The Heart of Cambodia

We met so many gracious and wonderful people in our short stay in Cambodia. Visiting with hotel staff (the boys, again, were a big hit with their blonde hair and smiling faces), and spending three days with our driver, Pich, who became part of our family, we could not express our gratitude for how we were treated. It was overwhelming.

Pich and Ethan – a common site

Little peanut selling flutes…

A stop that was most important to us was to go to the Cambodia Landmine Museum and school, (http://www.cambodialandminemuseum.org), set up by a Cambodian citizen Aki Ra. His story is one of pain, perseverance, commitment, and compassion.

 

Entry to the Museum (note the Canadian flag)

Many of the land mines, bombs, unearthed by Aki Ra

His work and life is difficult to comprehend for those of us who have grown up in peace and security. Walking through the museum with our boys, safe and secure, was in stark contrast to the history of Cambodia as a nation and the stories of individuals. With tears in my eyes, I read the stories posted containing indescribable acts of violence, abandonment, and hopelessness. Nonetheless, it has been people like Aki Ra who have continued to see possibilities of what can occur with healing and support in this beautiful country. Words cannot do justice to all we saw here – I would encourage you to take some time to review their website, educate yourself on the ongoing need to support children and families impacted by all types of violence around the world, and finally celebrate with joy, the gifts you have right now. As a mother, an educator, a Canadian citizen, I am thankful for what we have, but continue to ask, what can we give?

We had an opportunity on our last day to drive out to a floating village which during the rainy season is entirely enveloped by water; however, at the time of our visit, the water was significantly lower and only those houses and stores on Tonle Sap Lake were floating. This was an eye opening experience for our family. Pulling up to see a what can only be described as a cacophony of boats lining the river banks, we were brought to our skipper’s pride and joy and after a few eye opening moments of seeing how he manoeuvred us out of the rather narrow parking space, we were on our way. It felt as though we were on the African Queen heading into unknown territory…

You’ll notice the water is rather brown – everyone is in it! Fishermen lined the river, casting their nets in hopes of catching some of the many small fish. As we came to the village, it was shocking to consider daily life in this environment. First of all, it is hot – debilitatingly so. Many people are laying hammocks in shade from the rays of the hot sun. As we went down stream we were all surprised at the amount of trash floating in the water and sitting along the banks. Making our way out to Tonle Sap, we stopped at a floating restaurant and ordered a small snack – they had alligators next to the restaurant and also on the menu – a highlight for the boys.

On our way back to our car, we stopped off at the local school to drop off some school supplies. It was fascinating to climb the tall ladder to the entrance of the school (which would have had about 50 Health and Safety guidelines back in Canada), to greet the students in their one room classroom. Students were fascinated with the boys as they deposited the supplies at the front of the room and we visited with the young teacher who was despite the heat dressed in full professional wear. Again – difference certainly sharpens appreciation for all that we have for our children. However, it could also be suggested that we need to maintain our focus on what is important in the context of the whole world rather than get caught up in some of the minute details which can distract from our overall goal of educating our children to become global citizens.

As much as we were thankful not to contend with the challenges one would face living in a floating village, we were also struck by the beauty of the sights, the care for families, and again the gracious treatment of visitors to their homes.

Temple Run

Angkor Wat

Originally our SE Asia plans were meant to include Cambodia, Thailand and possibly Vietnam. However, for numerous reasons, we had to simplify travel plans and ended up booking flights from KL to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We flew Air Asia which boasts as being Asia’s top low cost airline. Like other low cost airlines, EasyJet, Ryan Air, and Jet Star, they post incredible flight deals, but truly make their money off of additional fees for luggage, method of payment, etc. Nonetheless, our flights after the currency conversion still ended up being a reasonable price tag (just significantly more than the originally advertised rate). We were impressed with the service on Air Asia – efficient and even more shocking for North American air travellers, not only on time, but over 40 minutes early!

We had booked 5 days staying at the Lotus Blanc Resort. Having spent only a handful of nights at a hotel during this entire trip, this spot was a highlight. We were greeted with cool coconut water and cool towelettes (I don’t want to say we were sweating in the +45 degree heat, but there may have been a glow on our faces). The manager sat down with us and within 15 minutes, she had set us up for the remainder of our stay. It was lovely not have to sort everything out ourselves and the prices for booking travel etc., were no different than those who booked tuk tuks or drivers privately. As we had arrived early in the morning, the hotel was flexible and allowed us to check in first thing, giving us the whole day to enjoy some down time, swimming in the pool, and excellent food!

The title of this entry is reflective of what can certainly become a visit to Siem Reap. With it being the site of many ancient temples, the most famous being Angkor Wat, days and days could be spent exploring temple after temple. Given the heat, the age of the boys, and our desire to ensure we didn’t experience what many term “temple exhaustion”, we had an ideal schedule:

Day 1 – toured by tuk tuk, Ta Prohm, Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom along with some smaller areas: Terrace of the Leper Kings and Terrace of the Elephants
Day 2 – with a driver, drove out to Kuleen Mountain, went to the night market
Day 3 – toured with a driver, Bayon, Cambodia Landmine Museum, Preah Khan, Bantay Srei, rode elephants to the top of Phnom Bakeng to watch the sunset
Day 4 – with a driver, went out to the floating village

A few tips if you’re considering to venture out this way:

Decide when you want to drive and when you want to go in a tuk tuk which is a must. We were pleased to be riding the tuk tuk on a day where the areas were relatively close. Our driver was incredible and we absolutely loved having him join us during our exploration.
Have photocopies of your passports – these were especially important for the boys as they were both free to enter all the temples; however, we had to show our passes and the copies of their passports every time.
Be sure to follow the dress code (covered shoulders and knees for both men and women). Although we didn’t have one, an umbrella would not go amiss to shade from the heat.
Don’t sleep in – start early in the morning!
Know your limits! We really kept a close eye on how we were all doing, as one can feel compelled to ‘see it all’ but in doing so, actually miss a fair amount. It then becomes more about the finish line of “I saw 5 temples today” as opposed to exploring and appreciating the marvel and wonder around you.

In thinking of how to describe this experience, I find that words fail me. This entry will either be 50 pages in length, or it will end with a summary list. To avoid both, I’m going to highlight a few of our impressions and experiences and of course include some of the spectacular images we were able to capture.

Most people know about Angkor Wat which is understandable simply due to its sheer size and grandeur. However, while we most definitely needed to explore the area, we much preferred Angkor Thom (the temple in the jungle) to the austerity of Angkor Wat. The bloody history (and not to long ago I might add), of Cambodia is in stark contrast to the beauty of the Khmer culture and creation of long ago. Also striking is the strength of nature as we had many opportunities to observe gigantic tree roots wrapping around and seemingly through rock faces to grow strong and tall despite any obstacles.

Entry from the East gate of Angkor Wat

The central square area

And up we go…

Angkor from the West gate

The heat was another force of nature with which to contend – it felt like +45 degrees. We had to closely monitor our water levels and ran to shade whenever possible. While I haven’t caught the Asian fascination with avoiding the sun at all costs, I now understand why they have umbrellas out especially on sunny days!

Riding the Tuk Tuk

Thank goodness for shade!

Having enjoyed outstanding food in our first few days, I may have consumed one too many coconut based dishes and on the day we were scheduled to head out to Kulen Mountain, needed to be in close proximity of ‘facilities’. Kelly and the boys took a 45 minute drive up to Kulen Mountain, a beautiful area in the jungle with tall waterfalls, a river filled with ‘la linga’ and a gigantic Bhudda laying on its side. They had a great time in the water…until the boys noticed fish and became convinced they were going to attack. This after standing in surf with baby Blacktip Reef sharks in Fiji! Regardless, Anderson eventually overcame his concerns and enjoyed jumping off the rocks with the locals. Ethan, well, he enjoyed watching Anderson!

The gigantic Bhudda was situated at the top of the largest rock ever seen. People begging line the stairway, and it was quite an awakening for the boys to see such poverty up close. Again, an opportunity to learn much about how people are impacted by country and life circumstances and usually through no fault of their own.

Our third day, was our biggest day yet, and was also the most spectacular! Our family’s most preferred two temples were explored: Bayon and Preah Khan. Bayon is famously known for the gigantic faces – they were mesmerizing to look at. Preah Khan was intriguing as it housed the royal library and when entering from the ‘public’ entrance, the doorways begin at regular height, but as you draw nearer to the center where one would greet the king, the doorways shrink in height forcing one to bow. Due, most likely, to the greater distance from Siem Reap, Preah Khan had very few visitors making our exploration of the temple that much more fascinating.

Bayon

Bayon

Causeway outside of Angkor Thom

Preah Khan

Preah Khan

To finish off our third day which we all have declared ‘epic!’, we took an elephant ride up to the top of the large hill where the Phnom Bakeng temple is located. This temple is quite precarious in certain spots; but is popular with tourists as a spot to watch the sunset. Honestly, do take the opportunity to go to the top of the hill; however, avoid the throngs of people going up to the temple and rather turn right. We caught some beautiful views of Angkor Wat in total solitude and the sunset was also spectacular (minus what felt like every tour group in the region).

Honestly, this post feels as though it is merely skimming the surface of the sights, smells, sounds, and feel of this incredible part of the world. Our recommendation: travel here!