Almost forgot to post the pictures for you. Here you go:
Cambodia: Part 1
Cambodia: Part 2
Cambodia: Part 3
Friday, May 8, 2009
Cambodia
Haha, so that "4 posts in one day" thing didn't work out so well. I'm still going to make separate posts though... and now I have Kanchanaburi to add to my list. I figure I should get these posts done before I go back to the States - at that point, I might as well just tell you all in person, eh?
So, Cambodia.
First of all, if you don't know any history about Cambodia, don't worry - I didn't either, until I visited it. A quick rundown: the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia back in the '70s, and they killed a LOT of people, including pretty much all government officials and anyone with an education. They refused entry or exit to nearly everyone, which is probably why most people I've talked to have never heard about this. They abolished money, marriage (except by arrangement by Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge leader)... all sorts of things that we would never think of living without. The Khmer Rouge basically wanted a "peasant utopia".
That being said, visiting Cambodia today is stepping into a third-world country that is still, nearly 30 years after the removal of the Khmer Rouge, recovering from a terrible, terrible time. The average age is said to be somewhere in the teens - surprising, but totally believable. It seemed like 1 of every 5 people I saw was an infant, and at least 50% of the people I saw were children (i.e. under 18). They are VERY poor, probably due to the fact that all the educated people were killed off 30 years ago, and money was abolished (it's back now, though). Now, they will gladly accept any kind of currency other than their own, preferally US dollars. All the ATMs give out US dollars. Except for the Vietnamese Dong, nearly every other currency is stronger than theirs.
But all that aside, I really, really, REALLY enjoyed my time in Cambodia.
Bad news first (again): Phnom Penh, the capital, is not very exciting to visit, unless you're into history. The city itself is extremely dirty... the complete lack of a trash system is evident by the mounds of garbage literally lining the streets. Sometimes, it would cover the sidewalks and we'd have to walk in the streets. And the history that you can learn there is interesting, but depressing. Because it's all about the Khmer Rouge, of course. We did visit the high school prison (there's a phrase you didn't think would ever be meant literally!) and the killing fields - both very depressing, but I'm glad I went. I think this was the point in time when it truly hit me how removed I am from what goes on in the rest of the world - I mean, I've never seen things like this in Texas! It really opened my eyes and made me think about happenings all over the world, not just things that affect me in Texas.
But, on to the good stuff. Siem Reap was absolutely amazing! We visited this whole complex of ancient temples, starting bright and early at 5am. We went to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat, which is probably one of the most well-known ancient temples on the planet. The sunrise was a bust though; it was a cloudy morning. Still, seeing all these ancient temples, all in one little areas... so cool! Going at 5am was worth it. By midday, it was so blistering hot outside that we had to leave. Good thing we went early and saw a bunch of good stuff before then!
After the temples, a few of us headed into town for lunch. First mistake we made was deciding to sit at a table next to the street. Second mistake we made was talking to the kids that were trying to sell their little knick-knacks on the street. These kids stood at our table for, and I kid you not, a solid 30 minutes. That's how desperate they were to sell something. Saddest thing is, even though Josh bought some bracelets from one of them, these kids still wouldn't go away... because we hadn't bought something from ALL of them. They finally got distracted by some other tourists walking down the street, though.
Overall, Cambodia was a good trip. The people were really nice, even though they're annoyingly persistent. Siem Reap was beautiful and lots of fun. Phnom Penh was full of history I never dreamed of learning. And the people I travelled with were cool, of course.
So, Cambodia.
First of all, if you don't know any history about Cambodia, don't worry - I didn't either, until I visited it. A quick rundown: the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia back in the '70s, and they killed a LOT of people, including pretty much all government officials and anyone with an education. They refused entry or exit to nearly everyone, which is probably why most people I've talked to have never heard about this. They abolished money, marriage (except by arrangement by Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge leader)... all sorts of things that we would never think of living without. The Khmer Rouge basically wanted a "peasant utopia".
That being said, visiting Cambodia today is stepping into a third-world country that is still, nearly 30 years after the removal of the Khmer Rouge, recovering from a terrible, terrible time. The average age is said to be somewhere in the teens - surprising, but totally believable. It seemed like 1 of every 5 people I saw was an infant, and at least 50% of the people I saw were children (i.e. under 18). They are VERY poor, probably due to the fact that all the educated people were killed off 30 years ago, and money was abolished (it's back now, though). Now, they will gladly accept any kind of currency other than their own, preferally US dollars. All the ATMs give out US dollars. Except for the Vietnamese Dong, nearly every other currency is stronger than theirs.
But all that aside, I really, really, REALLY enjoyed my time in Cambodia.
Bad news first (again): Phnom Penh, the capital, is not very exciting to visit, unless you're into history. The city itself is extremely dirty... the complete lack of a trash system is evident by the mounds of garbage literally lining the streets. Sometimes, it would cover the sidewalks and we'd have to walk in the streets. And the history that you can learn there is interesting, but depressing. Because it's all about the Khmer Rouge, of course. We did visit the high school prison (there's a phrase you didn't think would ever be meant literally!) and the killing fields - both very depressing, but I'm glad I went. I think this was the point in time when it truly hit me how removed I am from what goes on in the rest of the world - I mean, I've never seen things like this in Texas! It really opened my eyes and made me think about happenings all over the world, not just things that affect me in Texas.
But, on to the good stuff. Siem Reap was absolutely amazing! We visited this whole complex of ancient temples, starting bright and early at 5am. We went to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat, which is probably one of the most well-known ancient temples on the planet. The sunrise was a bust though; it was a cloudy morning. Still, seeing all these ancient temples, all in one little areas... so cool! Going at 5am was worth it. By midday, it was so blistering hot outside that we had to leave. Good thing we went early and saw a bunch of good stuff before then!
After the temples, a few of us headed into town for lunch. First mistake we made was deciding to sit at a table next to the street. Second mistake we made was talking to the kids that were trying to sell their little knick-knacks on the street. These kids stood at our table for, and I kid you not, a solid 30 minutes. That's how desperate they were to sell something. Saddest thing is, even though Josh bought some bracelets from one of them, these kids still wouldn't go away... because we hadn't bought something from ALL of them. They finally got distracted by some other tourists walking down the street, though.
Overall, Cambodia was a good trip. The people were really nice, even though they're annoyingly persistent. Siem Reap was beautiful and lots of fun. Phnom Penh was full of history I never dreamed of learning. And the people I travelled with were cool, of course.
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