more Cambodia

I've got a long layover in Bangkok airport on my way to Hong Kong so I thought I'd post a bit.
I was interesting talking to the Cambodian people that I met: my guide, driver, someone at an internet place, even a monk at a local temple in town. They want to learn and practice English. I got the impression of pride in their country and they encouraged me to see more of it.
Something on everyones mind is the border dispute with Thailand. This is very important to them. Cambodians really feel like the underdog, and its easy to sympathize.
They are aware of the horrors of the past, but they did not dwell on it. They spoke of it matter-of-factly, but seemed more interested in moving on.
This biggest problem is corruption. I met a young American guy who is a teacher with an NGO, helping poor school kids. He told me that the Cambodian teachers make so little money that they require bribes from students to learn the full curriculum, so if you are poor you don't get an education. That's one example. Hopefully the NGOs work will result in better lives for the next generation.

more Angkor ruins

Tonight is my last in Cambodia. Tomorrow I travel to Hong Kong via a connecting flight in Bangkok.

Yesterday I hired a driver to see more of the ruins in the outlying areas. First thing in the morning, we drove 50 km in the Tuk-Tuk ( a 2-wheeled cart pulled by a motorcycle). This was great for seeing the countryside and the people outside the city. The road was mostly good, but it was muddy in some stretches and at one point I jumped out of the Tuk-Tuk and started pushing.



It was another hot day. So far it was very, very hot and humid during the day, with a thundershower in the early evening.

We drove to the start of a trail. I hiked 1.5 km up to a stream in which the riverbed is carved in Hindu symbols. The carvings cover about 100m to 200m of the stream. It was good to do this first thing in the morning, as by the time I was hiking down I was getting really overheated. The ride on the Tuk-Tuk was nice afterward, with the breeze. The next stop was a temple about 35km north of Angkor Wat, which is made of pink stone and very intricately carved. Afterward we drove back to the main Angkor temple area, where I saw 3 more small temples.

On the way back I stopped at the Cambodia Landmine Museum, which is sponsored by a Canadian organization. There are displays on the founder of the museum, a Cambodian who used to be a soldier but has since destroyed over 50000 landmines. There are also displays on the war in Cambodia, landmines, and the landmine treaty, all in several languages.

The last stop for the day was a hill near Angkor Wat which gives great views. It's about a 20 min. walk up. And many, many tourists do this in hopes of seeing Angkor Wat at sunset. There are heavy clouds, so there is no real sunset. In fact, expecting another thundershower, I hurry down and get back to the Tuk-Tuk just in time.


Today when I woke up it was pouring rain. I'm glad I saw the temples that I did in two full days, even though that was tiring. By afternoon it clears up and I rent a bicycle to ride around town and even make it back to Angkor Wat again. I don't cycle long, as it is threatening rain again.

I like Cambodia, and I'd like to see more of it, not just this really touristy part. The Cambodians seem reserved at first but when you stop to really talk to them they are very friendly.

Angkor Wat

Today was my first day touring the ruins. I hired a guide and driver. Once we got started, however, a group of Australians noticed me and asked if they could split the cost of the guide. They were really nice and it was great to have people in a group with the guide.
The sheer size of the complex is mind boggling. The scale of the grounds of just one temple is measured in kilometers. It would take a long time in the heat to walk from one to the other. Even walking around the inside of one was very tiring.
We started with Angkor Thom, which is actually a large walled area containing many temples and other structures. We then drove to Ta Phrom, a temple that has not been cleared of vegetation so it has trees growing out of it. It was made famous when the movie "Tomb Raider" was filmed here. After lunch we go to Angkor Wat, a large temple surrounded by a moat, containing the distinctive 5 towers.
That was a full day. In the evening I went to the "culture show" of traditional Cambodian dancing.

Cambodia

I spent yesterday walking around the relatively small town of Siem Reap, the closest town to the Angkor ruins. This was probably a very, very small place a few years ago, but is developing rapidly with the influx of tourists, with new hotels being built all the time. On the surface, it seems so touristy as to be removed from the Cambodia I've read about: the brutal Pol Pot regime of the 70's and the legacy of landmines. However, even in one day I saw several people missing limbs or blind from landmines - some begging, some selling things. It's very real.
I went to a place mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide for a massage given by the blind. I eventually find it, down an alley opening into a barren, dirty cement yard. A young guy who is blind is there, and asks if I want a massage, and even though I don't know what to make of the place, I say ok. He takes me to a building in the back with massage beds. They are clean and ok. Another blind guy comes in and does a great job of a massage - the cost is $5. When he says ''finished'' I get up and ask where I pay. He says "outside", not expecting anything. I put a dollar into his unassuming hand at his side saying "for you" and his face beams with gratitude. Outside a blind man holding a baby says I pay him. I put the money into his hand - he is completely trusting. As I leave I notice a low wooden platform with pots and a woman sitting and cooking - she is also blind. I walk back down the alley and children playing run up to hold my hand. It is this blind community living in this alley, raising kids and making a living from massage. The obvious struggle, vulnerability and yet openness of their life was very moving.