Khmer Expedition

Angkor Wat in all its splender

So after a brief stop over in Bangkok, it was on to Cambodia. A place which was very high on the list, as you would have seen in this post. I flew on a little light plane from Bangkok to Siem Reap via Bangkok Air. It was my first time on a light plane so I was rather nervous! I sat myself on the wing and kept an eye on the propellers to make sure they were still rotating!! It was a boutique airline so I was rather looked after, however for a brief 2 hour flight, I paid as much as I did for my flight from Melbourne to Bangkok!

Alas I arrived in Siem Reap safe and sound where a massive culture shock awaited me at the airport. It was almost like flying back in time. The airport itself is rather stylish and new with its token Khmer accents, however once outside the doors…was a whole bunch of nothing. Paddocks, rice paddies and a random cow or two. I caught a $2US motorbike to the city (read – town), 45 mins away. The ride to Siem Reap was spectacular. It was a quick glimpse at what was in store for me as I made my way down south through this amazing country.

Life in Cambodia is very simple…and quiet. There is a sense of calm and tranquility, which is surprising, given this country’s not too distant past. The Khmer’s have been through hell and back through poverty, political instability and war and Cambodia is still feeling aftershocks of the war. Landmines are prevalent – as highlighted by signs, just off from main roads. It’s a reality that is so real and so confronting, one which us westerners would unlikely experience in our lifetime.

I won’t go to much into the history, but I highly recommend to read First the Killed my Father, by Loung Ung. This book brings Cambodian life into a reality so real, it will haunt you well after you have turned the last page. Then once you stroll the halls of S-21 and visit Choeung Ek you can begin to empathise with the Khmers. Although the Khmer Rouge is a devastatingly recent event in history, there are still many other parts to Cambodia that wait to be explored.

Siem Reap is a charming township, that serves as the Northern City. It is a great base for setting out to explore local life, visit remote waterfalls and forests, silk farms and of course, Angkor Wat. Now for those who have traveled a bit in their time, I’m sure you are familiar with temple syndrome – which is a rather simple way of saying – seen one, seen ‘em all. Not quite the case with the Angkor Complex. For one it is the LARGEST temple in the world, ever built. It was built almost 900 years ago and parts of it have be reclaimed by the jungle which only adds to the magnificent beauty. Watching the sunset over this piece of ancient wonder was almost as cool as the elephant ride through the jungle. Siem Reap also has the best markets, particularly the night market which has some beautiful souvenirs that aren’t “authentic replica antiques” from China. I shopped up a storm on silks, an oil painting and a ridiculous number of massages, pedicures and even had my ears candled!

Traveling South to Phnom Pehn, there was a brief stop at a town call Skuon, where one is greeted by charming (read – freak show little turds!) holding TARANTULAS up to the bus windows. Yours truly is a confessed arachnophobe, so you can imagine I was not impressed – Scratch that, I was TERRIFIED!!! Seriously, I had myself a panic attack, and when you are absolutely busting to make a call to nature, this is not a good look. I was rescued by the 8 year old brother of the girl covered in tarantulas, who kept me out of harms way and led me toward the spider free toilet. Sigh. My nerves were rather frazzled.

So on to Phnom Pehn. A ridiculously busy, dirty and crowded city. Very typically Asia. Hot, Humid and Smelly. Quite the contrast to the quiet country solitude that I had slowly become accustomed. I have never seen so many motorbikes in all of my life. Seriously, it is ridiculous, and some how the traffic seems to flow rather seamlessly. There is not a great deal to do here minus visiting some museums and of course s-21 and the killing fields. You are constantly harassed by street vendors and by the end of your stay, patience is at an all time low. One thing you have to remember is that this is a developing country that was almost devoured by poverty so everyone is just trying to survive. You just have to take a breath and roll with it.

For a little break from the hustle bustle, Sihanoukville is a little resort town that edges on to tepid waters and some gorgeous scenery. The town itself doesn’t offer a whole lot. The market is pretty tragic, however down on the beach is a different story. There are plenty of beach side bars and restaurants complete with hawkers and young kids trying to pawn off their wears. There are your usual resort activities available, snorkeling, diving, canoeing etc etc.

I decided to mix it up and hired a scooter to drive around. Yes folks, my very first time on a motorised bike of any kind was in Cambodia on dirt roads wearing nothing but a bikini, denim shorts and a fedora. Minus the loss of a substantial surface area of skin on my feet, I managed to avoid any really disasters. Although it does take some time to get the hang of it, (the hotel staff weren’t sure I was going to make it back…alive) it was the best way to experience Sihanoukville. Wind in your hair, stopping for photos on untouched coastlines, exploring jungle tracks and even getting a chance to hang with some locals while they fill the tank with some nasty looking substance from a label-less coke bottle. All in all it was lovely, but not quite the “paradise” that most are accustomed to. It is very underdeveloped but paradoxically polluted and overpopulated.

One tiny little detail I did not mention, was whilst enjoying a custom Lemon Lime and Bitters, I was bitten by a pet monkey after he stole my sunglasses…Rude! Minus the obvious pain, this nasty little fiend was kind enough to share with me its infectious DNA. That’s right, this particularly heinous individual was rabbid. As was I. A few quick Jabs from my local French doctor though had me cured in no time. So thankfully, there was no salivating and mad eyes…apart from my usual of course!

After all this rather tumultuous occasion, I was back in Phnom Pehn for some last minute hits of Khmer Culture. I decided to up the anty on the accommodation as the humidity was starting to take its toll. All I wanted was a pool and a DVD player. So I booked a rather fancy shmancy room at Villa Langka where I shacked up with my huge collection of authentic replica DVD’s in air conditioned comfort whilst alternating between a lemon lime bitters in the pool. It was a tough gig, no question, but alas I am one individual willing to take on such a challenge

Then I left for my final destination via no other than a tuk tuk of course where the road to the Phnom Pehn airport goes through a lot of shanty areas – a rather humbling way to exit their country.

Next stop – Vietnam!

Beautiful hidden waterfalls