Cambodian Chaos

Good Morning from another Thai island! We are currently in Koh Pha Ngan, an island much more southern that Koh Chang, and are loving the laid-back, beach lifestyle we’ve had for a few days now!

It has been about a week since we ventured from Cambodia to the Thai islands, and were able to stay in Siem Reap, Cambodia for four nights to really soak up a lot of local flare. Siem Reap is the gateway into the Angkor region of the country, and probably the most touristic city in Cambodia. Around 10 miles from the famous Angkor Wat, the city is now thriving with markets, international and local restaurants, an endless supply of hostels and hotels, and more tuk-tuks and motorbikes than I have ever seen. Cambodia has an extremely devastating history, mainly starting in the 1970’s when the revolutionary Khmer Rouge came into power. The leader, Pol Pot, wanted a completely self-sufficient society that was pure, with no followers of the former government in power, or alive. He ordered the killing of around 1.7 million people in 4 years – men, women, and children, and forced many more into harsh labor camps. I had known little about the country’s somber past before deciding to come on the trip, and the book “First They Killed my Father” really helped me understand first-hand what life was like during the Khmer Rouge years. While the main “killing fields” and war memorials are in the city of Phnom Phen, which we didn’t make it to, we were able to see one memorial outside of Siem Reap. However, one can easily notice the effect of the genocide in that hardly any elderly Cambodians roam the city streets.

Receiving a blessing & bracelet in Angkor Wat

On a lighter note, Cambodia has really flourished, especially as a tourist destination, during the past few years. Angkor Wat is a vast temple complex, and now the largest religious building in the world! Covering many kilometers, Angkor Wat was built in the 12^th century and only suffered mild damage from the Khmer Rouge. You can either purchase a one, three, or seven-day pass to see all of the temples, which is testimony to just how big the complex is. Abbie and I opted for the one-day pass, and even then found our tuk-tuk driver traveling up to 80 kilometers between temples! The most famous temple is Angkor Wat, which some have named one of the seven wonders of the world, and really is the true symbol of Cambodia. Abbie and I explored around 12 temples that day, inside and out, and the freedom to walk wherever you want left us excited taking pictures, walking through secret pathways, and climbing ancient ruins. We even re-enacted Lara Croft Tomb Raider, as one of the tombs (a massive temple with trees growing out of many of the entrances) was the sight of the filming of the bad-ass Angelina Jolie movie.

Second temple of Angkor Wat

Exploring the actual town of Siem Reap was another amazing cultural experience. Crossing the street was almost a death sentence – you have to take 2 steps, wait for a passing motorbike carrying an entire family and their dog (or their pig), take another 3 steps, wait for a passing tuk-tuk carrying some blond Scandinavian tourists, and then sprint to the other side. We tried some Cambodian food and beers, which is much like Thai food but not nearly as spicy. We also got a little “fish pedicure” – you stick your feet in a huge aquarium of carp ready to bite off all of your dead skin. Gross, and scary, and slimy, but AWESOME! You get a beer too and just hang out while the fishies eat your scum away. The markets and night markets boast hundreds of scarves, souvenirs, hats, paintings, etc. and every store-owner is yelling at you “lady, you want a shirt”, “lady, how are youuuuu” and barter for every little thing. We would haggle with a store owner for up to 10 minutes; they are ruthless but ultimately surrender once you get the price you want.

The final full day in Cambodia we traveled outside the city to a small floating village reachable by boat. The entire town is on stilts, and boats driven by children carry everything from pigs to bags of fish to crops to families. We also went inside the village (the land part!) to explore. The children were adorable and one of my favorite moments was buying a bunch of Oreos and handing them out to the wound up, covetous kids, who hung on me for a good 10 minutes after the cookies were gone. I continued to hand out all my chewing gum, which made them even more thrilled. It was so nice to discover a little more outside the big city of Siem Reap; I felt I had truly gotten a sense of the Cambodian civilization. Even more tradition was packed into that day when Abbie and I went to check out a little Aspara dancing. The customary dance was created by the Ballet of Cambodia, and the moves narrate ancient Cambodian myths.