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| Take me to CAMBODIA beautiful plane! |
Started the day off early with a flight out of Hanoi,
Vietnam, and a short layover in Laos before landing in Siem Reap! We arrive at
the airport and after completing the relatively smooth visa process ($20 USD)
and the first thing I do while we are loading our bags into the Tuk Tuk
(motorcycle taxi) is stand in a pile of fire ants. Ouch. I pull them off my
foot and scrabble into the Tuk Tuk with a smile. How could I be upset… I’m in
CAMBODIA! We spent the first night at a nice, quiet place to relax from the
hectic streets of Vietnam before heading to our hostel the next morning.
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| Our swimming pool at Lotus Lodge |
The following day we spent shopping and exploring the city
of Siem Reap. I took full advantage of the cheap full body and foot massages
throughout town and weaved through the grid of the indoor market. Fresh
coconuts were cheap and the food selection was great. We ended the day with Mexican
food, margaritas (for Kendra and Sarah), and a delicious fresh coconut for me!
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| Goodies at the indoor market |
The next three days were packed with temple fun! Day 1:
English speaking tour guide and private Tuk Tuk for the sunrise at Ankor Wat,
and a trip around Ankor Thom, Bayon, and Ta Prohm. These temples are very
unique for being built as Hindu temples then converted to Buddhist temples. Ankor
Wat is one of the World Heritage sites and the old capitol of Cambodia until it
was moved to Phnom Penh and forgotten about/ neglected. Ankor Thom is an old
walled city with the Bayon Temple in the center. Ta Prohm was featured in Tomb
Raider (with Angelina Jolie) and is famous for the large trees growing in and
around the temple. Day 2: we rented mountain bikes and did our own little tour.
Day 3: Kendra and Sarah got a Tuk Tuk and went to the temples while I opted to
rent a mountain bike for a second day. This time I tried out some of the trails
without a map and found some villages within the Ankor Temples. You could tell
the trails hadn’t been used that day because of the amount of spider webs I drove
into. On the back trails I also saw restoration work being done on one of the
temples in Ankor Thom and came upon a few less touristy temples that I had all
to myself. Beautiful. Outside of Ankor Wat I stopped for lunch and fell in love
with Khmer Curry (coconut based). Best I’ve had in country with a side of
coconut to bring my electrolytes up (that’s my excuse anyways for having so
many coconuts)! I would recommend skipping the tour guide unless you like to be
told things that you could just as easily read in a book or print out online.
VERY highly recommend renting a mountain bike. If you’re adventurous you can
roam around by yourself with a basic map or you can sign up for a mountain bike
trip as well. $5 for the day to rent a decent mountain bike.
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| Early morning to watch this marvel appear in front of a beautiful backdrop |
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| Every minute reveals a new look |
When the sun went down we would head into Siem Reap for the
entertainment on Pub Street. We heard a great cover band at a very unique restaurant.
The Triangle Bar is shaped like a triangle and sandwiched in between two bigger
roads. I found my coconut shake
stand near the ‘funky’ food stand. This food stand had cooked grasshoppers, beetles,
snakes, crab, and spiders! The first day we tried the snake the second day we
tried the spider. Kendra was the brave one and tried the body of the spider
while Sarah and I picked at the legs. The skin of the snake reminded me of
chicken and the spider legs were… not too bad. Disgusted yet? Since I’ve had
grasshopper in Uganda the only thing I haven’t tried yet was the beetle. Maybe
someday. The look on peoples’ faces when they walked by was hilarious and some
would even ask ‘is it okay if we watch?’ some even wanted to take pictures of
some crazy girls easting some crazy things. We always offered to let them try
but they always refused with a disgusted or timid face. When the adventurous
eating was finished we would pop across the street to the magic ice cream stand
with ice cream ‘cones’ shaped like snorkels/ candy canes! The ice cream was delicious
and the novelty of the idea made it fun to eat as well!
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| Today... I am a tourist. |
Cambodia was fighting. The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, took
over and was in power for 3 ½ years between 1975 - 1979. Within 48 hours
everything was closed and everyone was forced to leave. Cities were completely
abandoned and Cambodians were forced into labor, 12+ hours day and night. Pol
Pot called this year 0. 3 years 8 months and 28 days of hell in Cambodia began.
All educated individuals were thought to be potential enemies. If you were
educated, wore glasses, had soft hands (meaning you didn’t labor), or anything
else leading to the idea that you may be a potential threat you were in
trouble. They were either arrested, tortured, made to confess their ‘crimes’,
killed, or all of the above. Monks, foreigners, other distinguished
individuals, even military leaders in the Khmer Rouge were not exempt from
these cruelties. One of the main prisons
in Phnom Penh was converted from a high school and now remains as a museum
covered with faces of the past. Everyone who entered the prison was
photographed and those photos now hang in the museum. A chilling experience. Pol
Pot had complete power.
3,000,000 out of the total population of 8,000,000 in
Cambodia at the time were murdered. There were over 300 killing fields throughout
Cambodia at the time. Choeung Ek was the largest. After being held in prison or
laboring in the fields groups would be blindfolded, handcuffed, put in a truck,
and told they were getting re-located or even promised a house. They were being
brought to the killing fields. Some pits were discovered with over 400 bodies.
One grave in particular was discovered with over 200+ headless Khmer soldiers.
Khmer soldiers were usually recruited teenagers who joined in fear. Do or die.
Every few months during the rainy season bone fragments and
clothing are still washed up from the earth. A stupa was erected with 12 levels
containing over 9,900+ skulls and other remains as a monument for the souls
lost in the genocide. Trials for the genocide finally began in 2007 and most of
the individuals responsible got to live a comfortable life even with all of the
pain they put their fellow Cambodians through. Pol Pot lived to the age of 73
while some of his youngest victims never had a chance to live past the age of
5.
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| Memorial stupa at the Choeung Ek Killing Fields |
The Cambodian genocide was said the set back the country
SIXTY YEARS! I could only imagine what Cambodia would look like now if the past
could be erased.
I really enjoyed my time in Cambodia. It was fun and
educational. The people are friendly, food is delicious, country side is
beautiful… Siem Reap reminded me of a more lively Pokhara and I would like to experience
both of them during the tourist season to see how booming they really are! One
week was not enough time but at least I got a small taste and now I want more.
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| Look where I'm at! |
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| Ta Prohm AKA Tomb Raider Temple |
So much history packed in this adventure!!
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