See You in Sihanoukville

From [09.01.23] Sihanoukville

Time to hit the beach! In Cambodia, that means Sihanoukville. Taking its name from Cambodia’s liberator and beloved on-again-off-again king, Sihanoukville is a small stretch of coastline that remained unpopulated until the late 1950s. When Indochina (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) was split up, control of the Mekong Delta and its lucrative and strategic routes to the sea fell to Vietnam. The Cambodia government turned to Sihanoukville to carve out a new port, instantly turning the area into a center of commerce and, eventually, seaside frolicking.

Currently, the town is Cambodia’s answer to the indulgent beaches of Thailand … or rather, is trying to be so. The tourist infrastructure still has a bit of a ways to go and there’s plenty of construction to echo this sentiment. Nevertheless, the beaches have a much more small town feel, and definitely warrants spending a couple of nights there.

The only problem is that we showed up on a weekend, and the first one of the lunar new year holiday at that. While Cambodia celebrates this festival less than Vietnam and China, it’s still a big deal, and many expats and wealthy Khmers take advantage of the long weekend to jet down to the beach. Therefore, all the hotels were either booked or jacked up their rates. We spent the first night at the lovely Sea View Villas but had to switch the next two nights to Cloud 9, a good second choice but more expensive and without a/c (which is rather necessary given the heat and humidity).

Sihanoukville sports about 5 beaches, 4 of which are completely open to the public (the fifth is owned by a fancypants hotel). We spent the first day and night being rather lowkey as Sean wasn’t feeling too hot, but the next day we rented a moto to jet around the coast. Our favorite beach by far was Otres beach. Set farther east than the other beaches and devoid of the bustle associated with hotels and backpacker’s joints, Otres beach oozes chill. Sean even tried his hand — and his balance — at windsurfing. All that windsurfing — well, for me, sunbathing and reading — worked up an appetite, and we “splurged” on the $3 giant beachside BBQs, complete with $0.75 beers. I tried barracuda, and I’m happy to report that it doesn’t bite back.

The following day, we hopped on an all day boat tour of the neighboring islands. While the snorkeling wasn’t very good, the islands themselves provided a pristine backdrop against which to catch some rays. While all of the islands have been sold for development, the cranes and concrete has not yet come, and the lush green stillness beckons. Needing a break from Cambodian cuisine, we popped into Happy Herb pizza. Yes and no to what you are thinking. Apparently, “back in the day,” diners could choose to indulge in a certain “happy” pizza topping. These days, the government is cracking down such shady offerings. We stuck to the sun-dried tomato and pepperoni varieties, and just eating cheese made us happy enough.

[09.01.23] Sihanoukville

Riverside Drive: Kampot and Kep

From [09.01.22] Kampot & Kep

Kampot, the capital of Kampot province along Cambodia’s southeastern coast, is a sleepy riverside town comprised of colonial architecture elegant in its crumbling condition. Wandering the tree-shaded streets of this small town, we were struck by the quiet, the friendly passing smiles. There were no beggars here, no children hawking postcards, no touts. Fewer foreigners stop at Kampot than its flashier neighbor, beach town Sihanoukville, and therefore a relaxing air of calm permeates.

We ate breakfast at the Epic Arts Café. The organization encourages artistic expression in deaf and disabled people in order to boost self-esteem. It also seeks to help disabled people fully integrate into society. All of the workers at the café are either deaf or have some other sort of disability; the restaurant also serves as a place for Kampot’s disabled to hang out. We dined with a very sweet Kampot resident with Down ’s syndrome who had a ball snapping pictures with my digital camera.
After breakfast, we decided to do as the locals do and get on a motorbike to explore the town and beyond. Motos are the primary means of transport for most Cambodians. Smaller than real motorcycles, the motos are nevertheless powerful enough for minor distance travel (although you butt won’t thank you). We used the bike to explore the farms around the town, travel out to a chill-out spot called Bodhi Villa and run around the town.

The best part of our day was our ride out to Kep. During the French colonial rule, Kep was the place to summer for the hoi polloi. Elegant mansions lined hills away from the coast. After the French departed, the Khmers took over, making this their own little gold coast. However, when the Khmer Rouge came to power and swept into the area, they destroyed everything in sight, leaving a creepy ghost town haunted by the echoes of former glory. Today, the overgrown, broken down shells of the mansions are beautiful in their despair.

But blight aside, the best part of Kep is the crabs. As we pulled up, krahma-clad women were pulling from the sea giant traps teeming with bright blue crabs. Other women were throwing these crabs into giant vats right on the beach. We opted for a small restaurant where we ordered pepper crab. Kampot is famous for its amazing pepper, and coupled with Kep’s crabs, it’s dynamite. I don’t usually like crab, but the spicy, sweet, super-fresh crab was the most amazing thing I have eaten yet on this trip.

The local children shouted helloes and waved to us all the way back to Kampot, and we took in the sunset over the river.

[09.01.22] Kampot & Kep

Cow Tipping, Inadvertently

From [09.01.20] Siem Reap Le Meridien Pool and Kampot Bus Ride

We thought that by buying bus tickets straight through to Kampot, a small riverside town on the southern coast, we’d avoid the longer bus ride all the way to Sihanoukville. We thought there would be less hassle. We thought wrong.

The first snag came when our bus hit a cow. Yes, we hit a cow. The driver refused to swerve or slow and instead entered into a game of chicken in which we both lost. Luckily, the cow stumbled to its feet and ran away. The irresponsibility of the bus driver astounds and angers me, as that cow is worth so much to a rural family, and if the cow is lame, that investment evaporates.

The bus suffered only a few cracks to its fender. Nevertheless, we stopped for nearly an hour while a crew of people dismantled the front of the bus and tried to glue the cracks back together. The bus driver will probably get in a world of trouble for damaging the bus. I really don’t have much sympathy as the accident could have been avoided (the cow was sitting in the road the entire time, so it’s not like it came out of nowhere).

Back on the road, we finally made it to Phnom Penh and onto another bus that expected would be bound straight for Kampot, a two-hour drive from the capital. What our ticket purveyor failed to mention was that this was the long bus that drove all the way through Kep, a seaside town, on the way to Kampot, brining the trip up to nearly six hours! The bus was old and dirty, with broken seats and curtains creaking as the bus bounced along. We hadn’t eaten all day and the bus made innumerable stops for odd errands initiated by the staff. We didn’t pull into Kampot until a full 12 hours later, cranky and miserable. I will never complain about the bus ride to Boston again.

Angkor Wat A Sight to Behold: Angkor Wat, Ankor Thom, Ta Promh, Preah Khan and Preah Neak Prean

From [09.01.19] Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Baray, Preah Khan and Preah Neak Prean

Having whet our appetite for ancient temples the previous day, we geared up for an early rise – 4:30AM – in order to take in the sunrise over Angkor Wat. Shivering as our tuk tuk zoomed the deserted Siem Reap streets in the dark, we arrived at Angkor well before daylight’s appearance, following the bobbing flickers set forth from other tourists’ flashlights. Luckily, a ¾ moon cast a decent glow over the grounds and we didn’t lose our footing despite the lack of light.

As the sky’s shade of blue gradually became lighter, the towers of Angkor Wat – the granddaddy of all the Angkorian temples – came into view. Despite hordes of people, the effect was quite peaceful. Most of the Angkorian temples were built by a single king, Jayavaraman VII, including Angkor Wat. The temple, including a giant moat, a huge avenue-esque platform approaching it and the main structures of the temple itself, is considered by many the largest religious structure in the world. Around the temple are a series of bas-reliefs telling of Hindu stories. We spent 3 hours exploring the temple and were happy most of the crowds were kept at bay during the early hours.

Next up was the massive area of Angkor Thom. Rather than a single temple like Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom was the site of a city, and includes temples, an area for mass audiences, the king’s palace and even a place where circuses were held. I had been dying to do an elephant ride, and this was the place to do it – though it coast a whopping $15 per person, more than we had spent on any hotel stay. The elephant rode us from the gates of Angkor Thom to the Bayon, the most famous temple in the area. Jayavaraman built the Bayon as a cheekily self-referential temple. All around the temple, larges faces cast their gaze upon you, each beguiling smile just a little bit different from the next. Although these faces were supposed to represent a god, they (surprise, surprise) look much like Jayavaraman himself. The asymmetry produces by stones shifting over the ages produces a wonderful effect. Before lunch, we also took in Ta Promh, which is similar to Beng Melea in that it is overgrown by the jungle but is much less spectacular in its wild abandon.

After a quick Khmer lunch, we checked out two more temples – Preah Khan and Preah Neak Prean – but quickly tired. It was at this point that I realized that in the last eight months, I have visited a record number of the world’s most important ruins in Athens, Rome, Ephesus, Jerusalem, Galilee and now Angkor. I am effectively RUINED.

And so was Sean. So, we decided to scrap the third day of our three-day temple pass and instead pay $10 for a day poolside at the Le Meridien, including free access to their steam room and sauna. That’s one thing of which I’ll never tire.

[09.01.19] Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Baray, Preah Khan and Preah Neak Prean

[09.01.20] Siem Reap Le Meridien Pool and Kampot Bus Ride

Seeing Siem Reap: Beng Melea, Banteay Srei and Kbal Spean

From [09.01.18] Siem Reap, Beng Melea, Kabl Spean & Banteay Srei

After our rather sobering morning at the Killing Fields and S21, we boarded a nice minibus — named van of the year in 2007! — to Siem Reap. Siem Reap — meaning “Siam Defeated” — has become the boomtown of Angkor fever, as all of the major Angkor temples are within easy reach. Yes, All the temples of Angkor. Angkor isn’t just Angkor Wat.

In fact, it’s so many more awesome temples than Angkor Wat that we didn’t even begin with that big bad boy of religiosity. Instead, we opted to explore some of the temples further afield: Banteay Srei, Kbal Spean and Beng Melea.

We slept in and hired a car for our journey. It turned out to be a minivan, and we couldn’t help feeling a built guilty for using all that gas and room on just the two of us. But our driver was very friendly and pointed out a number of interesting points along the way. He also explained that his family lived far from Siem Reap and sometimes he stayed overnight in the city when he was out late with fares. Such is the way of life for many Cambodians.

We started at Banteay Srei, and intricatedly carved pink-tinged temple dedicated to women, and even rumored to have been crafted by a woman’s hand. Next up was the river carvings int he jungle of Kbal Spean. And then came the pinnacle of our journey: Beng Melea. Two hours away from Siem Reap, the temples sees few visitors — due also tot eh cost to get out there — and we were able to explore the surroundings in relative exclusivity. Our tour guide was a member of the Aspara Authority, the organization in charge of preserving the temples. His knowledge was indispensable as he led us into darked corners and over tumbled rocks, each with a different story. Once again, the Khmer Rouge reared its ugly head as we were told of how they destroyed this temple, jumbling her structure and removing the faces of statues.

Speaking of the KR, we witnessed our first confirmed glimpse of the destruction of a landmine. The US, the Vietnamese and the Khmer Rouge all decided that laying landmines was a good way to stop opposition, without the foresight that landmines leave a legacy of war well into peacetime. Much of Cambodia is still littered with mines, and a jaw-dropping 1 in 240 people in Cambodia are amputees, thanks in large part to these vicious weapons that are not meant to kill but only to maim. You still can’t stray off marked paths in the country without worrying about mines, which sometimes don’t even reveal themselves until wet season. Our guide showed us the crater of a mine that blew off a man’s legs and told us how to spot a mine (though, no worries, we don’t go anywhere unmarked). The number of maimed beggars in Cambodia is staggering, and it’s so sad this is still such a reality ten years after war ended.

We ended the day with a nice dinner at the Khmer Kitchen, reflecting on all we had just seen.

[09.01.18] Siem Reap, Beng Melea, Kabl Spean & Banteay Srei

Somber Phnom: The Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Prison

From [09.01.17] Phnom Penh Day 2

I know; it’s not pleasant. But far from pleasant — and much more in the realm of horrendous — was the regime of Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodian’s Maoist zealot.

A brief history: Cambodia was first populated by the Indians. As time progressed, the Angkor peoples rose to power, eventually creating the awe-inspiring temples upon which our feet tread over the past few days. But power struggles with the Thais and the Vietnamese squeezed the Khmer empire, and eventually, in the early 1900s, it fell to the French, a culture gluttonously devouring SE Asia as if it were its just-desserts. When King Sihanouk — a young king — came to power in the 1950s, the game changed and colonialism was O.U.T. OUT! Sihanouk resigned the throne to be the people’s leader. However, when the rightists got pissed off, they pushed into power. Around this time, the educated, French-school failure Pol Pot (name assumed) spearheaded the Khmer Rouge, which wages war against the current regime. During this time, with the Vietnamese war raging and Vietnamese seeking shelter — illegally — in Cambodia — the US covertly started a bombing campaign against the country, pushing the warfront into the otherwise self-contained country. When the covert operation finally came into the public sphere, the nation was outraged and called for an end to the violence. The day before operations were to cease, Nixon OKed a final bombing before pulling out, devastating the country. Whatever your politics, many, many innocent people lost their lives and livelihoods because of this shadiness of the US.

When the US pulled out — including evacuating all the US embassy staff and most US citizens — the country fell to the Khmer Rouge, which at first promised peace and prosperity. Instead, within days of the Khmer Rouge taking over the capital, the entire population was rounded up, divided into two classes — the rural, or “acceptable” people, and the city, or “bad” people — and marched into the countryside. The regime declared it “Year Zero” and pledged to destroy all culture that came before. People were systematically thrown into prisons because they spoke other languages or had a skill, like medicine or teaching. These people were then driven to “killing fields” where they were murdered. Because the regime was short on ammunition, they used hoes, shovels and bricks instead of bullets to brutalize and kill victims. The majority of people taking part in these killings were young people, torn from their families and told they had no families except the Khmer Rouge.

Our pictures document our tours of the Killing Fields monument and the prison called S21, a former high school — as you can see by the blackboard — where brutal pictures document all the people tortured and killed. Few foreigners understand that the civil war continued well beyond the fall of Pol Pot, until 1008. However, every single people our age or older that we have met has a story about the Khmer Rouge. To see the kindness and the generosity of the Cambodian people now and to hear their stories of the terror they endured because of something so beyond their immediate control is amazing, heartbreaking and forever moving.

All these people want is to be heard. The country is still figuring out how to deal with and prosecute the Khmer Rouge; Pol Pot died in exile in Thailand before he could be tried. They are so happy to speak with foreigners, to tell their story and to see the world that they may not yet be able to afford to see. Every day, it gets easier to come here and is so much safer than years ago. Please consider it.

[09.01.17] Phnom Penh Day 2

Phnom Penh Pal

From [09.01.16] Phnomn Penh Day 1

Three days to pack, get two apps out on Sean’s part, and close up shop in Beijing. *POOF* We’re in warm weather heaven, also known as Cambodia. On the plane ride out, we met a very nice guy named Michael who teaches English at our school. Gotta love those happy coincidences.

We arrived in Phnom Penh to a bustling city which vaguely reminded me of my first visit to Hanoi, except much smaller. But, oh my god, do I LOVE that SE Asia cooking. Lemon grass, ginger, jasmine, lime … the taste buds were invented precisely to savor these tastes. The first night, we indulged in a new flavor of the Cambodia eggplant before turning in.

The next day, we wandered the city, including to the crown jewels of Phnom Penh’s tourist scene: the silver pagoda and the royal palace. The religious side is much more conservative here; I was turned away for using a shawl to drape my shoulders. You need an actual shirt to cover you. Luckily, I had my sweater with me and we could indulge in the opulence of Cambodian art and culture. We capped the day with a meal in true Cambodian style: peppered beef and sugared fish. Divine.

[09.01.16] Phnomn Penh Day 1