Cambodia
Folks, always remember that when something sounds too good to be true, it almost definitely is. When shopping for bus tickets from Bangkok to Siem Reap (Cambodia), the travel agent gave me a price of 150 Baht (about $5 CDN) to get all the way. The Lonely Planet had suggested that it should cost about 500. Out of curiosity, I asked what it would cost to get just to the boarder (about half way). When the price came back as 300 Baht, the alarm bells went off, which I subsequently ignored as best I could.
Suprisingly, the bus actually did show up. It was a very cramped ride to the Thai / Cambodian boarder, but a total walk in the park compared to recent experiences. Just before the boarder, we stopped at a restaurant so that we could buy lunch and gain commission for the bus company and that's where the fun started. First, they told us that we had to give them our passports and 1200 Baht so that they could go get our Cambodian Visas for us. Wise to this scam and knowing that we can get it ourselves from the boarder for 1000, we declined this service. Next, they told us that there was a disagreement with the Cambodian side (obviously not their fault), so they would get us to the boarder at Poi Pet, Cambodia, but we were on our own from there.
At the boarder, the officials there even got into the spirit of things. The Visa costs $20 US or 1000 Baht, which is significantly more than the US$ price. So even though the Visa in my passport says clearly that the price was $20, we had to pay in Baht, likely so that there'd be something for these guys to put in their pocket.
Through all of this, 10 of the people who had been on the bus together had realized that we should stick together. On the Cambodian side of the boarder, we were met with a maddening throng of guys telling us that we "had to" buy a bus ticket from their company and that it would cost $12 US. We tried fruitlessly to get them to honour our tickets then to give us a better price. When this failed, we started walking away into the town. A long time later, after a good walk along the less than inviting streets of Poi Pet with 5 or six touts from the bus company hounding us, a few heated exchanges between us and them ("What part of PISS OFF do you not understand?"), an eventual breakthrough where we got to talk to the real boss, and a deal which saw us paying $5 US each (a reasonable price), we were on our way to Siem Reap.
We weren't out of the woods yet though. We had to deal with a traffic jam when one of the bridges "broke". Then, we discovered that the Cambodian effort to set a world record for density of pot holes on one highway is coming along quite nicely. Then throw on a bit of rain and nightfall just so things aren't too easy. Luckily, we were travelling with a great group of people who had a good attitude about things and we made it to Siem Reap tired but with enough energy to enjoy a couple of beers before crashing. In all, it only took us about 16 hours .....
Now, you might be wondering if all this effort was worth it. It was. Our destination of Siem Reap is not much itself, however, it is the closest town to the incredible ruins of the ancient capital of the Khmer empire, Angkor. We spent 3 days touring this deservedly famous site and I don't nearly have the words to describe it properly. From the majestic Angkor Wat to the enigmatic Bayon (featured in the movie Tomb Raider) to the beautiful dance between man and nature that is the jungle besieged Ta Prohm, my mind was constantly blown. The scale, beauty, and architectural accomplishment of Angkor is truely amazing. I've never seen anything close and I doubt I ever will, though maybe in Egypt or at Tikal. Our guidebook says that some Khmers did not believe that Angkor Wat was built by people and that it must be the work of the gods. The effect of seeing this place is to make one think they must be right.
We're now in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Pehn. Today was a truely strange, surreal, and difficult day. A bunch of us hired a van to take us around to some of the sites nearby. Last night was spent enjoying Angkor beer, red bull and vodka, and some "extrememly happy" pizza, so we were moving a little slow this morning to start with. However, our first stop did much to wake us up.
We hadn't asked to go here, but it was on the way, so our driver said we should stop by "just to watch". Some of you have heard of this place before, but for others, it will either shock or amuse. Arriving at the site, we were presented with a menu. Not so exciting you say, but this was no ordinary menu. It did contain Coke, Fanta, and bottled water just as every menu in this part of the world must. However, it also included items such as "AK47", "M16", "Antiaircraft", "Colt 45", "Shotgun", "Hand Grenade", and "Rocket Launcher". And I shit you not, everything on the menu was available. This shooting range allows you, for a heafty fee, to let your Rambo fueled fantasies go wild. Rumour has it that for an extra fee, you can trade your paper target for a live chicken. Or if you really have money to burn, get yourself a cow to dispose of with your rocket launcher. Proof that truth is much stranger than fiction. I wonder what Michael Moore would think of this?
None of us intended to take part, but the place was just so screwed up and surreal that we knew someone had to give it a try. Since I knew that Barc would never forgive me either if I missed out, I said I'd take one for the team and give it a go. I selected the russian made AK47 with its 30 shot clip mainly because it was the cheapest alternative. Taking me into a little room and suiting me up in the requisate camoflauge jacket, I was introduced to the AK47. This assault rifle has two modes, single shot and fully automatic. I shot off a few rounds in single shot mode first. The sound was deafening but having grown up around hunting rifles and having been trained on how to safely use them, the experience was probably more exciting for those looking on.
Then I switched to fully automatic mode. The shock that I felt when holding down that trigger and having 4 or 5 bullets go off stood in stark contrast to the single shot. It really brought home the destructive power of these weapons and the realization that there must be something wrong with a world that needs such things. It was definitely a rush, but I don't think I ever need to do that again. In the end, 4 other people gave it a go. Our justification is that we're actually helping by ridding Cambodia of some very unneeded ammunition. The fact that this place exists and fits right in is a sign that Cambodia is a nation with way too many guns and way to much violence in its past.
Our next stop was more direct and powerful evidence of that past. The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. Between 1975 and 1978, 17,000 men, women, children, and infants were transported here, bludgeoned to death to save bullets, and thrown into mass graves, somtimes containing upwards of 400 bodies. Many of the mass graves lay untouched and are only visible as sunken holes in the deceptively peaceful grass of the field. A memorial stupa houses a huge set of wodden shelves holding more than 8000 skulls, arranged by sex and age.
From there, we went on to Tuol Sleng Genocide museum. Called S-21, this infamous former high school was at the center of the horrendous detention and torture inflicted by the Khmer Rouge on the people of Cambodia. Preserved much as it as it was when the Vietnamese chased Pol Pot out of Phom Penh, this museum stands as a chilling reminder of how strange, cruel, and twisted an oppresive regime can get. Along with the torture rooms which still contain the sadistic contraptions that were used there, the rooms where prisoners slept shoulder to shoulder on the floor with their legs bound with iron bars, and the solitary detention areas that stand in some of the modified classrooms, the museum also has room after room full of floor to ceiling displays holding pictures of the victims. The KR kept meticulous records of everything and these haunting pictures show countless faces of men and women, old and young, who were victims of the revolution.
All of this was obviously pretty overwhelming. Trying to fathom how something like this could happen and what kind of monsters would perpetrate it, we all walked around in thoughtful silence. I've heard the stories of this and the halocuast along with the statistics (an estimated 2 million Cambodians were killed by the Khmer Rogue), but to really see these things right before you is a whole different experience. Especially when you realize that this all happened not so long ago. It's somehow easier to confront the halocaust which occured long before I was born, in a world that I've never known. But this happened during my lifetime. The people who lived through this and even those who worked (often against their will) for the Khmer Rouge still walk the streets of Phnom Penh and still live today. This seems to make the reality even more overwhelming and gives some insight into the pain endured by the people of this country.
This has all likely come off quite badly for Cambodia, so I must say that I love the people here. Beautiful people, they have such an amazing culture, as is evidenced by the temples at Angkor. When you look at a uniquely wonderful, broad Khmer smile, you can almost see the serenity and appreciation for peace that only a people to whom peace has been so illusive can hold.
The last night before we left Siem Reap, the guy who I had hired to drive me to and from the temples invited Aiden and I for dinner at his home. This was a really special experience. When Aly asked us, we quickly said yes and he mentioned that he would have his mom buy some chicken. From this, I had a mental image of heading to the supermarket to pick up something from the meat section, as nieve as that was. So, I was a bit surprised when we arrived and found that dinner was still running around underneath the house, quite unaware of what was in store for it. In the end, the food was terrific and we had a great time even though only our two drivers could speak english. Along with a couple of chicken dishes, we were served rice that they had grown in front of their house and harvested by hand. I thought that was pretty cool.
After dinner, we were sharing a couple of beers together and chatting as best we could. We talked about life in Cambodia, how 80% of the population are farmers, most of whom do not have the luxury of education. How the country is constantly under pressure from its powerful neighbours, Vietnam and Thailand, who some think will eventually consume Cambodia completely. We also talked briefly about the civil wars and governement oppression that has plagued their past. At one point Aly shook his head and said "Other countries, they fight with each other. But Cambodians only kill other Cambodians". These people are truely amazing and they deserve much better than they've had. Hopefully the future is brighter.
Anyway, we're going to be heading down to the beach soon before slowly finding our way back into Thailand. I hope that everyone's doing well. Keep in touch.
Justin
Suprisingly, the bus actually did show up. It was a very cramped ride to the Thai / Cambodian boarder, but a total walk in the park compared to recent experiences. Just before the boarder, we stopped at a restaurant so that we could buy lunch and gain commission for the bus company and that's where the fun started. First, they told us that we had to give them our passports and 1200 Baht so that they could go get our Cambodian Visas for us. Wise to this scam and knowing that we can get it ourselves from the boarder for 1000, we declined this service. Next, they told us that there was a disagreement with the Cambodian side (obviously not their fault), so they would get us to the boarder at Poi Pet, Cambodia, but we were on our own from there.
At the boarder, the officials there even got into the spirit of things. The Visa costs $20 US or 1000 Baht, which is significantly more than the US$ price. So even though the Visa in my passport says clearly that the price was $20, we had to pay in Baht, likely so that there'd be something for these guys to put in their pocket.
Through all of this, 10 of the people who had been on the bus together had realized that we should stick together. On the Cambodian side of the boarder, we were met with a maddening throng of guys telling us that we "had to" buy a bus ticket from their company and that it would cost $12 US. We tried fruitlessly to get them to honour our tickets then to give us a better price. When this failed, we started walking away into the town. A long time later, after a good walk along the less than inviting streets of Poi Pet with 5 or six touts from the bus company hounding us, a few heated exchanges between us and them ("What part of PISS OFF do you not understand?"), an eventual breakthrough where we got to talk to the real boss, and a deal which saw us paying $5 US each (a reasonable price), we were on our way to Siem Reap.
We weren't out of the woods yet though. We had to deal with a traffic jam when one of the bridges "broke". Then, we discovered that the Cambodian effort to set a world record for density of pot holes on one highway is coming along quite nicely. Then throw on a bit of rain and nightfall just so things aren't too easy. Luckily, we were travelling with a great group of people who had a good attitude about things and we made it to Siem Reap tired but with enough energy to enjoy a couple of beers before crashing. In all, it only took us about 16 hours .....
Now, you might be wondering if all this effort was worth it. It was. Our destination of Siem Reap is not much itself, however, it is the closest town to the incredible ruins of the ancient capital of the Khmer empire, Angkor. We spent 3 days touring this deservedly famous site and I don't nearly have the words to describe it properly. From the majestic Angkor Wat to the enigmatic Bayon (featured in the movie Tomb Raider) to the beautiful dance between man and nature that is the jungle besieged Ta Prohm, my mind was constantly blown. The scale, beauty, and architectural accomplishment of Angkor is truely amazing. I've never seen anything close and I doubt I ever will, though maybe in Egypt or at Tikal. Our guidebook says that some Khmers did not believe that Angkor Wat was built by people and that it must be the work of the gods. The effect of seeing this place is to make one think they must be right.
We're now in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Pehn. Today was a truely strange, surreal, and difficult day. A bunch of us hired a van to take us around to some of the sites nearby. Last night was spent enjoying Angkor beer, red bull and vodka, and some "extrememly happy" pizza, so we were moving a little slow this morning to start with. However, our first stop did much to wake us up.
We hadn't asked to go here, but it was on the way, so our driver said we should stop by "just to watch". Some of you have heard of this place before, but for others, it will either shock or amuse. Arriving at the site, we were presented with a menu. Not so exciting you say, but this was no ordinary menu. It did contain Coke, Fanta, and bottled water just as every menu in this part of the world must. However, it also included items such as "AK47", "M16", "Antiaircraft", "Colt 45", "Shotgun", "Hand Grenade", and "Rocket Launcher". And I shit you not, everything on the menu was available. This shooting range allows you, for a heafty fee, to let your Rambo fueled fantasies go wild. Rumour has it that for an extra fee, you can trade your paper target for a live chicken. Or if you really have money to burn, get yourself a cow to dispose of with your rocket launcher. Proof that truth is much stranger than fiction. I wonder what Michael Moore would think of this?
None of us intended to take part, but the place was just so screwed up and surreal that we knew someone had to give it a try. Since I knew that Barc would never forgive me either if I missed out, I said I'd take one for the team and give it a go. I selected the russian made AK47 with its 30 shot clip mainly because it was the cheapest alternative. Taking me into a little room and suiting me up in the requisate camoflauge jacket, I was introduced to the AK47. This assault rifle has two modes, single shot and fully automatic. I shot off a few rounds in single shot mode first. The sound was deafening but having grown up around hunting rifles and having been trained on how to safely use them, the experience was probably more exciting for those looking on.
Then I switched to fully automatic mode. The shock that I felt when holding down that trigger and having 4 or 5 bullets go off stood in stark contrast to the single shot. It really brought home the destructive power of these weapons and the realization that there must be something wrong with a world that needs such things. It was definitely a rush, but I don't think I ever need to do that again. In the end, 4 other people gave it a go. Our justification is that we're actually helping by ridding Cambodia of some very unneeded ammunition. The fact that this place exists and fits right in is a sign that Cambodia is a nation with way too many guns and way to much violence in its past.
Our next stop was more direct and powerful evidence of that past. The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. Between 1975 and 1978, 17,000 men, women, children, and infants were transported here, bludgeoned to death to save bullets, and thrown into mass graves, somtimes containing upwards of 400 bodies. Many of the mass graves lay untouched and are only visible as sunken holes in the deceptively peaceful grass of the field. A memorial stupa houses a huge set of wodden shelves holding more than 8000 skulls, arranged by sex and age.
From there, we went on to Tuol Sleng Genocide museum. Called S-21, this infamous former high school was at the center of the horrendous detention and torture inflicted by the Khmer Rouge on the people of Cambodia. Preserved much as it as it was when the Vietnamese chased Pol Pot out of Phom Penh, this museum stands as a chilling reminder of how strange, cruel, and twisted an oppresive regime can get. Along with the torture rooms which still contain the sadistic contraptions that were used there, the rooms where prisoners slept shoulder to shoulder on the floor with their legs bound with iron bars, and the solitary detention areas that stand in some of the modified classrooms, the museum also has room after room full of floor to ceiling displays holding pictures of the victims. The KR kept meticulous records of everything and these haunting pictures show countless faces of men and women, old and young, who were victims of the revolution.
All of this was obviously pretty overwhelming. Trying to fathom how something like this could happen and what kind of monsters would perpetrate it, we all walked around in thoughtful silence. I've heard the stories of this and the halocuast along with the statistics (an estimated 2 million Cambodians were killed by the Khmer Rogue), but to really see these things right before you is a whole different experience. Especially when you realize that this all happened not so long ago. It's somehow easier to confront the halocaust which occured long before I was born, in a world that I've never known. But this happened during my lifetime. The people who lived through this and even those who worked (often against their will) for the Khmer Rouge still walk the streets of Phnom Penh and still live today. This seems to make the reality even more overwhelming and gives some insight into the pain endured by the people of this country.
This has all likely come off quite badly for Cambodia, so I must say that I love the people here. Beautiful people, they have such an amazing culture, as is evidenced by the temples at Angkor. When you look at a uniquely wonderful, broad Khmer smile, you can almost see the serenity and appreciation for peace that only a people to whom peace has been so illusive can hold.
The last night before we left Siem Reap, the guy who I had hired to drive me to and from the temples invited Aiden and I for dinner at his home. This was a really special experience. When Aly asked us, we quickly said yes and he mentioned that he would have his mom buy some chicken. From this, I had a mental image of heading to the supermarket to pick up something from the meat section, as nieve as that was. So, I was a bit surprised when we arrived and found that dinner was still running around underneath the house, quite unaware of what was in store for it. In the end, the food was terrific and we had a great time even though only our two drivers could speak english. Along with a couple of chicken dishes, we were served rice that they had grown in front of their house and harvested by hand. I thought that was pretty cool.
After dinner, we were sharing a couple of beers together and chatting as best we could. We talked about life in Cambodia, how 80% of the population are farmers, most of whom do not have the luxury of education. How the country is constantly under pressure from its powerful neighbours, Vietnam and Thailand, who some think will eventually consume Cambodia completely. We also talked briefly about the civil wars and governement oppression that has plagued their past. At one point Aly shook his head and said "Other countries, they fight with each other. But Cambodians only kill other Cambodians". These people are truely amazing and they deserve much better than they've had. Hopefully the future is brighter.
Anyway, we're going to be heading down to the beach soon before slowly finding our way back into Thailand. I hope that everyone's doing well. Keep in touch.
Justin
posted by Justin Callison at 5:54 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home