Temples, thongs and tears

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We decided to become 'flash packers' and fly from Vientiene to Siem Reap. This was always on our itinerary to do and we were intending to have a bit of a change of pace in Cambodia. Less beer and more history.

I had started to prepare myself for his leg of the trip by reading 'First They Killed My Father' which is a biography of a girl growing up during the Khmer Rouge regime. The book was quite confronting (must confess, haven't quite finished it yet) but nothing could prepare me for the gut wrenching and heartbreaking experiences and realizations of Cambodia itself.

The large towns in Asia are starting to all resemble each other physically. What differs is the reflection of the national psyche being played out in the daily lives of it's people. Cambodia is a grieving country desperately trying to rebuild itself. As with most places, the people work hard for very little.

We were lucky enough to secure an enthusiastic and intelligent tuk tuk driver for our tours. Over two days, AJ took us to the Landmine Museum, the National Museum and the Ankor Wat temple tour. The Landmine Museum and school that runs alongside it, introduced us to the very real threat of land mines. The children who attend the school are all casualties, either directly or indirectly, of the land mines. We didn't get to meet any of the students but their harrowing biographies struck a chord in our hearts. It was unnerving to find out that in Cambodia alone there are over 6 million land mines still actively in service. Some had recently been found not far from where we were standing. I can not fathom living with that fear everyday of your life.

Ankor Wat needed a whole day so we decided after a trip quick to see sunset at one of the temples, we would spend the night in the thick of Siem Reap. Throughout the night my heart broke as we were approached by beggars - children and women with babies, people who were victims of land mines - and I was torn into so many thoughts.I had been told previously not to give money to these people as it encourages others to join the ranks. Plus if I started by giving to one person I would end up giving it all of them - who am I to judge who is a more worthy recipient? We decided early on that we would help the organisations supporting these people by donating to them and purchasing their goods. On the streets and at tourist hotspots I reverted to teacher mode asking children "did you go to school today?", being a coward and simply looking away or stopping and staring whilst fighting back the tears ( yes, I am a softy....don't tell anyone).

The National Museum gave us some insight into the stories behind Ankor Wat and the surrounding temples we were to visit later on the second day. We learnt about the meanings particular statues and gods that were depicted in these century old ruins. We spent the remainder of the day meandering around the four main temples, finishing with Ankor Wat itself. Many of these temples were destroyed by the Khmer Rouge when they were in power but what remains is still breathtaking.

We were able to have lunch with AJ after much confusion ( apparently people don't offer to shout their tuk tuk drivers lunch at a restaurant with them) and were suitably impressed with him. At 22 he had just finished school and had bought his own, very flash looking tuk tuk. He paid a commission to the hotel we were staying at for them to use him for tours etc and was saving money to go to university to become a doctor. His high ambitions come at a price ( around US $1000 a year) and he had just starting to work around the clock to achieve them. Obviously an intelligent young man, the thought did cross my mind of sponsorship. He was learning Japanese, as many other tourism operators had done, to cash in on that particular market. AJ was however, a typical boy. When I asked what his sister was going to be when she finished school his response was " I don't know. I have never asked her. She can just get married".

Cranky pants moment #12 - returning to the hotel only to realise some bugger had stolen my haviana thongs. Ok, so the thongs saga didn't actually start there. Back at Bangla Road on day 3 I was wearing my treasured black leather sports girl thongs. Treasured because they were a bargain and could double as 'going out shoes' when I didn't want to wear heels (note: I never wear heels) and they go with EVERYTHING. Bangla Road is like Peel Street during CMF but with a thousand Thai people in your face trying to get you to go to a ping pong show (not the Chinese national sport kind). Trying to negotiate the crowd and get away from a most persistent spruiker, Daniel trod on the back of my foot and broke a thong. (I walked behind him from then on for the next four weeks) All was forgiven as we quickly found a shop that sold black havianas and I instantly fell in love with them. They came with me everywhere - from Phuket to the Full Moon Party to beautiful Chiang Mai and Laos. I returned to the hotel in Siem Reap not only to find them gone from out the front (shoes had to be removed before entering the building) but REPLACED with an older, slightly bigger, broken version. One deep breath later and a " its fine. Will just buy another pair" mutter, the search for havianas began. Travel tip #32: they don't sell plastic thongs in Cambodia. This, ladies and gentlemen, explains why in some photos I will be wearing bright red thongs with not so pleasing clothing combinations. End of rant.

Phnom Penh was very similar to Siem Reap, just on a bigger scale and much more commercial. The inner part of the city seemed to be divided into a very clear tourist hub along the Mekong and a business / commercial center for the locals a few blocks back. From Rory's Guesthouse we were able to secure the most famous tuk tuk driver in Phnom Penh, if not, Cambodia. His name was Mr. Thai.

Mr. Thai is half American cowboy, a quarter Australian bushy and a quarter Cambodian. Dressed in a genuine Akubra ( straight from Perth) and a vest, his ride is the envy of all others. The seats are made of faux leather print and his cab covered with photographs and memorabilia (Me: Look he even has a didgeridoo! Daniel: I think you will find that it's actually a boomerang. Me:OMG, what is wrong with me? I have only been out of the country for 4 weeks - not my finest moment). People actually crowded around the tuk tuk when we stopped. It was a bit concerning but understandable, he was famous! Last month he appeared on the front cover of the insert to the Phnom Penh newspaper under the heading 'Tuk tuk drivers who pimp their rides'. He even took us for happy hour, recommended a seedy pub and partnered Daniel in pool ( because we all know I am hopeless at pool unless I have had at least 10 beers).

Phnom Penh is home to S21 Prison and the Killing Fields. Perspective is a wonderful thing to gain and these two places definitely granted it (thongs? What thongs? Three bouts of food poisoning? Meh. Missing bag for ten days? Glad it was Daniels and not mine). The silence at these places were loudly harrowing. People moved around them feeling senses of guilt, shame, resentment and shock. Both places are used as evidence in the upcoming Khmer Rouge leader trials and they are nothing short of graphic and confronting. Stories of babies being shot, endless rooms of prison photographs, torture techniques and mass graves were uncovered as we moved from one room to another, one location to the next. Images and tales that I know I will never forget and will be angry at myself if I ever do.

Daniel left for Phuket so he could fly back to Australia (after enjoying our last dinner together of a meat pie and sausage roll for entree, steak and mash for mains washed down with an Australian Lager - made in Thailand) leaving me as a solo traveler. I decided to go to Sihanoukville in the south of Cambodia so I could get my Vietnamese visa and spend a day at the beach.

Finally, after being promised when booking every bus trip that we would have great seats and a toilet on board, Mekong Express delivered. The limousine bus also had a hostess, snacks and free water. The solo trip had a fantastic start. When the bus pulled up at the destination, I was literally mobbed by tuk tuk drivers (single, white, female equals easy target). Poor guy that ended up with me didn't know what hit him. I was not a ripe tourist for him to exploit. Plus I learnt from the master haggler - Miss Gemma Glover.

Sihanoukville is famous for it's sunrise and sunset and it did not disappoint. After sunset, I propped myself up at the nearest bar and chatted with a pair of Brits, a German (not from Kiel, Anneke, always the first question I ask though!) and a local. At the end of the night I realized that, although I enjoyed the brief chats and laughs, it did not come close to sharing these experiences with someone I knew, or better still, someone that had shared the experiences with me. It was this plus my morning run/ jog/walk (holy moly, I am unfit) that cemented what some of you probably already knew - Meg Ryan is crap at solo travel. Not the getting from A to B - I am great at that - it's what to do once you get to B. Short of getting drunk every night, solo travel does not provide a sense of satisfaction for me. I need to have someone to nudge when I see something interesting or funny, be able to have someone remind me to charge my iPad/camera/toothbrush and all in all really share things with. People you meet in a bar can't do these things for me........

So after a few hurried phone calls all around the world to people who could provide me with the information and motivation I needed, I became a resourceful little bunny, decided to skip Vietnam and return to Phuket to await the arrival of two of my favourite people in the world, Rohan and Cass. A hop, skip and a jump later, I was suddenly faced with four days alone in Thailand vs fourteen in Vietnam. I could not be happier with my decision. Fourteen days alone would send a workaholic balmy....and we can't have that before I land in china on the 4th of Feb.

Endnote: Merry Australia Day everyone. To all of my lovely colleagues who have to return to work on Friday, good luck. I hope you all have a wonderful year, miss me lots and keep in touch xxx

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