More traveling
I haven’t had the opportunity to write much because I have met such wonderful people these past few weeks. Picking up after Kuala Lumpur and the glorious Perhenthian Islands, Cambodia was an adventure of extremes. After KL - and my not so wonderful experiences - my stomach and my attitude picked up when I landed in Siem Reap. Well of course, we can’t skip the drama at the KL airport. Whoops! I may have underestimated how long it takes to get through customs. Needless to say they were announcing my name and final boarding before I had even cleared customs. I panicked, and thankfully the guards let me through quickly. Pfewf. I was still on high alert when we landed in Siem Reap because the flight attendants were not sure if I needed a visa before my arrival (I thought I didn’t but I wasn’t sure). Thankfully again, I was able to get a quick visa with the rest of the flight at the airport - aka the “guards” passed my passport down from person to person for the cost of $20.
Now, able to relax a bit, I walked outside of the airport expecting chaos and vendors to a casual atmosphere and my tuk-tuk driver with a sign that had my name. Sophara, was a lovely driver. We waited a bit for the other passenger, who ended up taking a taxi, and then we headed to the Siem Reap Hostel. He became my driver for my time in Siem Reap, which was very helpful and easy for me since all I had to do was sit and admire the splendid sites. After I quickly dropped my bags off, I headed back with Sophara to go to some of the Ankgor Wat sites.
To say I didn’t know what to expect is an understatement. I heard of the beauty. I heard of the begging, but I just wasn’t sure what I was going to encounter. The beauty can’t be captured in film nor can it be described. It must be felt. I think everything that is Cambodia adds to the beauty of Angkor Wat. Cambodia is a country so destitute and starved for justice with ruins of cities and temples that are magnificent even in the ruins. The temples give you chills. I mean, I am a huge dork - who likes to imagine what it was like for people back in the day, but I couldn’t even begin to imagine how splendid they must have been.
Sadly, the begging also cannot be described. I will be honest, I didn’t know much about Cambodian history before I arrived. I didn’t know about the crimes of Cambodia’s past and present. And now, I don’t think I will be able to forget what I saw and learned. At every temple, every restaurant, every store, you are reminded. There is poor and poorer in Cambodia. I guess the worst part for me was that I felt helpless. I was told not buy things from or give money to people who approached you on the road/at restaurants/or at the temples, but it was hard to just turn a blind eye. Here I was strolling around the ruins with my Lonely Planet, IPOD, and digital camera, while I had children (CHILDREN) barefoot chasing around me trying to sell a book or bracelet. Nonetheless, I am still speechless.
Luckily, I found great friends in my hostel rather quickly who showed me how to enjoy Cambodia. We had a wonderful time enjoying the city that is Siem Reap - probably one of my favorite places so far in my travels. One friend had to leave quickly but another traveled with my to Phnom Penh. What a blessing. Honestly, I think I would not have enjoyed traveling by myself in Cambodia. After a wonderful and eye opening few days in Siem Reap- two of which were SUPPOSED to start with sunrise at Angkor Wat (that I slept through TWO days in a row) and of which ended at the bar Angkor What?, I was on my way to the capital.
The bus ride was interesting. I guess “interesting” is what you get with a 5$ ticket. Joanne and I boarded as the ONLY foreigners on what seemed like a local bus. She had a chicken (live) in a bag in the row next to her, whillst I had some military people near me. Even with the incessant honking, smells, and terrible kung-fu movie playing, we slept most of the journey. Arriving in Phnom Penh, we were accosted by drivers before we even got off the bus. We went to the hostel I had booked, which was a DUMP. Joanne left in hopes of finding something better, while I tried to see it through. Gross. I quickly showered and changed - although it seems fruitless in this heat to shower at all. Walking through the streets of Phnom Penh felt a LOT less safe than Siem Reap. Actually, there were some terrifying moments.
Thankfully, I decided to take a break and get some food at one of the NGO restaurants run to help get children off of the streets (a MASSIVE issue here). What a delicious place! What a wonderful idea. At Friends, I met a lovely Tazmanian couple about to do a walkabout in Europe. All throughout the torrential (sometimes sideways) monsoon downpour we talked about our travels and lives. When the water became so deep that it threatened to enter the restaurant, we took leave and waded up to our knees to find a tuk-tuk. It was GROSS walking through it, but what an experience it was! They offered to share a tuk-tuk with me and wished me well on my journeys- an honestly wonderful respite from a not so great day.
Arriving back at my hostel after another not so fun adventure, I met Joanne and the flood in my room. Needless to say, I checked out quickly, and we went for dinner. On our way back to her hostel, we were approached in our tuk-tuk by another man driving one, who even scared our driver… if that tells you anything. Safely inside an aircon room that we shared, I felt much better about the trip. Even the river rats outside (as big as cats) didn’t bother me too much - who am I kidding with that one. They freaked me out! We made a plan for the next day to see as much of Phnom Penh as possible since neither of us wanted to stay longer than a day.
What I said before about the begging and sadness cannot even begin to describe what I experienced in Phnom Penh. We went to the palace (but couldn’t get in because of the dress code) and then to the markets. After a rather peaceful morning, we headed to S-21 and the Killing Fields. I can only describe the unending sickness I felt at both places. I don’t even think I can begin to understand how Cambodians must feel. I don’t even want to describe what I saw because it still makes me nauseous. These places are feelings and memories I will carry with me always in the hopes that I can learn and influence others to never commit crimes like these again.
After the seriously depressing and sickening tours, we wanted to do something good. We headed back to Friends for lunch and to focus on positive things happening in the community. Friends, is a NGO, that not only supports thousands of street children through housing, counseling, meals, and drug rehabilitation, but they also train them in select trades like cooking, waiting, and beautician training. For the many orphaned children throughout Phnom Penh, organizations like this are a great safe haven to escape the all too predominant and disturbing alternative paths. After lunch, we visited the store where we had some students give us manicures. Even though it was only a small contribution to the greater good, I felt slightly better.
Leaving Phnom Penh the next day was much easier than leaving Siem Reap. I made plans to hopefully see Joanne in Vietnam, and I was looking forward to spending time in Hoi An with my friends from Korea. Also, I met some great new friends on the bus to Saigon, who helped assuage my fears for this upcoming city. Side note, I had only heard stories of the crime and petty theft throughout Saigon, which made me VERY nervous. Thankfully these girls were also aware and were super friendly. We hung out together in Saigon, which made the city much more enjoyable. Of course, I booked my hostel in advance since I was a bit nervous, and again, it was a serious dump. Besides the fact that I had to walk through a seedy alley, the owner wanted me to share a double bed with a stranger in a dorm room. No thank you! I quickly checked into a cheap hotel and met my new friends for dinner and drinks.
The next day, we went to the Cu Chi tunnels. I had heard about these tunnels in the war and seen Hollywood depictions in various movies, but going there was completely different. The entire camp was focused on the heroism of the Vietnamese- especially the “US Army Killer” heroes. Granted, I had only heard our side of the war, but it was still not easy to hear some of the comments in the documentary we watched. After the film, we walked around and had a chance to go into the tunnels (the bigger ones for the tourists) that the Vietnamese lived in for 20 years. TWENTY YEARS! Another unfathomable fact learned on this trip.
The tour was pretty interesting, and after we finished, I wanted to see the Reunification Palace and the War Remembrance Museum, so I said goodbye to my new friends. Journeying by foot – on some pretty crowded streets, I found the palace before the rainstorms. Since I was short on time, I headed to the museum after a quick tour. Yet another experience I was not prepared for nor will I be able to forget. Seriously, before coming to Cambodia and Vietnam I was pretty clueless about what happened over here (and is still happening). I mean I learned the basics in History class, but as they always say “history is written in the perspective of the winner,” which really in the Vietnam War isn’t the US. However, I guess you could say, we learned in school about the war from our perspective.
First, let me mention that outside the museum throughout HCMC, I saw a LOT of people who seemed to be affected by Agent Orange. I don’t want to even mention what I saw because it makes me ill, but I would say it was abnormal. Inside the museum, I was bombarded with horrendous pictures from the war, in addition to other artifacts and stories. Also, there was a band composed of members who were affected by Agent Orange. All of these sites made me nauseous once again, but they also made me really upset that we could have been a part of something so atrocious and damaging – still with no retributions or support paid to the victims.
While I am really thankful I was able to see these things both in Cambodia and Vietnam, I am also changed from it. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but it’s disturbing me to know there are innocent children and families, who I see when I walk around, affected still and probably for many generations to come. It’s more upsetting because it really makes me think, what ELSE do I not know about? How can I help? I mean giving money or buying things in support of these people or causes that do support them can only touch the surface. The problem is pervasive. One of my favorite movies has the quote at the end “I have seen enough to know I have seen too much,” which aptly sums up how I feel. I think I will be processing these past few weeks and experiences for a long time to come.
1 year ago