Free From Explosives

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First I just wanted to say that I tried to upload photos but was having issues because I did not have ActiveX Control … should have thought of that before leaving home. So unfortunately, I will only be able to share photos once I have gotten home. I have been having great luck with the wifi at the hotel here actually, which is saying a lot knowing that I am in a hotel where the lights flicker on and off when the air conditioning kicks into high gear. And in case you are wondering, I still have not figured out the shower situation so the coconut shell it is for the duration of my stay.

So the first thought that popped into my mind this morning … oww! I am very sore from the touring of the temples. It hurts to blink! I have also officially slipped into vacation mode as I actually am not really sure what day it is. All I know is that this is my third day and that I have one more full day before I leave for Phnom Penh.

The day started out as any with breakfast. First let me clarify the “chicken porridge” as I think that I have horrified my mother! It is actually a very thick soup made with rice, chicken and lemongrass. Today, I steered away from the Asian breakfast and went for a baguette with cheese and some fruit. I know that bread is not very exciting but it was by far the best baguette I have ever eaten (even better than the bread in Cuba which I just loved!!). I have also been splurging with starting the day with a cup of strong coffee with condensed milk. A personal favorite of mine and of which I have made my mom and dad true converts!!

Today I had a car to take me to the sights. It was actually the same driver that had picked me up from the airport. I would have preferred to take a tuk tuk but I was told that it was a little too far. It was a good 40km away so it would have been a long ride in the tuk tuk mind you but in the end I did end up seeing a few tourists with a tuk tuk. I actually felt a little uncomfortable driving around in this car and felt stared at much more than I had in the last couple of days. The driver was really sweet and pointed out a few things for me like a cinema and at one point he jubilantly announced out of the blue “tomorrow happy new year!!”, which he would proceed to point out many a sign that announced the Khmer New Year along the way.

We made our way through some busy streets, dodging motos, bicycles and tuk tuks which was of course always preceded by the incessant car honking. Last year when I was in Thailand, I made a reference to the fact that on many levels I was reminded of the Cuban people. This is even more so here in Cambodia … case in point: incessant car honking!

As we turned onto a smaller street, the driver again very happily announced “now you see countryside” and he was right. The entire route was this beautiful lush green scenery. The horizon was dotted with these enormous palm trees, a few rice fields (when I asked the driver if those were rice fields, he responded with “In Cambodia we eat rice” … I don’t know what he thinks we do with rice in Canada!!). The houses along the way varied from the very traditional homes on stilts to a more conventional type of house; some in very good shape while others in various state of disrepair. One thing in common though; many decorated in preparation for Khmer New Year.

The first stop of the day was Kbal Spean. Now I did say that I was quite sore from my last two days of temple-hopping so what better way to start the day when you can barely bend your legs than by going on a 2-km hike uphill in the Cambodia countryside. Kbal Spean stands for the River of a Thousand Lingas and the reason to visit is a waterfall as well as some carvings made into the riverbed. There is a huge disclaimer in the Lonely Planet guide that one should stay on marked paths as this was once a region dotted with landmines. Good to know! Now my vision of a marked path meant that it was some little passageway cut into the countryside for a leisurely stroll (uphill mind you) to reach this waterfall. My vision was wrong. Marked path means winding your way through the jungle and dodging huge roots, rocks (make that boulders) and vines hanging from trees while peacefully enjoying the calming sounds of crickets, fluttering butterflies, cacaw-like sounds of unknown origin while hoping for the next marker to tell you that you have made it another 100 metres (at which point you say to yourself …oh my God only X to go!!). So mom and dad … I don’t think that I am quite ready for our trek to Kilimanjaro just yet … and even Tremblant looks doubtful at this point!! Although I have to say … still not as bad as the uphill climb to Toledo, Spain!! All kidding aside, although challenging I honestly truly enjoyed it and was sad that my mom and dad were not with me because they would have loved this, without a doubt. If we lived in Cambodia, this would have been our "Lac Philippe" day.

As you reach the top, there is this waterfall. This being the tail-end of the dry season, the riverbed is a little dried up so it is more of a …. Mmm….. spigot. The interesting thing though is that there are some carvings done within the riverbed itself. Not wanting to really venture out (some of the paths were hard to identify), I think that I missed some of them but what I saw was truly fascinating. So of course, what goes up must come down so back down the trail I went, stopping in at this amazing lookout where you sit on these enormous boulders and can see as far as the eye can see with only a small rope and sign saying No Entry - Danger to keep you in. The fact that you essentially fall off a cliff would be indication enough for me to Not Enter!

From there, we drove to Bantey Srei which would be my last temple visit. This is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and although somewhat debated would date back as far as the year 967. What sets it apart is the fact that the carvings are incredibly ornate and that the stone is this reddish brown brick colour. Restoration for the temple actually began in 1930 and is still ongoing today, evidenced by a number of pieces cloistered off to the side of the temple itself and each marked with identification numbers. The structure itself actually reminded me of the Hindu temple that I saw in Bangkok, with these incredibly ornate towers with figure upon figure adorning the façade. The carvings are amazing and the fact that they are so well preserved is outright outstanding. The colour is breath-taking especially set again the surrounding trees and the incredibly blue sky. My timing was off and I essentially arrived at the same time as a couple of tour buses. Getting shots of this without the ever present tourist getting in his Where’s Guido shot was a feat onto itself!

As you exited the temple, there was a huge row of stalls and the onslaught of “hey lady what you want”. It does get a bit tiring but at the same time this is the way they put food on the table … I did pick up a couple of things (dad … are you sure you don’t want a traditional head scarf for when you are out in the sun mowing the lawn … they’re everywhere!!) and then headed back to the car.

The next stop was the Cambodia Land Mine Museum, a small museum but still very much worth the visit. It was established by Aki Ra who at one point had fought with the Khmer Rouge and had himself planted land mines. He eventually defected from the Khmer Rouge and joined the Vietnamese Army and subsequently the National Cambodian Army. Over time, Aki Ra saw the devastation and destruction that land mines caused and joined the UN in 1993 to become a de-miner. He went on to open the museum in 1997 which also supports an NGO and a dozen school-aged children. Over the years, he has amassed a collection of land mines and other explosives which are now housed throughout the museum and in this central stuppa surrounded by this small koi pond. As you enter the museum, it clearly states that all of the landmines and such have been verified and tested and are “100% FFE”, that is, Free from Explosives. Right off the entrance is a small field cordoned off with the warnings to Not Enter - Danger Land Mines. As you near it though, you can see some explosives quite clearly however there are others that are very inconspicuous. There is a Canadian connection to this whole thing, that is, the Ottawa Treaty to Ban Landmines which 155 countries have signed for the ultimate destruction of the stockpiles of land mines. In all, the tally rose to approximately 160 million land mines of which only about a third have been destroyed so far. The museum is filled with pretty impressive photos of Aki Ra discovering landmines and unearthing them. They clearly describe the process of de-mining an area (which is first often identified with the explosion of one land mine itself and they later surveyed, de-mined, documented and identified as safe). I was amused by a drawing that said that the best way to find a land mine is through “probing” which is accompanied by a drawing of a man with a stick. The caption says something to the effect that a good de-miner will be able to identify mines without applying too much pressure … There are also many artifacts belonging to the Khmer Rouge including a rare photo of Pol Pot, army fatigues and gear, currency which they produced after destroying the Cambodian currency and some identification cards. In another small building are the photos and stories of the children that are directly helped by this museum with a clear message that the children are not there for show and therefore should not be photographed or be given money (it says something to the effect that the children are provided with everything they need and that giving them money will only encourage them to turn to a life of begging). The children were definitely quite present at the museum and seemed like normal happy kids. At the exit, there is a small boutique and there were a few chairs where you could watch a short DVD. I chuckled when I saw one of the benches … the legs were made from actual explosives. I have to say though that I left with a heavy heart because it is times like this that you realize how incredibly lucky you are and that dangers like this are nowhere near being part of our daily lives. And then it hit me … boy I’m a mess with this small museum, God only knows what I will be like when I get to the Killing Fields.

At this point, it was mid-afternoon and the driver gave me what he called the “grand tour” which meant that I got to drive by some of the temples that I had visited in the last couple of days. I am still in awe at the sight of the Angkor Wat and the serene expression of the face that graces so many of the entrances such as the south gate of Angkor Thom. And no the damn balloon was still grounded because it was too hot … it’s helium so that actually makes sense. I'm over it now ... I'm moving on.

Also, the Lonely Planet guide had made reference in both the Cambodia and Vietnam books to take notice as to how many people can fit on one motorcycle because they can pile them on!!! So far, the magic number is five!!

As I arrived back at the hotel, I was pleased to see that they had decorated for Khmer New Year which the driver announced once again quite jubilantly as we neared the doorway and he noticed the decorations. So the doorway is lined with these large stars and there is a table filled with fruit, a bowl of rice, tons of flowers, incense sticks and all of these little ornamentations which I have seen at temples before. At the reception desk, there is also a huge wicker basket with decorations around it filled with fruit.
So now I am whiling away the hours on my little terrace and I may just go jump in the pool now. I am working on getting some colour although it seems to be limited to red (and a little bit of black and blue from a couple of bruises!!). And the big stressful thing in my day will be deciding what to have for supper … I have the best life!!

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Comments

[Francine]

First, the coconut shell shower mystery had me SO curious that I did a quick Google on it. And I found this from a person who was in Cambodia..."and even a coconut shell cup in a clay pot of water at the entrance to wash your feet" Goodness! you must ask about this coconut shell before you leave! Second, after reading today's blog, "chicken porridge" sounds better:) And coffee with condensed milk...hhmm...so easy to make but at the same time impossible to duplicate at home:( Sounds like another wonderful day:) So looking forward to see the pics! And yes, we certainly want a traditional head scarf. Not too sure your father will wear it at the race track or mowing the lawn though:) Oh! and...Happy New Year:) FAF~