Same, same … but different!

March 18, 2007

Cambodia, although it is just next door to Vietnam, felt much different. The country is definitely poorer and has few resources. The people are different too – shorter, browner and a bit stockier. While Vietnam seems very much in the Chinese sphere of influence, Cambodia has historically come under the influence of Indian culture and religion. We found the country much poorer and people we observed seemed to be living very basic lives.

We arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia after a 90-minute flight from Hanoi. Exiting the plane, we were met by a wall of humidity, but the airport, itself, was very modern and air-conditioned. We had to go through passport control and show our visas and also customs, but were soon out and changing money again – this time it was 4000 riels to US dollar. Again we changed 500 RMB but really shouldn’t have bothered. We had plenty of US dollars and that seemed to be the preferred currency. We took a taxi to town and our driver, Boron, offered to drive us around for $25 a day. This seemed such a good deal we didn’t even bargain. He asked where we were going next and when he found out we were going to Pnomh Penh he offered to drive us for $100. Since we had no reservations for this part of the trip and wanted to see some of the countryside, we agreed on a price of $80. Siem Reap is all set up for tourism; modern hotels line the road from the airport, most seem less than 10 years old. The big attraction is the Angkor temples. Our hotel, the Angkor Holiday, was 3 star but very nice – modern, clean, nicely furnished, good breakfast and in the city surrounded by tourist services – restaurants, convenience stores, massage parlours and Internet cafes.

Our driver, Boron, arrived to pick us up in his air-conditioned Camry at 9:00. In the daylight, we could tell that Cambodia was a poor country – dusty roads, cracked pavement, half-clothed kids and pigs rooting in the garbage. I recommend the driver approach to anyone coming to Angkor to see the temples. Boron knew the area and advised us what to see, where to go and how long it would take. After an hour or three climbing around the temples, it was nice too see Boron waiting for us with the air-conditioned car. It felt a bit decadent, but was well worth it! It was mid-30’s the whole time we were there and I would recommend an early morning start and a long lunch to beat the heat. We went hard the first day and visited Angkor Thom – Bayon, Baphuon, the Royal Palace, the Terrace of the Leper King and Terrace of the Elephants. There was lots to see and it was all spectacular. I was most impressed by the scale and the detail of the carvings. The temples are all different but similar in materials, construction and style. They are generally made of sandstone fitted together without mortar. The stones have shifted over time – some are over 1000 years old – and the most are undergoing some degree of conservation or repair usually sponsored by some foreign country – India, China, Japan, the US. It is hard to describe all the temples and I will let the pictures speak for themselves. That evening Boron picked us up at the hotel and we went to dinner and a floor show of Aspara dancing at the Jasmine Angkor restaurant.

The second day we learned that an early start was best and Boron picked us up at 7:30 AM. We had reserved this day for Angkor Wat, which is the crown jewel of the Angkor temples. Angkor Wat is absolutely huge and completely surrounded by a 200 meter moat. Once you cross the moat there is a gatehouse and then about a kilometer long causeway to the main temple which is built on three levels. The climb to the last level is very steep – almost like a rock climbing wall. Brenda didn’t come up to the top and I spent about 30 minutes poking around up there before I decided to come down. Only one of the 4 staircases had a stair rail, which is a modern addition. We visited one more temple, Preah Khan before we left for a late lunch in Siem Reap. Preah Khan was beautiful and huge but unrestored. This is where you see the pictures of trees growing on top of the ancient walls.

By this time Brenda was not feeling well and so she laid low while I went out to take sunset pictures at Phnom Bakheng. This temple is at the top of a small mountain; it was about a 20 minute hike. Once I arrived at the top, the temple proved to be quite small and very crowded. People were swarming all over the temple hoping for the perfect sunset picture. It seemed quite dangerous as several of the towers seemed to have loose stones and the wear and tear on the temple was severe. Undaunted, I climbed to the top and got my shots. Actually, it was a disappointing sunset and I left before dark hoping to avoid scrambling down the mountain without light. As it was, I had difficulty connecting with Boron but eventually found him and got back to the hotel.

By this time we were all templed out and decided to have a lazy morning and meet Boron at 10 AM for the drive to Phnom Penh. I thought it was an interesting drive, but Brenda spent it sleeping in the back seat. Most of the trip was near a huge seasonal lake called Tonle Sap. Because it was the dry season, we didn’t see much of the lake; but many of the houses were on stilts to avoid the high water. The area under the houses is used as living space and a corral for animals. Also most houses had a large hole in the front yard. Boron told us that the hole was for a fishpond when the water comes up. As the water recedes the fish are trapped in the hole and the family has their own little fishpond for a while. But overall we were struck by how poor people seemed – houses were small and lightly built, naked children were crawling around and the houses seemed to be shared with the livestock. In fact, when we stopped for lunch, we shared space in the restaurant with a chicken.

We arrived safely in the Phnom Penh about 3:30 and said goodbye to Boron. I was not impressed with Phnom Penh, but my opinion may be related to my turn being sick that evening and night! Feeling much lighter the next morning, I managed to rally to see the National Museum, the Royal Palace, ride in a tuk-tuk and enjoy a dinner in a nice restaurant along the river. However, overall we found Phnom Penh crowded, dirty and with a strong smell of exhaust fumes. Anyway the following day we flew to Beijing; the Phnom Penh airport was very modern but strangely infested with mosquitos! Back in Beijing on Monday evening, we spent a day or two recovering our strength. We now believe that our symptoms were caused by the malaria medication we were taking. The rest of our holiday was spent planning and preparing for the new term. What dedicated teachers we are!