Advertisement
Published: August 24th 2009
Edit Blog Post
Angkor From Behind
The view of Angkor Wat from the back entrance. Cambodia. The last leg of my journey through South East Asia. I arrived in Phnom Phen, Cambodia in the same fashion as I had arrived at the majority of my destinations... long distance bus; however, unlike my previous encounters with transnational bus trips this journey must have been rather straightforward and uneventful as writing retrospectively I cannot recall anything about the ride (which is tantamount to a strong endorsement of the bus company, as the only memorable transit trips through Southern Asia tend to be of the unfavourable variety). Upon arriving in Phnom Phen, Ian and I check into a hotel which must have emitted a grandiloquent aura when it was constructed, some 60 years ago; however, as with the rest of the country the ravages of time and civil war have not been kind. Consequently, the hotel has the appearance of a recently bankrupt magnate, clinging desperately to the remnants of a past rife with prestige and privilege, but which now serves merely as an opaque shroud providing a temporary veil from reality. On the upside, it did have HBO.
I spent a total of two days in Phnom Phen, and that was certainly enough time by my reckoning.
Skulls @ the Killing Fields
These particular skulls were all from female victims ages 12-18. While there was never a tangible threat to either my or Ian's safety, the city emitted a vibe which caused both of us to puff out our chests and peek into the shadows in an attempt to ward off any would-be assailants. In the time between our fits of paranoia deriving from our desire to avoid bodily harm, Ian and I took in two of the necessary cultural sites scattered throughout the city: The Killing Fields and the S-21 museum. The Killing Fields are located about 30 minutes outside of the city limits, and are but one of hundreds of sites strewn across the country were Cambodian citizens were executed during the genocidal reign of the Khmer Rouge. It was a very sombre and humbling experience. The site was literally a large field, consisting of unearthed mass graves and a memorial to the millions killed under the Khmer Rouge, where the skulls of the victims from this particular site were housed for viewing. The S-21 museum was an equally grim experience. Now a museum, this building was a torture prison under the reign of the Khmer Rouge and prior to that it was a high school. The site consisted of
$ Shot
Ian & I in the garden in front of Angkor Wat. the buildings and cells where the prisoners were tortured and housed, along with pictures of the victims and exhibits demonstrating the brutal tools and tactics used by the Khmer Rouge. Any prisoners who survived their time and torture at S-21 were sent to the Killing Fields for termination.
After the experiencing the grim reality of Cambodia's past I decided to turn heel, head south and experience the potential of Cambodia's future: Sihanoukville. Sihanoukville is a coastal city in the south of Cambodia. It has been labeled as the next up and coming "Asian vacation destination", and it is obvious that the seeds of commerce and expansion have already been planted and need only to be reaped. Ian and I spent nine days in this small yet bustling city, enjoying the sand and surf in equal proportions to the raucous nightlife. Not a whole lot was accomplished during our nine days here, and this was exactly what we had hoped for. After thoroughly enjoying ourselves, perhaps to a degree which bordered on gluttony, we said goodbye to Sihanoukville (the last beach experience of our trip), hopped on yet another bus and headed to our last stop in Cambodia, Siem Reap.
Angkor Sculpture
Sculptures such as this are strewn throughout the Angkor Temple complex. Running short on time, I had little more than 36 hours to spend in Siem Reap; however, I am sure I made the most of my time by visiting the temple complex of Angkor Wat. The entrance fee and the tuk-tuk ride around the ruins turned out to be the single most expensive "day trip" during my travels; however, had I paid thrice the amount I still feel it would have been worth it. Angkor Wat is the main and best preserved temple site amongst the hundreds of ruins scattered throughout the area. Words and even pictures fail to do it justice. It is one of the most impressive things I have ever seen, and what makes the experience even richer is that fact that unlike historical ruins in other parts of the world, you can access and explore virtually all of the sites. Simply put, it was an amazing day hindered only by the fact that Ian's camera battery (which we are both sharing due to the rampant camera problems I suffered throughout the trip) died about 30 minutes into our 5 hour expedition. Fortunately, we saw Angkor Wat first and were able to get some good photos
On the Outside
Ian & I outside the front wall of Angkor Wat. before the camera called it quits.
With Angkor Wat completed my trip is essentially over. As I write this now I am already back in Ko San Road, Bangkok where I will stay for two days before I fly home. I have been gone for 3 months, visited 4 different countries and have come back full circle to where my trip began. It has been one hell of a ride, and upon reflection even the "bad days" (see Laos blog entry) were some of the most fun and exciting times I have ever had. While I am anxious to see everyone and everything I have been missing back home, I am reluctant to leave. It is though I have been in a waking-dream for the last three months, and now the dream is over and all I am to be left with is the waking. I am consoled solely by the fact that it is in the waking that I can make $, buy another plane ticket, and begin to dream all over again.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.063s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 7; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0318s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1mb