another day in Angkor archeological park


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Asia » Cambodia
November 25th 2008
Published: November 25th 2008
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Darith and mapDarith and mapDarith and map

Darith told us today he lost both his parents and two of his brothers to the Khmer Rouge. He is highly educated and apparently came from the privileged class. He attended the French Lycee Descartes in Phnom Penh, and his father was Minister of Health before the civil war.
In answer to Elaine's questions. Angkor Wat is indeed very crowded. There are tourists from all over the world arriving in coaches, with Cambodian guides (distinguished by their coral-colored shirts and blue pants or skirts) translating and describing in all sorts of languages. Apparently, the government requires that each group have a state-licensed guide accompanying it. That's why we have two guides now: Da, a 22-year old who only speaks English, and our Angkor specialist Darith (a freelance guide who used to have an executive job at Asian Trails), who looks about 35 but turns out to be 53.

As for ecological tourism, there are signs about it in the hotels and brochures, but, frankly, I think foreigners are probably much more aware about ecological concerns than the majority of Cambodians. Trash is everywhere: along the roads, on the farms, in the rivers, on the lakes, etc. There's really a great deal to be done in this domaine--beginning with teaching school children and their parents about this. And there's also education to be done about sanitary and health conditions, esp. among the poor.

The civil war really wrecked havoc here, and the country is just coming out of it.
DaDaDa

Da told me he went to school for 3 months and passed a test to be a guide that cost $1500. When you think the average person in Cambodia lives on $1 a day, you can imagine the sacrifices his parents made. He's 22 and the youngest of 5 children. His father is 75!
Darith is hopeful, though, that Cambodia will recover and that today's young people will help bring around the country. Apparently, about 50% of the population is under 18.


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elephantselephants
elephants

very few left -- many killed during civil war
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apsara

depictions of dancers of royal court


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