Cambodia (Part 2)

Sorry, this may take some time....

Before leaving Siem Reap we decided we should take a trip to the Land Mine Museum. Initially, we thought it was quite close to where we were staying- but our book was a bit out of date and it had actually moved nearly 2 years previous to about 25km's out of town. So, we negotiated a price with the tuk-tuk driver and headed out there. WOW! During the 1 hour journey we were both sitting there with our mouths just gaping! The sights, the scenes, the colours... just everything! It absolutely blew us away. Cambodia is such a beautiful country- especially when you get out to some of the more rural areas and see it 'raw', so to speak.

The Land Mine museum itself was rather small and quite uninformative- a few grisly pics, horrible stories and lots of UXO's lying around! But, the journey alone made up for it and we both came away feeling really, really pleased for taking the trip out.

The next day we jumped the bus to Phnom Penh with apprehension.... after the journey into Cambodia we just weren't sure how bad it would be. However, we got on the bus and it was really nice! We had a great 6 hour journey there, and again, saw some amazing scenery en route.

When we arrived in Phnom Penh, we were shocked at just how mentally busy it was- it was seriously crazy! It made Bangkok look like Nantwich Town!! Crossing any road is a serious hazard to your health- you really do just have to step out and hope that everyone is going to swerve around you- or, you'll never cross... or end up squashed!

The first night we headed down to the Quay and had a bit of an explore around the river- where it meets the Mekong. It was a brilliant area and just sitting there letting it go dark and watching the craziness of everything around you was ace! However, there were some really sad sights- lots of mothers with very disabled babies, amputees and very hungry looking children. It puts everything and anything into perspective. We've heard so many different things with regards to the begging situation out here- you shouldn't' give them money as it encourages them to not work, never give children money as it makes them not go to school, the amputees have done it to themselves on purpose as it gets more sympathy from tourists.... However, even with all these stories (and obviously some make more sense that others), once you are here and see everything it is so hard to just be cynical and turn a blind eye. It really does make you wonder what you can do to help.

Having fallen so madly in love with Cambodia (I hope I'm making that really clear!), we were not looking forward to going to the Genocide Memorial at Choeung Ek (The Killing Fields) and finding out more about the disgusting atrocities that befell the country in the 70's and 80's by the Khmer Rouge.

Again, it was a lovely ride out there- as the monument is about 14km's out of the city- but as you near and start to see the signs, it suddenly becomes a terrible reality what you are about to visit. We entered the grounds, and the silence that would normally be a welcome relief having come out of such a mad city, was really, really eerie.

We went inside the stupa (that holds thousands of skulls) to pay our respects and to try and truly feel the magnitude of the horror that occurred here.

Words cannot really say the right thing about all of this, and hopefully the pictures will speak for themselves.

Whilst the Killing Fields were a very sad place to go- we had a nice encounter while we were there. As we were walking around the area, 2 children ran up to a fence and started singing a song to us- 'one, two, three... smile!' They wanted us to take their picture- obviously once we did this we knew they would want some money, and no matter how difficult it is to try to listen to the 'apparent' right thing to do (and not give them any)- it is hard in reality. We spoke to them for a couple of minutes and their English was really good, and Trace asked where they lived. They pointed to a decrepit little hut about 1/2 mile away. Anyway, the little girl told us we could take a picture of them and 'I can look sweet.' We think she did a good job :)

Our next stop was to head to the Tuol Sleng Museum, which was a former Khmer Rouge prison (the most famous one formerly known as S-21) where the prisoners were sent before being taken out to the Killing Fields. We thought that we had already visited the most harrowing place- but we were so wrong. From out of the 30,000 prisoners that passed through the gates, only 7 lived to tell. All in all, it is estimated that up to a quarter of Cambodia's population were killed during the Khmer's rule, and it is really true that you do not see many 'old' people here.

The place itself was on the outskirts of the city and whilst wandering the grounds you could hear the noises from a nearby school and chants from a nearby monastery. It created a very surreal ambiance. We saw thousands of photos of prisoners who were brutally murdered- with no real favouritism towards male or female, young or old. Seeing face after face of the people- some of whom you could see knew their fate by looking at their scared eyes, and others who managed a smile- perhaps through not knowing or just hoping. Again, words cannot do any kind of justice to the magnitude of the events that took place in Cambodia, and I could never claim to have really understood the situation before coming here- I still don't understand why it all happened, and I doubt I ever will. I do know how it made us both feel though.



It was a very sad day, but also a day that made us realise just how special Cambodia and its people really are to have been able to come through so much and still be smiling.

The next day we wanted to try and do something positive and so went to a local orphanage with some food, pens, paper etc. for the children. It was fantastic! The orphanage is called The Lighthouse Orphanage and receives no support from the government whatsoever. It is managed by a Cambodian called Mr Lee who gave us a tour and introduced to some of the naughty little things! He told us that the children were there because maybe their parents were dead, too ill to look after them, had HIV, or simply just couldn't afford to take care of them. How kids with so little could be so happy was just unbelievable! They really were amazing!

As soon as we got there the whole classroom turned around and shouted 'Hello' to us. Then, we made friends with a few who held our hands and showed us where they slept and convinced us to wear bracelets they had made. It was brilliant and they were just so damn cute! I've always been a major cynic when it comes to the whole Brad and Angie thing- but having seen an orphanage and met some of the children, I can completely understand it! We wanted them all!

If you get time have a look at the link above, it tells you a little more about it and how to help etc. Its not advisable to send money for obvious reasons and also you're not always sure where or who it goes to. If anybody did want to donate anything you could let us know because we'll be making another visit before we leave Cambodia in a weeks time and we could buy the food, toys or toiletries etc for you. It's just a thought...

Cambodia (Part 1)

Our first impression of Cambodia was SCARY!

We'd just spent 4 hours on a barely air-conditioned bus, with seats the size of postage stamps only to be told that we had to walk (with all of our bags!) a 1km stretch between Thailand and the Cambodian border of Poipet. So, we headed through Thai customs and had our passports nicely scanned on the latest state of the art technology in a lovely new building. Then, we walked out the other side and through the gates to the 'Kingdom of Cambodia' to be met by hoards of children, beggars, carts, dirt, rubbish and the occasional scally type looking person. So, clutching onto our bags just that little bit tighter, we headed to the immigration area in order to get our visa sorted. We were met by a friendly person who told us what to do and passed us the relevant forms, which we filled in. We took them back to him and he asked for an extortionate amount of money so we could get our visa.... however, there was sign behind him telling us how much we should have to pay! We eventually brushed past him after telling him we weren't going to pay him and would only pay an official (who was seated just behind the scammer and obviously knew what was going on!!). The official eventually acknowledged us and took our payment and told us to sit in the waiting area. We did.... and we suddenly thought Cambodia may be a mistake....

It was so different to anywhere we had seen so far. The roads were mud... the children (and some adults) were barely clothed and dirty, and it was a scene that felt so mayhemic it was surreal. However, we had been told that this was the worst border crossing in Cambodia and that we shouldn't let it jade us. We tried.....

Eventually, we got our visa and headed off to try and find some transport to take us to our hotel in Siem Reap (about 130km away). There is one road between Poipet and Siem Reap and it is common knowledge that a particular airline pays the government to 'delay' construction on it, and keep it rather bad. Well, bad is an understatement! We opted for a taxi in the end (thank god) because a bus would have taken some 7-8 hours to do the journey and we could do it in apparently 3 (it turned out to be 4 though!). And, the road was seriously the worst thing we have travelled on since we arrived in... well, anywhere in all honesty! It was mud, sand, water, holes (sometimes 3-4 foot deep!) and it looked like it had been bombed constantly for about the last 100 years! How it could even be hailed as a road was a serious question! It appeared that there was no rule to driving on it, except to avoid damaging your own vehicle, and so you would be careening all over it and heading towards, trucks, people, dogs, goats, cattle even children on bikes! It really was a very scary and uncomfortable experience.

But, when you weren't busy peeling your face from the roof of the car, the views outside were pretty special. There were small shanty towns backed by amazing stretches of green, which were met by mountains in the distance. We even got to watch a storm breaking in the clouds miles away. The paddy fields were really pretty and seeing people wading in them and working, or even washing was a really different scene to what we were used to. Already, it made Malaysia and Thailand feel positively futuristic! The difference was astonishing!

Eventually, we arrived at the hotel in Siem Reap... and after travelling for 4 hours through scantily populated areas, it was a welcome relief to see street lights, shops and especially tarmac! We checked in, were served with our 'mocktails' and cold towel (did we mention it was a 5-star hotel :)), and headed up to our plush top floor suite... hehehe, we only booked it because we knew the journey may be difficult. Still, its a good job we did because the journey had taken its toll on poor little Trace and she was really, really crook! We're talking projectile stuff here! But, we thought we may both need to eat, so, I offered to head out and try and get us a takeaway from across the road. I set out, and stepped outside the hotel. Before I even crossed the road, I had been asked if I wanted a woman, drugs, a massage... and even approached by a rather 'nice' male, who asked me my name and kept smiling... oddly, and looking me up and down :( But the one thing I actually wanted, a pizza, nobody could help me with!!!!!

So, our first day in Cambodia had been mental... and we were a bit nervous about where it would go from there.

After a day chilling and letting Trace recover (we think it may have been a 24 hour bug probably caught off dirty backpackers on the bus!), we decided to head out and explore Siem Reap a little. Pleasantly surprised, the town was nothing we imagined it would be and everyone was friendly and in good spirits, which seemed a complete contrast to what may be expected with such a tragic recent history. Bartering was fun and the stall holders would joke with you and the tuk-tuk drivers were cheeky with their prices- but really harmless. And it just felt like an innocent, almost unassuming place when compared to the sometimes tourist hardened Thailand. Most of the locals have fantastic English and, again, it is their humour that really shines out. The children will be cheeky and instead of direct begging they will play games with you (for example, I got thrashed at noughts and crosses by a little boy who was selling postcards. He told me if I won he would give me some for free... but, if he did, I'd have to buy them, and if we drew, he would leave us alone). We also saw a group of landmine victims who had formed a band and played music on the street- for entertainment, rather than just expecting money from tourists. It just seems a happy place and the people seem to have a real sense of pride. Suddenly, we felt very different about Cambodia and booked an extra 3 nights in Siem Reap.

Anyway, we couldn't come to Siem Reap and not visit the temples of Angkor Wat. We were both quite excited, but having seen a few temples now, we weren't sure how much it would all hold our attention. We could not have been more wrong- words cannot describe how amazing, significant and vast it all was. Hopefully, the pictures below will give some sort of idea. We cannot recommend Angkor Wat enough to anyone (especially Bayon in Ankgor Thom and Ta Prohm- where some of Tomb Raider was filmed)!

Cambodia is definitely no longer thought of as a mistake or scary... at least not for the moment.