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Before I sat down to write this entry, I reviewed my blogs from our first visit to Cambodia back in 2009. A lot has happened in the past seven years, not just for myself and Jeremy, but also for the country of Cambodia.
In my blogs from '09, I talked a lot about the uncleanliness and the abject poverty of the region. I went on and on about the trash in the streets, the child beggars around the temples, and the landmine victims with missing limbs begging for money or food. It was our first experience in a country that is truly "third world," and even now those images are stuck with me.
We were mentally and emotionally prepared this time, but our experience this week has been quite different than it was seven years ago.
Before I go any further, let me give you a brief background on Cambodia and what the people in this country have endured in the past 50 years. Cambodia is a smallish country by Asian standards, roughly the size of the state of Colorado with a population of 15 million. It's bordered by Thailand to the west, Laos to the north, and
Vietnam to the east. Due to its unfortunate location, during the Vietnam War the US military dropped tons and tons of unused artillery on this poor country of farmers and laborers. During the same time period, Cambodia also became the only country in modern history to commit genocide against its own people.
In 1975, as the Vietnam War was ending, a Communist revolutionary named Pol Pot seized control of Cambodia and instituted what would become known as the Khmer Rouge. Over the next 4 years, the soldiers of the Khmer Rouge captured, tortured, and executed an estimated 2-3 million of its own people (25-40% of the total population), targeting men, women, and children, and especially anyone educated who could potentially be a "spy." Mass graves known as "killing fields" are littered around the country in a gruesome reminder of the not-so-distant past.
As if that's not awful enough, during the decades of war and upheaval from the 1970's-1990's, different factions planted countless millions of land mines throughout the country, mostly in the rural regions. Cambodia now has the single largest population of amputees anywhere in the world, and every day land mines continue to maim and kill innocent
farmers, women, and children.
Given that rather recent (and grim) history, you can begin to understand why Cambodia is so underdeveloped compared to other southeast Asian countries. Anyone older than 40 would have survived the Khmer Rouge and would surely remember the atrocities of that era. The good news in all of this is that, after a few decades of relative peace, Cambodia is finally starting to recover and catch up with the rest of southeast Asia. Yes, it is still very much a third world nation. The majority of the population live in what we in the west would consider to be squalor. But there have been some radical changes here, too. China, Korea, and other wealthy nations have begun investing in Cambodia, bringing new business and jobs into the cities. The capital of Phnom Penh, which seven years ago was little more than dirt roads and rusty tuk-tuks, is now full of high-rise offices, luxury hotels, Lexuses and BMW's. I was shocked - SHOCKED - at the difference in so short a period of time.
After spending a few days with friends in Phnom Penh, we switched into tourist mode and took an extremely comfortable overnight
bus ride 6 hours north to the smaller city of Siem Reap. You may not have heard of Siem Reap, but you've undoubtedly heard of what everyone comes here to see: the temples of Angkor. They are to this day the most beautiful, fascinating, and impressive historical site I have ever seen!! What's even more amazing is that the ancient temple complex was buried in the jungle for the better part of a MILLENIUM, completely unknown to the outside world until French explorer Henri Mouhot "stumbled" upon it back in the 1800's. His impression? "One of these temples—a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo—might take an honorable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome."
I couldn't agree more!
Even though excavation and restoration work went on for most of the 20th century, all of the wars and civil strife made the site inaccessible to foreign tourists. But now, for the last 20 years or so, any and all are welcome to Cambodia to see the incomparable temples of Angkor.
Angkor Wat is the one you hear about the most, and rightly
so. It is the single largest religious structure in the world, a 12th century Hindu masterpiece crowned with five lotus-shaped spires rising 200 feet off the ground. In an isolated region, surrounded by impenetrable jungle and an enormous moat, it's easy to see why it got "lost" for centuries. Although all those years of neglect and war took their toll on the building, it stayed remarkably intact, and even now extensive restoration efforts are taking place on Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples.
Angkor is much more than just one ancient temple. It was in fact the thriving capital city of the ancient Khmer Kingdom, which flourished during the 11th-13th centuries and controlled much of what is now Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. Satellite imagery suggests Angkor may have been the largest pre-industrial city in the world, covering an area of nearly 400 square miles! Now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the impressive ruins attract 2+ million starry-eyed visitors every year.
Our day of touring began at the ungodly hour of 4am, when our friendly tuk-tuk driver Dewan picked us up at our hotel so we could be at Angkor Wat to see the sun rise.
Was it worth it? For sure. After that (and a much-needed breakfast) came the temple of Bayon, covered with hundreds of giant stone faces of the 13th-century Buddhist King Jayavarman VII. The highlight, though, was the temple of Ta Phrom, which remains virtually untouched from its "lost in the jungle" state. Enormous trees have overtaken the temple, breaking down walls, wrapping around doorways, and stretching for the sky. If you've ever wanted to feel like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft, this is the place to come!! We were also very happy to see virtually no child beggars around the temples, like we did seven years ago. Apparently the government has cracked down on them and many more children are now attending public school.
The town of Siem Reap hasn't changed much since '09 - it's still a cozy little backpacker's paradise, with cheap guesthouses and even cheaper food/drinks. Pub Street is very much alive and well, massage parlors stand on every corner, and there's even a new cineplex where you can see the latest 3D movies for an astounding $4. English is widely and well-spoken, and everyone will bend over backwards to accommodate you. Just arrived at 5am on
the overnight bus? No worries, ma'am, we'll get a room ready for you. Don't have your own 3D glasses for the movie? You can borrow a pair, free of charge. Want to use our luxury swimming pool? We'll waive the entrance fee if you buy a ($1) beer or cocktail. Massage in our day spa? Here's a 20% discount (on a $10 massage), just because we feel like it. (If you come here, look up Villa Sok San right in the center of town. They've been terrific!!)
Seriously, this town is awesome...AND they happen to have one of the Wonders of the World in their backyard.
I literally have nothing bad to say about the place! I have been amazed, surprised, and humbled by the friendly, smiling people and the beautiful sites in this materially poor but culturally rich country. It is most definitely at the top of my list of places to return to!
(Three pages of photos with this blog, so keep scrolling and clicking!)
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cabochick
Andrea
Interesting contrast
I just visited Cambodia for the first time, and I'm quite taken by the place! I appreciated reading your perspective having gone before. Gotta love those trees! Nice pictures too.