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Published: November 18th 2008
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So, it's official. I am in love. I absolutely 100% enamored with Cambodia. I don't know how to explain it other than I have never been here but I feel like I am returning. The people here are fantastic. It's hard to believe that they have been to hell and past in the very recent past and everyone still smiles and waves and says hello. Everyone.
Even though I'm sure none of you need it, here's a quick refresher on recent Cambodian history... In 1864 the French force the kingdom of Cambodia to sign a protectorate beginning 90 years of French rule. In 1907 the French manage to get back provinces of Cambodia that have been under Thai rule for over 100 years. These provinces go back to the Thais while the Japanese are occupying Cambodia but the French get them back again in 1947. The Cambodians finally win independance from French rule in 1953. Skip ahead to the Vietnam War and 1969 and Nixon decides to bomb the northern Cambodia/Vietnam border. The bombing continues until 1973 and as many as 250,000 Cambodians are killed. That's enough, you say? It's just getting started. In 1970 the king is overthrown by
Just Chillin'
Under our plane as we board... Lon Nol from the kings own government. All of this bombing and shake up in the government opens the doors to Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer Rouge, and in 1975 the Khmer Rouge (a communist faction) marches into Phnom Penh and turns Cambodia into a giant prison. The city is evacuated and everyone is forced to work the land so that Cambodia can become self-sufficient. This doesn't really pan out and it's thought that about 2 million Khmer die. This is a quarter of their population. Think about it. Then the Japanese free the Cambodians from Pol Pot in 1979 and Cambodia is stricken with famine. I will let you read up on Cambodia if you're interested on where the country has gone since there. I'm currently reading a book called "First They Killed My Father" (and I don't want to get the author's name wrong so you'll have to look it up yourself). I recommend it if you'd like to read a first hand account of what happened.
Anyway... So I give you this history so you know how amazing the Khmer are. Everyone has a smile for you. Riding in a tuk-tuk you look over at
Siem Reap
Rush hour traffic. someone on a bike (or 4 people on a bike) and everyone smiles and waves or says hello. The people here are beautiful. It's amazing that these people have literally been to hell and back in their lifetime and they are still warm and friendly. Everyone here in Siem Reap rides bicycles. I'm not sure if they are a holdover from the communist era or what, but they are all old, single-speed bikes. They are all the same size and both kids and adults ride them. I have seen up to 4 kids on one bike. Another thing that gets me all the time is how graceful and elegant the women look on motos. They usually ride side-saddle and they look like it's what they are meant to do. I am positive I wouldn't make it a block sitting on the back of someone's moto. And, whole families can fit on one bike. I have tried to take some photos but it's hard because I'm always in a tuk-tuk and they are headed in the other direction so they usually come out too blurry. I'm working on it though...
So, enough about the people (actually I could never say
enough, but I'll move on). Siem Reap is gorgeous. It's a French colonial city and it feels like it. When I got here I actually thought I could have been in a colonial Mexican city. It has the same feel as Oaxaca. We are staying in a great neighborhood with tons of restaurants and cafes. One of the hard things about sitting outside at the tables in the alleys or sidewalks is the landmine victims that want to sell you books. I've bought more books than I can carry from them, but it's still hard to see. That's the other thing- The Khmer Rouge planted tons and tons of land mines with no map of where they planted them. There are still large areas of Cambodia that have not been de-mined and landmines continue to be a problem. It's hard to see, but I'm really glad that it's visible.
The reason a lot of people come to Siem Reap (though it certainly shouldn't be the only) is to see the temples of Angkor. At its peak, the ancient Khmer empire boasted a population of one million. London at that time? 50,000. Between AD 802 to 1432 the Khmer empire
flourished. The golden age of construction was around AD 1100. This is when some of the major temples such as Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom were built. I do not have the time to give you a history of all of these temples, so I will just post some pictures for you. So far my favorite temple has been either Ta Prohm (featured in Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider) which is in complete ruins, or Preah Khan, which is a lot like Ta Prohm but in slightly better shape. They are all absolutely stunning and when you stop and think about how many of these temples there are and how much work each required... it blows you away. You look at the intricate carvings on the walls and ceilings and think about the tools that were available 1000 years ago. To anyone who has never given visiting Cambodia a passing thought, do it. Cambodia is truly an amazing, special, magical place. I could continue gushing for days, but I will let you check out photos...
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Gabriel
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Awesome!!
Loving the blog Katrina! Awesome that you are over there right now. I am actually going over there in January/February for about 6 weeks! Very excited. Gabe http://violentpillow.com