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Published: January 18th 2010
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Well friends, another 2 weeks have passed and we are slowly embracing all that is Cambodia. We’ve been taking it in for two weeks now and it seems we’ve only arrived at the tip of the iceberg. Our first dose of the country came by an hour drive through the countryside en route to the town of Sisophon. It was a sobering wake up call forcing us to realize that this place is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Thin stretches of poorly maintained farmland dotted with humble roadside shacks blurred by as Beash and I sat silently staring out the window. These “homes” are constructed using any available material, mostly bamboo, metal sheeting and pieces of plastic. Locals were riding bikes or walking with huge satchels of fruit and goods, and trucks passed carrying 15-20 farmers in the bed. These images are now linked in my mind as what defines serious poverty. Sisophon didn’t raise our spirits much, one night in a randomly creepy hotel and we were off to Siem Reap.
Siem Reap is a prospering tourist city, much thanks to the world renowned ancient ruins of Angkor Wat. High end swanky hotels with golf courses and rooftop pools
line a few boulevards, and a scenic yet filthy river flows through town. We stayed at the Jasmine Hotel for 6 nights in a stuffy concrete box of a room but benefited from the relaxing lounge and free wi-fi. The first few days were spent reading, playing on the computer and riding bicycles. One day a mission to find a pool/restaurant turned into an unforgettable 6 mile ride….
First we lazily wound along the riverside paths to find a temple. The property was covered with burial sites for monks, many intricately decorated standing over 10ft high. We walked amongst the monks that resided there and caught some great photos. The next impromptu stop was coaxed by a large sign which read “Alligator Farm.” After a three dollar admission we curiously headed up a set of stairs. They led up to an elevated platform which stood about 10ft directly above over 100 full grown gators. The prehistoric reptiles basked in the sun and concrete pond, many motionless with their jaws wide open. Of course the farm had gator food to sell so we split a plate of piranhas with another couple and let the games begin. A sight to see,
these beasts quickly snatched up our snacks with powerful clicking jaws. A worker standing in the pit began poking them with a long pole, strictly for our entertainment. They hissed and flexed their jaws before scurrying for the safety of water. True ancient predators, unreal.
Our hunt for the pool continued as our search led us away from town and into the countryside. We rode deeper and deeper into the farmland. This stretch was unforgettably serene and beautiful. Grassy flatlands with small ponds and streams created a perfect scene as the daylight faded. Kids fishing in the streams screamed hello and the curious eyes of locals were everywhere. After a quick bite we power-pedaled back into town to beat the setting sun. We won the race and found a hotel with a pool on the roof in perfect time to see the deep red ball disappear. After this day our thoughts and feelings about Cambodia changed, this place has many faces.
The sunsets are incredible, very different from the previous islands and beaches. Due to the heat, dust and pollution from the cities the sun glows amber red dropping behind city buildings and temples. I can only relate
it to what the sun looks like during California wildfires when everything is masked in smoke, which explains how bad the air is. About half of the people on the street wear hospital face-masks all the time. Alicia has felt the effects and pulled out the inhaler more than once, it’s nasty.
Another highlight of Siem Reap was actually finding the pool we were searching for the next day. The place was called Aqua and for $2.50 per person it was a perfect place to spend the afternoon. We lucked out because a local school for orphans was there on a field trip. We met the owner, an inspiring Canadian woman who dropped everything and opened a school here about 6 months ago. She teaches her students for free and gives them one big bag of rice for their family every week. This allows the kids to stop working or begging in the streets to make extra money, a win win situation. She told us about corruption within the volunteer and charity organizations here, a sad reality is many companies embezzle the donations and the poor get no help. We got to meet and play with the kids who were affectionate and outgoing, clinging onto us the moment we jumped in. Fun stuff.
We were also fortunate enough to witness a 3 day funeral ceremony for the grandmother of an employee of our hotel. A huge family congregated in the front of our hotel dressed in all white for three days, eating a lot and playing chants through loudspeakers. Each morning monks met in a locked room above us and chanted in unison.
After a week it was time to move. We shot 7 hours east to the capitol, Phnom Penh. We’ve been here for 3 nights staying in a hotel perched up on stilts over a lake. We’ve taken a few trips through the city and plan on heading out to see the Killing Fields tomorrow. A rundown of our time here and the killing fields will come in the next entry, hopefully before we leave town. There is simply too much to write about Cambodia. We are experiencing the many different faces of this country and have so much more to see. This place is heavy.
We hope everyone back home is healthy and happy and must say thanks for the constant stream of e-mails and facebook messages. We are just now reaching the half way point of our travels! In recollection we’ve made some mistakes and hit a couple rough patches but overall are very happy with how things have transpired. Two more countries to see, then back to Bali!
Cheers,
Marcus and Beash
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