Vietnam & Cambodia Part II

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[youtube=ajqYM7kU9pA][youtube=PuTeA0ftl2E][youtube=HCg-BIuzB1A]

After Vietnam, we entered the Kingdom of Cambodia. Geoff and I were still traveling via boat up the Mekong River, but the change in scenery immediately peaked my interest. Gone were the heavy populated banks of the Mekong Delta, enter rural farm lands, villages, and water buffalo. Exactly what I wanted to see and experience all along. The second half of our trip was off to a great start, but first a brief history of Cambodia.

Genocide

The Khmer Rouge was responsible for 1.7 million deaths after overthrowing the country's government in 1975. The majority of these deaths were blatant genocide which they called 'social engineering'. The Khmer Rouge wanted to create a purely agrarian-based Communist society by moving the city dwellers to the countryside and subjecting them to forced labor. The Khmer Rouge specifically targeted and attempted to wipe out Cambodia's educated and intellectual elite. Other mishaps led to additional hardship for the Cambodians: Agricultural reform led to widespread famine, and policies which preached self sufficiency, including the supply of medicine, led to additional deaths by way of treatable diseases such as Malaria.

Attempt at Justice

One of the former Khmer Rouge leaders, Pol Pot, is currently on trial for the mass murder he oversaw as the head of the notorious S-21 prison. S-21, which was formerly a high school, sits in the middle of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/11/25/f-cambodia-khmer-rouge-trial.html

Back to the Trip

We arrived in Phnom Penh on a rainy afternoon and checked into a backpacker's hostel close to city center. Walking into the hostel, I immediately knew this was the place for us. About 15 people were lounging in the lobby / dining area with their eyes glued to a movie as food and beers were served by the friendly staff. Home sweet home. After dumping our stuff off, we had dinner down in the lobby and walked along the Mekong River to check out the city. It became apparent that Phnom Penh is a sleepy city at night and there is not much excitement to be had. However, we did find a few relaxing bars with rooftop decks that took full advantage of the cool night breeze coming off the Mekong.

Lexus

Did you know that Lexus is the official vehicle of Cambodia? Well, it's not, but it should be. I have never seen so many Lexus vehicles in one place, in my entire life. It was absurd. Most of them also had a big logo on the side of the car, just in case you didn't know it was a Lexus. My two theories that explain the Lexus phenomenon; widespread corruption or the Cambodians have a killer trade deal with the Japanese. Let's hope it's the latter.

S-21

The next day we woke up and went to S-21 via tuk-tuk. The former prison now serves as a museum to educate visitors of the atrocities caused by the Khmer Rouge. It was an eye-opening morning for me as we slowly walked through the museum viewing photographs and reading captions that told the story of S-21. I must admit, I was ignorant to the grave history of Cambodia up until a couple of months ago. The death toll at S-21 is estimated at over 15,000 and many were tortured before losing their lives. It was a somber visit to say the least. Our second stop would prove to be just as grim; the killing fields.

Killing Fields

Arriving at the Killing Fields in the heat of the day, we walked up to a memorial and removed our shoes as instructed by a sign at the base. Inside the memorial there are hundreds of skulls placed on wooden shelves. This tradition derives from Buddhism, the national religion. We walked around and listened to a tour guide as he described the gruesome history of the site. It is a must-do if you are in Cambodia, but once again it was a difficult place to visit and leaves you in a state of shock.

Royal Palace

Later that same day, we toured the Royal Palace which had incredible architecture and impeccable landscaping. Check out the photos and see what I mean.

Back on the Boat

The next day we left for Siem Reap, the last stop on our journey and the home of the Angkor Wat temple. We opted once again to take a boat in order to see the countryside. This was the best boat ride of the trip by far, and at this point we had been on quite a few nautical vessels and therefore had a good sense of what was preferred. It was a sunny day and the river was smooth. Almost everyone got out of the cabin and sat on top of the boat to sleep, take photos, and enjoy the sun. The people on the boat, along with almost everyone we met on the trip, were warm and friendly. I spoke to a Dutch guy about how I lived in the Netherlands as a child and he told me about scuba diving in Vietnam. I spoke to a Russian girl (who looked exactly like a young Jamie Lee Curtis) about the conflict in Georgia and how Russians felt about it. And, not to be outdone, I spoke to Geoff about our favorite beer of the trip.

Siem Reap

It is a small, but lively, town which thrives on the tourism generated by Angkor Wat and the many other temples in the surrounding areas. Our search for accommodations began and we were hoping to find a place with a pool. Shadow of Angkor II provided that and more for 20 bucks per night. It was simple, but plush and the food they served was some of the best I had on the trip. The next few days were spent temple-ing and taking in the backpacker nightlife. I recommend checking out the photos and videos, those tell the real story.

The Kingdom

I loved Cambodia. The people were warm and genuine; two traits that were hard to find in Ho Chi Minh. Cambodia has been through a lot, but they're resilient people and they don't let the past tarnish their day-to-day attitudes. I think we can all learn a lot from the Cambodian culture. If you have the chance, you must go to Cambodia.

Until next time, Happy Holidays!

Adam

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Photos

temple-ing
this was taken at one of the temples outside Siem Reep. More temple photos to come.

river boating
same crew from the border, on our way to the Cambodian capital; Phnom Penh

gambling
I asked these guys if I could take their picture, they declined, but I snapped this one from the front of the boat. maybe their game is illegal.

scarecrows
another one for you dad!

tuk-tuk
this is Jillian from Australia. she was one of the 8 or so people we traveled with from the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, up to Phnom Penh.

everywhere you want to be
gecko's plugging anything other than car insurance - priceless

relativity
fun is a relative term when comparing how much fun we're having to how much fun that girl in the background is having.

khmer rouge
the group responsible for an estimated 1.7 million deaths from 1975 to 1979. That was 21% of the population at the time of 8 million. To put that in perspective, 21% of the US population in 1975 was 45 million people.

killing fields
behind me is a buddhist memorial dedicated to those who died at the killing fields just outside of Phnom Penh.

memorial
preserving and displaying the skulls is a buddhist tradition in Cambodia.

Comments

[Adam]

Thanks!
Hi Adam, thanks for the postings and pictures, I enjoy reading them, and learning about the otherside of the world from you. Regards, Adam

[Karen Vogelsang]

Great Commentary
Adam, You are becoming quite the prolific travel writer. Enjoyed the narrative and pictures especially Angkor Wat. Understand you will return home for the use of good plumbing over the holidays. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! "Aunt" Karen

[Renee]

Dang that coconut curry looks good
I am living vicariously through you...keep the great pics and stories coming!