One week in Cambodia

My first visa run was to Laos. My second was to Cambodia, Kampucha as the Thais call it. I was excited because my good friends Karissa, Christian and I managed to coordinate our schedules and pull off a very last minute trip. Unfortunately, because of time constraints from work and visas, our trip was limited to visiting Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) and Phnom Penh over six days. When I returned to Chiang Mai, my friends kept asking me how I found Cambodia. "Cambodia was intense" seemed to be the only words I could find. Yes, that's not a winning endorsement, I understand. But let me explain.

It was hot and dusty. The traffic in Phnom Penh was lethal to the point that I strongly believe that cycling on the streets there is the most dangerous thing I will do for a long while to come. Furthermore, I didn't know how to say the simple phrases that I have learned to say in Thai, which really help on a daily basis and so that was frustrating.

But one thing really struck me about Cambodia - I'm sure anyone who has been there can agree with this - and that is that the people are so warm and kind. From laid back and touristy Siem Reap, to the hectic streets of Phnom Penh, the people I encountered in Cambodia always had a smile on their face. Yes, as a traveler you can become annoyed by the fact that you can't walk for more than three minutes without a man offering you a tuk-tuk, or a child asking you to buy a postcard or souvenir. It can be hard not to snap back sometimes (because clearly if you saw me say no to those three taxi's down the street, I have not likely changed my mind in the past ten seconds!!) however just when you think you're going to, someone throws you a wide smile and you can't help but smile back. After that, it feels tasteless and petty to get mad.

I'll never forget our last day at the temples in Angkor. A little girl was hanging around us, asking us to buy her postcards. She wouldn't stop and we clearly weren't interested in buying anything. I felt bad just driving away from this little girl, but I honestly do not believe that buying a $1 souvenir from a child (who should be in school, mind you) is doing her a favor at the end of the day. Who knows where (to whom) that money goes. "Please, $1, ten postcards, please" she pleaded with us. "No thank you, no thank you" we kept repeating as she was standing next to our tuk-tuk and we were ready to pull away. Finally, she must have realized it was a fruitless effort and so she perked up, puts the widest grin on her face and says "Thank you! Bye bye!" and skips off. We were all floored by this kindness and pure happiness she showed, despite our brushing her off a little bit.

Bayon - my favorite temple

Siem Reap was our first stop to see the temples of Angkor. It was a 20 hour bus journey from Chiang Mai, but we arrived, found a nice hostel and rented bicycles. The next day we woke up and rode out to the park where the temples are. It was a long day, but I'm really glad we opted for bikes. Cycling through the park allowed us to move slow enough to observe the non-tourist scenery. For example, I didn't realize this, but many people actually live in this park, so every few kilometers you'll come across a little cluster of houses, a school or farm and you see people sitting around, going about their daily lives in the middle of one of the wonders of the world. The temples were beautiful. They are all from around the 10th to 12th century and are a mixture of Buddhist and Hindu architecture and influence, depending on the kingdom and the time period. We covered a decent amount of ground, saving the three main temples for the second day.

The second day we woke up at 4am, hired a taxi and went to see the sun rise behind Angkor Wat, for which the entire park in named. Angkor Wat is impressive. It's massive and has a moat around it and a reflecting pool in front of it. The inside is extensive and has carvings and long walkways. Karissa and I were trying to imagine what it looked like when it was actually used as a temple. We pictured a lot of seductive goddesses in dim candlelight...

Sunrise at Angkor Wat

From Siem Reap, Christian and I went on to Phnom Penh to get our visas. PP is a big, congested city but I found its redeeming qualities to be the elegant French colonial buildings, baguettes and pastries galore, quiet little side streets and a nice boardwalk along the Mekong River. After dropping off our passports with a travel agent, we rented bikes and road out to the Killing Fields. The ride was awful - my eyes, nose and mouth were full of dirt, I was terrified of the traffic and it was so hot. But we made it. The Killing Fields are an interesting site. The land and museum were leased to a Japanese company by the Cambodian government a few years back. It's a weird feeling to walk around the area and realizing that some company in Japan is profiting off of it. The idea was that they would fix it up and make it a more profitable and compelling museum...unfortunately, it feels neglected and hastily constructed. We were both bothered by the fact that this company had not done more.

As a traveler and outside observer, I tried to keep in mind the effect that the events surrounding the Khmer Rouge might have had on the Cambodia I was experiencing. It was so recent in the country's history, after all. I thought about the fact that everyone I saw on the street who looked in their 40's and over had lived through that horrible time and survived. I longed to ask someone what it was like, but obviously that felt inappropriate and like I was overstepping my boundaries. I wish I had gotten the chance to see more of Cambodia - to visit the less-traveled east, see the beaches in the south, stay for a little longer in one place and get the chance to learn some phrases and talk to people. I guess I'll have to go back...