CAMBODIA
story by Katie Schwartz
photos by Lauren Burns
Last February, my two girlfriends and I made the long and treacherous bus ride from Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We went for eight days, visiting three cities, absorbing as much culture as possible. This short trip has had a profound impact on my life. I went into the country scared out of my mind and left exhilarated and craving more. But first I need to give a little back-story. I’ve never been to a third world country, I knew nothing of the Cambodian language, and I was raised as a sheltered little Catholic girl.
[Above: Some of the skulls are labeled “Women age 20-30” or “Little boy age 10-12”. It made my heart hurt to walk around and see what people do to each other. Each grave is labeled “mass grave” or “mass grave of women and children”.]
The journey began on Khao San Road, the backpacker Mecca of Thailand. We munched on breakfast, watching the drunks stagger home and the “lady boys” work the streets. The bus was late, as usual, and a little crowded, not to mention extremely hot and stuffy. From there we journeyed to Poi Pet, the border town where we would receive our visas. A photo with a blue background is needed for the Cambodian visitor visa. There are multiple places in Bangkok that take and print such photos. However, there are a lot of scams surrounding this particular service. And unfortunately my friends and I were taken advantage of and wasted a few baht in the process.
Anyways, back to Poi Pet. The stop didn’t take long and before we knew it, we were in Cambodia. We stopped at the customs area and a Cambodian guide explained to us the process of entering the country and getting all settled. Before we got off, he pointed to a man outside the bus, meandering around and said, “That man over there in the black, he is bad. He will try to steal from you. Stay away from him.” Awesome. As if I wasn’t scared enough. So the twenty or so of us on the bus got off and stood in a circle, with our backpacks facing inwards, trying to keep an eye on everyone around us. I looked around and was devastated. It’s hard to describe, unless you’ve been to a third world country. Children were running around, alone and dirty, the streets were trash ridden, and the buildings were crumbling. Everywhere it was evident that daily life is a struggle.
With bags clutched tightly, we spent an hour going through customs. And then we were off again on a bus to Siem Reap. It took easily seven or eight hours by bus on “the best road in Cambodia”. Arguably the worst road I’ve ever been on. The ‘bridges’ were two by fours that I prayed did not collapse under the weight of the bus. Also several of the ‘bridges’ were out and the bus had to go down, off the road and over small creeks in order to continue.
Very late in the evening we arrived in Siem Reap. On our way to the guesthouse, we passed hotels that boasted $3000 dollars a night. Such splendor among such squalor. It made no sense. Our guesthouse was lovely and comfortable. We were given rooms and booked motorbikes and guides for our journey to Angkor Wat. We awoke early to start our adventure.. We each had to get on the back of a motorbike, with our own personal guide. I am barely able to ride on a bicycle, let alone a motorbike. I was absolutely scared to death. But I just had to let go and put my life into this complete stranger’s hands. It was amazing, because after that, I felt so much freer and I was willing to be more daring.
Angkor Wat is about ten minutes outside of Siem Reap and admission is $10 US dollars per person. $1 US dollar is worth 4000 riel. US currency is readily accepted and everything is done with cash. So when traveling to Cambodia, you need to bring cash and be prepared to budget, because going to a bank to get money is a serious process. But not to worry, because everything is really cheap. A night at a good guesthouse, with bathroom in the room is two or three dollars per person. A good meal is fifty cents to a dollar, alcohol is only a dollar or two, and cigarettes are 12 cents a pack. For eight days my friends and I each brought two hundred dollars. When we returned, we had a little over a hundred dollars left. The day at Angkor was the most expensive. It was ten dollars per person for the guide and motorbike, ten dollars admission, two or three dollars for food, and about five dollars per person for souvenirs. Which by most exotic vacation standards is amazingly cheap.
Angkor Wat was utterly mind-boggling! It is by far the most amazing place I have ever been to!! It is a highly organized city. There are 100 stone temples throughout the complex. The temples were built around the 12th century and were an important pilgrimage destination until it was sacked by the Thais in 1431 and then abandoned in 1432. The city was forgotten and ‘lost’ until rediscovered in 1860. (http://www.sacredsites.com)
Many of the temples are still in good shape, being constantly restored by scientists throughout the world. When we visited, there were at least five different countries, including the US, working to rebuild the temples.
Our guides were not allowed to take us through each temple, so we just wandered around with our Lonely Planet guide. Each temple is so amazing and unique. The statues, carvings, and decorations are beautiful and absolutely breath taking. Bayon, Ta Phrom, and Angkor Wat are a few of the major temples. All the temples revolve around Angkor Wat, which is located in the middle, surrounded by a moat.
This picture is of me in a doorway of the Bayon temple. All of the temples are made of stone and built tall. The stairs are built incredibly steep, so be careful when traversing the area. Also, all of the temples are extremely old and falling apart. Each step should be taken with care.
The guides took us around the complex, stopping and waiting patiently for us to tour each temple. It is important to never wander away from the temples or go ‘off the beaten path’. Cambodia is riddled with lost land mines and the country leads the world with amputations due to land mines. This should not keep you from visiting, it’s just important to be aware and safe.
Ta Phrom is one of the most interesting temples. It is a perfect example of what happens when the influence of humans is gone. The jungle is reclaiming this temple. Restorers are doing their best to save the temple and keep it cleared. However, the trees have set up roots and are literally growing out of the stone. Areas that are unsafe are labeled and restricted.
This is one part of Ta Phrom, where a tree has made its home. Alison, Lauren, and I are dwarfed by the size of this tree!
There are stands near each temple, so when you walk out of the temple, there are Cambodians yelling to buy their goods or eat their food. It was extremely intense at times, especially when children beg you to buy souvenirs from them. We bought things from multiple stands, but after awhile it gets too hard. Sometimes we would have to run to get away from people!
Our last stop of the day was at the magnificent Angkor Wat. First you have to walk across a long bridge, and then you enter the first doorway and continue on for another half a mile to the actual temple. The temple is huge! There are three galleries rising to a central tower, each level higher than the last.
This is the beginning of the walk to see Angkor Wat.
This picture is of Angkor Wat from the middle. A monk who ripped us off was the only negative part of our visit. In Thailand, monks are not allowed to talk to, look at, or sit by women. He thought the same was true of monks in Cambodia. We met one who didn’t adhere to this practice. He sat with us and took pictures with us. I was amazed, because I didn’t think he was allowed to be around women. So I followed him around and listened to him speak about the temple. I barely understood anything he said, but I enjoyed his company. As we were about to leave, he began talking about his monastery and how he needed money. It turned out that we had to pay to listen to him speak. We gave him several US dollars and left a little taken aback. Oh well, live and learn.
Unfortunately we only had time to spend one day at the city of Angkor. I would recommend at least three or four. It is incredible and overwhelming. I think it would be best to see a little each day.
The next stop on our journey was Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. It only took four hours to reach the city from Siem Reap. In Cambodia, it’s best to travel by bus. It’s slow and uncomfortable sometimes, but the most reliable and safest. I heard many horror stories of people going by boat and getting stuck for days on the boat, with not enough food or space.
We stayed in Phnom Penh for two and a half days. The city is small but very congested. The taxi drivers were crazy and intense. When we got off the bus, immediately we were swarmed. The key was to be firm and knowledgeable. We were only willing to pay two dollars a piece for a ride to our guesthouse. Don’t get into a taxi until the price is settled. We wandered a little around the city, but not after dark. It’s a little unsafe, especially for three little American girls.
The next day we braved another motorbike ride to the Killing Fields (Choeung Ek). This is the site where Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge Regime murdered millions of Cambodians. It is estimated that 1.7 million people were executed, with another million deaths from starvation (http://www.wikipedia.com). The site is located about twenty minutes outside of the city.
Immediately upon entering the area I was struck by the sheer horror of the place. The ground is covered with mass graves, many which have been exhumed. Over 8000 Cambodians were found in these graves. From 1975 to 1979 about 17,000 people were executed. Many people were beaten to death, because the regime wanted to save ammunition.
In the center of the site is a giant, memorial stupa. It contains more than 5000 skulls.
[Above: Next to each grave are little bowls filled with fragments of human bones. It is almost too much for a person to take in, but it is an important place to visit.]
When you enter, you can pick up a little map that explains different areas. This is behind the stupa, where torturing took place and where the majority of exhumed graves are. Off to the right of this picture are over 60 mass graves that have not been touched. I found one of the saddest aspects to be the children that run around and beg for money. We only stayed at the Killing Fields for an hour. It is a small area and it is too hard to stay for long periods of time.
Our last stop on the journey was a little beach town called Sihanoukville. For three days we laid on the beach and partied. It was a relaxing place to stay, especially after experiencing so many different places. We lived like princesses in a great guesthouse, enjoying manicures and pedicures on the beach. I highly recommend visiting this area; it’s a great beach community with great restaurants and entertainment.
Cambodia is a beautiful country. I highly suggest visiting. Although it is not for the faint of heart. It is dirty, poor, and dangerous. But I had the time of my life and I feel enriched. I honestly can’t wait until I can go back!!
