Part 2, Week 25: July 8-14
- Katie and Webster
- Jul 14, 2019
- 10 min read
This week we have explored Cambodia! This was the only location we were both a little bit hesitant about. Cambodia is the poorest country in Asia which results in millions of impoverished people and lower standards of living. But from the moment we arrived in Phnom Penh to the moment we left the airport in Siem Reap, the Cambodian people made us feel so welcome and safe.
On Monday we started our day very early in Phnom Penh and were picked up by a local guide, Mr. Neang for a full day tour. Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia and the hub of all the business and politics. It was bustling with people...people everywhere! Our first stop of the day was the Royal Palace. Cambodia has a royal family and a Prime Minister. The royal family is more of a figurehead and the prime minister is more involved with legislation. The palace was beautiful, inspired by both Buddhist and Hinduism beliefs. We saw the throne room, a few smaller buildings and the royal residence. Since the king actively lives there we weren’t able to get too close.
Our second stop was the Silver Pagoda. This is beside the Royal Palace property and where the king goes to pray. The entire floor is made of silver panels, most of which are covered with carpets so they maintain their high quality. There were many artifacts and priceless pieces behind glass cabinets - it was fascinating!
After the royal stop, we headed to the Killing Fields about 20km outside the city. In the 70’s Cambodia had a massive genocide where almost 50% of the population was killed. The Khmer Rouge gained power, in a similar way the Nazi’s took over Germany, by brainwashing citizens and promising a better future. If you haven’t heard about the Khmer Rouge it is very important that you read or watch a documentary to understand what happened here not so long ago. We all need to learn about what happened in Cambodia so history doesn’t repeat itself again.
When we arrived at the Killing Fields we realized it hadn’t been commercialized or “prepared” for tourists. They have tried to keep it as authentic as possible. It was a really emotional few hours walking through the place where so many Cambodians (approx 3 million) lost their lives. Fences were built around mass grave sites that had been excavated. After eight graves had been found and dug up at this one location, the government decided they had enough evidence to stop there. They really don’t know how many people are buried, or how big the grave is. Many graves were designated as women and children, headless men, soldiers, etc. Since this atrocity only happened in the 70’s, people were able to recount what actually happened. We walked along a designated path, careful not to step into the fenced off areas. As we walked through the dirt/sand path there was ripped clothing, teeth, bone fragments, and wads of hair coming up to the surface. Since it is rainy season pieces of the victims had begun to surface. It was a really emotional experience but one that was so important to have while here.
Our fourth stop was S21, a prison that held those who were going to be sent to the Killing Fields. It was originally a school that was taken over by the Khmer Rouge, converted into a prison and used throughout their time in power. Each classroom held 12-16 people in small cells. Each prisoner was either chained to the wall or locked in a cell under the authority of a 24 hour guard. Although tons of people passed through the prison, only four people survived the experience. There was barbed wire everywhere so people couldn’t escape or jump off from the 2nd or 3rd floor to avoid torture. There was even blood stains still on the ground in some cells from the brutal treatment they endured. Again, the prison was a horrible thing to experience but one that was really important.
We spent our evening on Monday visiting the Daughters of Cambodia shop. Daughters of Cambodia provide artisan jobs to women who have been victims of sex trafficking. We wandered the shop and bought some souvenirs with a purpose. It was raining in the evening so we had a quick swim and watched the Khmer Rouge movie produced by Angelina Jolie called “First They Killed My Father”. We would highly recommend it. It is in Khmer but has English subtitles.
On Tuesday we had a very early flight from Phnom Pehn, the capital of Cambodia, to Siem Reap, in the North West of the country. The flight was just an hour long and we had no troubles getting our bags or finding a taxi to our hotel afterward. At 2pm we were picked up for our floating villages tour. We drove 2 hours outside the city centre to Kompong Khleang. Our first few stops were at local stands along the road out to the village. Webster was brave and tried crickets and dragonflies! We also tried coconut rice cooked in bamboo and local donuts.
Our tour was run by a not for profit organization that provides free primary school to the children living in the floating village. Once we arrived to the community we noticed how low the water levels were. All the houses were raised on stilts to prepare for the wet season coming soon. The people who live in these communities do not own the land their house is situated on when the water dries up. Most of them don’t pay taxes but they’re all registered with the government. Their homes were made of drag wood, scrap metal, and any other materials they could find. No home had any doors or windows, which doesn’t help the spread of disease or reduce the effects of the extreme heat. The best part was arriving in the village and walking down the road that would be underwater. All the kids in the area came to greet us, give high fives, and walk with us. They were all so happy, so happy to have each other and a roof over their head. It was a really eye opening experience.
Then we made our way to the school to learn about the programs they provide. The Bridge of Life school provides water purifiers, food, clean water, and second hand clothing. They teach basic language and math skills, sewing and growing seminars.
After touring the school we made our way to a local boat to go out to the lake and see the most remote floating village in the area. We spent about 45 minutes on the water before reaching the community and watched the sunset as over the floating homes. It was really neat to see how these people live.
On Wednesday we woke up at 4am to watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat, the most famous temple in Siem Reap. We were picked up by Mr. Lorn in his tuk-tuk and headed out to the UNESCO site. When we arrived we walked across the pond/moat surrounding the temple and walked with the crowds in the dark. Once we reached a great vantage point we set up the camera and enjoyed the sunrise! The sky was all different colours and as it got brighter the temple became more and more visible. It was definitely worth the early wake up!
At 6am we headed into the temple to explore before the crowds arrived. We climbed all the way to the top and walked the perimeter of the beautiful temple. Some of the building had begun to deteriorate and renovation projects were keeping it intact. The temple is still in use today and monks were leading prayers within the 1000 year old walls.
We spent the rest of our afternoon with Mr. Lorn visiting four other temples. It was 34-38 degrees, and over 60% humidity all day. We can’t even begin to describe the heat. While we were in the temples it was the worst, there was no ventilation and we had to keep our knees and shoulders covered at all times.
We went to Bayon and Baphuon temples in the Angkor Thom complex.
We went to Ta Phrom, the temple featured in the movie Tomb Raider.
Our last temple of the day was to Ban Teay Kdei, which we enjoyed because it was quieter and had less tourists.
In the evening we spent some time cooling off at the hotel before heading out to the Siem Reap Night Market. Webster was really interested in buying an elephant shirt and we wanted to get a painting of Angkor Wat similar to some that we saw earlier in the day. It was really fun to wander in and out of the shops. The prices were extremely affordable and the shop owners were always willing to make a deal with you if you weren’t convinced with their first price.
Then we walked over to Pub Street which is a pedestrian area lined with bars, restaurants and shops. We had some food for less than $10 CAD.. such a great deal! After dinner Webster was a little hungry still so he tried a tarantula! A full spider, the size of my palm, deep fried on a stick! He said “it tasted earthy, but the legs weren’t too meaty”.
On Thursday we had a quiet day after a long and busy few days. We woke up early to have a nice breakfast at the hotel. Then Webster headed to Angkor Phokeethra Golf Course to play 18 holes. He hasn’t golfed in Asia yet so he was really excited to get on the course. He had a lot of fun and even had a caddy who took good care of him during the game.
I spent the day at the pool and enjoying a massage at the spa. It was another hot day so I was thankful to have the pool to cool off in every 20 minutes or so.
When Webster got back from the golf course we enjoyed a local coffee at a shop nearby.
In the evening we enjoyed dinner at the main restaurant in the hotel. They had a Khmer inspired menu which Webster was excited about. The restaurant also had local dancers and musicians for entertainment. They were so elegant and graceful telling the stories of their ancestors through dance and music. It was such a great way to learn about traditional Cambodian culture.
On Friday we had a slow morning before heading back out to the temples around lunch time. Our first stop was Takeo, a medium sized temple that has been renovated by the Chinese government. We enjoyed it because there were less people touring so it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves!
Then we headed back out to Angkor Wat to see it one more time. It was SO hot, like unbearably hot, but we managed to spend another 2 hours exploring the temple. It was absolutely amazing.
Our last temple of the day was Phnom Bakheng. We climbed up a mountain for 20 minutes to reach the temple that was literally in pieces. It was in rough shape but there were workers who had obviously been working to repair and preserve it. From the top of the mountain we had a great view of Angkor Wat in the distance. It was a great way to end our temple sightseeing!
We went back to the hotel to cool off before our dinner date. We went to Genevieve’s, a restaurant owned by an Australian teacher who moved to Cambodia to teach English. He realized many people needed good paying jobs and opened a small restaurant to combat those needs. They now have expanded and employ all local staff who are paid a fair wage. The restaurant also supports local artists by displaying their work for sale at a fair price. All the produce is grown in their garden which employs those who have disabilities and couldn’t find a job elsewhere. The restaurant had great food and was really reasonably priced!
On Saturday we had all of our laundry done at the hotel. They had a deal where you could pay one flat rate for everything you could fit in their laundry bag. We got EVERY piece of clothing we had into this overflowing, very well packed bag. Then we spent the rest of our day in the pool enjoying the day.
In the late afternoon we left for the airport with all of our stuff in tow via tuk-tuk. We got on a short plane ride to Hanoi, Vietnam! When we arrived, even though only a two hour flight away, we were surprised at the obvious differences we saw on our way to the hotel. Vietnam was much cleaner than Cambodia, there was an obvious higher standard of living and the streets were well maintained. We crawled into bed in preparation for a long day of exploring Hanoi on Sunday.
On Sunday we woke up around 9am to begin exploring. It was already 35 degrees and the heat was killing us! After breakfast we decided to brave the heat and visit some sites in Hanoi. We are returning to Hanoi in a few days for one more full day of exploring so we didn’t want to do it all but we made sure to fill our time. Our first stop was Hoàn Kiếm Lake to visit the temple of the jade mountain. We wandered around this temple on a floating island in the middle of the lake fascinated by all the history.
Then our second stop was the most fun! We walked three kilometres in 38 degree weather (+ 64% humidity) to the train street. This little hidden alleyway is home to many shops, businesses and even family houses. But eight times a day a train comes right down the middle of their road, so close to all the homes that you have to stand right up against the buildings. We spent an hour or so wandering up and down the road. The little shops had tables and chairs out on the tracks and many motorbikes were whizzing back and forth. Then about 4 minutes before the train was about to arrive everyone pulled all their things inside and we were told you stand behind the orange line indicating how close the train would actually come. It was fascinating to see it come by.
In the evening we had the opportunity to meet our tour group for the next 13 days in Vietnam. We are here for almost 2 weeks with a group of 16. We spent the evening getting dinner as a group and learning about how everyone heard about the trip.
This week we are off to Mai Chau, the Vietnamese countryside, and Ha Long Bay, a UNSECO heritage site in North Vietnam.
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