush green moss
to give the place an abandoned but mythical feel.
It was a great way to end my Asian adventures, and I am ready to get going with Europe now.
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Weng Guan
non-member comment
Love Cambodia!
oh my god so cool. I went to Siem Reap in 2005. Love how peaceful and friendly the people were. But stuff there are quite expensive thought. All are charged in USD. =)