From the eyes of luis his first blog.
So, I’ve got a confession to make: I have traveled to over a dozen countries, stayed in every possible living condition imaginable, but there was something about the prospect of visiting Cambodia that turned my skin inside-out. I’m talking about an apprehension that gave me nightsweats. Maybe it was my 3rd grade teacher, who when talking about extreme world poverty, placed Cambodia right at the top of her list. Maybe it was my travel clinic physician, who recommended 7 different shots as well as multi-drug resistant malaria pills. Maybe it was the fact that I was visiting Cambodia. Whatever the reason(s), it was fair enough to say that I had a challenge in front of me, one that I’d never seen the likes of before. So, in order to have a fighting chance of survival and not get completely “owned”, I decided to put myself through a 3 month, boot-camp style training period. Some of the daily fun meant: quick, cold showers, running through nature preserves and forested areas to expose myself to as many insects and animals as possible, a lot of insane gym workouts, a lot of Khmer language study at night, and reading/checking out every possible thing I could about the country itself. Consequently, all of the above was not done in vain: some of it, as well as my experiences in Latin America, helped, but not much...
The Kingdom of Cambodia is a dichotomy on the world stage: a land of stunning beauty and promise in many ways, yet tragic, violent, and downright nightmarish in others. My journey began in the capital city of Phnom Penh, on a blisteringly hot day during monsoon season. From the get-go, I noticed some cultural peculiarities. For one, the bizarre Cambodian dress code. It was at least 85 degrees out, yet I saw few short-sleeved shirts, few shoes, no sneakers (just flip-flops) and absolutely no shorts. Many women and children wore full pj’s with cartoon characters as their street attire (?). Streets were narrow and cramped, with a 10 motodop (small motorcycle) per car ratio and the occasional tuk-tuk (moto w/ carriage) and fewer cyclos (old-style bicycle w/ carriage). People were cramped like sardines into share taxis (8 person minimum), as well as on motos sans helmet (with women seated at the tail end, perpendicularly). Many drivers and passengers wore surgical masks, adding an uncanny element to the cityscape. On our way into the heart of town, many beautiful wats (temples) and monuments were visible. However, one wrong turn and you ended up on a desolate street of dingy shacks and ubiquitous litter.
For our first night, we decided upon Angkor Model, one of the many guesthouses the city had to offer. These are really inexpensive (median cost $6-8) yet safe, clean, and introduce foreigners to their first Cambodian bathroom experience: high pressure toilet water hose, no TP (usually), cold water shower with no curtain, floor mats or divider. Flip-flops, comb, toothbrush and a small tube of green, mystery paste are provided. On other nights, Townview II, our choice hotel, did offer the step-up, with Cable, AC, hot water and tubs. In either case, “assertive” motodop and a few tuk-tuk guys would promptly solicit you upon exiting. In retrospect, it seemed like the time we spent riding and haggling with them was more than with anyone else. Of course, you could always haggle with vendors at one of the many markets spread throughout the city. My personal fave was the Russian market, selling the best souvenirs and trinkets at rock-bottom prices. Watch out though, vendors are aggressive and have a really good game at price negotiation, although they will eventually usually acquiesce to whatever price you want. To the east, the long “Riverside” area is lined with shops and restaurants, as well as important buildings such as the Presidential Palace and National Library. This part of town is active at all hours and has a Greenwich Village-type feel. Despite rumors heard to the contrary, I found Phnom Penh to be a fairly safe city, that is, I never felt unsafe at any moment or around anyone. Of course, we weren’t out too, too late and did our best to evade the traffic and driving conditions, which were, to put it mildly, abhorrent.
My first moto ride was actually in Oudong (the former capital) on our way to see a gorgeous wat and park area. Outside of tourist areas, barangs (western foreigners) stick out like the sorest of thumbs, with all eyes fixed upon you and young children shouting “hello, hello!” as you pass by. As we scaled the endless flight of stairs up the wat in the 90 degree weather, trying to evade the bite of wild monkeys on our path, I started wondering if I would stay sane for the duration of the trip. Mosquitoes were another issue: small and silent but as deadly as a WMD. We knew we were getting bitten left and right, but all you could do was cover up, apply more DEET, and hope they didn’t have dengue. Later that night, after my 5th bowl of white rice and some pieces of liver/intestine, I finally laid down surrounded by a mosquito net with the sounds of geckos, rats, and roosters in close proximity.
5 am is the approximate time most working Cambodians seem to start their day, as outside noise starts to pick up at around then. Most rural residents do not have access to a toilet or running water, so a bantup teuk (squatting toilet) and gmoot teuk (bucket shower) are the way to go. These weren’t that bad; you just have to make sure your standing water is mostly free of wigglers (mosquito larvae). Villagers and most Cambodians seem to like barangs, or at least get a kick out of them. Despite being of very modest means, many are very generous, and one is tempted to give them a hug and kiss for this. No way though, the sompah (bow) is more than accepted.
On our way back to Phnom Penh, we were “fortunate” enough to hitch a ride with a couple of army guys, who later demanded 4 times the regular fare. No time to dwell though, we soon headed up Northeast to the rural province of Ratanakiri. The ride up “national highway 7” or just “muddy, dirt road” was bumpier than an old-school washboard (I actually felt worse for the van, that was ruined). The scenery was like that of the movie Platoon. On the way there, we made periodic stops at hung bais (small, local eateries) and had the chance to sample some of the insects de jour (I tried tarantula). Before we knew it, we were in Banlung, with Laos and Vietnam some miles to the north and west, respectively.
The following day, we went on an elephant trek deep in the jungle, followed by visits to three gorgeous waterfalls, followed by a swim in an almost perfectly circular crater lake. All in all, the day’s events were some of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. That night, we dined on a street overlooking a lake, where locals would dine on the lakeside sidewalk. The awesomeness of it all made me completely forget about any fears of getting sick or the like.
The following morning, we jetted back south to the small city of Kampong Cham, where we witnessed our first road accident first-hand. Our van driver “accidentally” ran over a kid on a moto (with the kid and moto caught underneath the van). Miraculously, he wasn’t hurt and didn’t complain; he just started calling his dad on his cell phone. The nervous-as-hell driver wanted to pay him off, to which the kid just refused. After 10 minutes though, he finally accepted the money, which we calculated to be an enormous amount by Cambodian standards. No exchange of license/registration/insurance (lol) and the police never showed. After making a desperate attempt to stop at a bank, the driver then started picking up random things and people (pipes, poles, wood, cricket lady with huge pots of crickets, etc.). A young guy in the van asked me why I was riding in such a van (I told him how could I not). We soon arrived at the smaller town of Prey Chhor and met Eileen’s original host family, who were an absolute joy. The town offered a large market area, where we shopped for exotic fruit, clothing and trinkets. Markets, by the way, sell everything under the sun, with products ranging from car engines and industrial supplies to mystery meats hanging and live fish squirming in large bowls. We later took a tuk-tuk out in the burbs to a “resort” area, reminiscent of Banlung, with stunning views from shacks overlooking a lake and rice paddies.
Before too long, it was time to hit the road again, this time to the “Disneyland of Cambodia”, the Northwest tourist city of Siem Reap. Here, quaint, manicured streets in the style of European promenades are packed with barangs, barang food and barang accommodations. Only 3 miles away, we then made a pilgrimage to the Mecca of Buddist temple complexes, the sacred Angkor Wat. The only downside during this awesome display of architecture was, again, barangs all around us.
Everything in Siem Reap was a little too squeaky clean, including the market fish, so we soon felt the urge to head back down to the rawness of Phnom Penh. This time around, I decided to try something a little different. One of the things that every martial arts enthusiast dreams of doing is training Muay Thai in Thailand or Pradal Serey in Cambodia. I had the perfect opportunity this time, since the world famous Paddy’s Fight Club & Gym was right down the road. Just our luck, the Cambodian national champion happened to be sparring that night in the club’s main ring. We got to hang with Paddy Carson, train first-hand with the pros, and watch the Cambodian Pradal Serey titleholder fight at ringside. Unbelievable.
Our last sojourn in Cambodia was to the small fishing town and islands of Koh Kong along the Southwest corner bordering Thailand. Actually, Koh Kong was practically Thailand, with Thai spoken, written and baht ($) accepted as the preferred currency. Not a whole lot to do, though I found it to be a pleasant, sea side town with great views. On our second day, we decided to take a moto ride across the main bridge into an undeveloped island-like area. Here, we had a fun time at Koh Kong Safari World, where you can see exotic birds riding bicycles, orangutans boxing and tigers jumping through fire-hoops. We also checked out a mangrove park area, filled with, of course, endless trails of contorted mangrove trees. The unaffected, serene nature of Koh Kong made a lasting impression on me, and added a nice close to the trekking portion of our trip.
Cambodia definitely had its share of splendor, yet unfortunately, there were things maybe I wish I hadn’t seen. For example, the nightmarish images of dilapidated buildings that house child prostitutes, only blocks from the main boulevards and tourist areas. The faces of sickly beggars, young and old, that appeared out of nowhere, and prayed for your help. The desperation in the eyes of families living in tiny, straw shacks. Even more shocking, come to think of it, is the polar opposite contrast one sees upon returning back to the US, with the level of materialism and extravagance probably completely unimaginable to the aforementioned people.
Despite the considerable level of poverty, and despite the horrific, recent past that families faced under the Khmer Rouge (check out the genocide museum and killing fields), most Cambodians welcome foreigners with open arms and seem happy on the whole. Keep in mind though that locals are typically charged several times less for most things, and that’s across the entire country (just one aspect that can wear you down, mentally and emotionally). Cambodians are also very straight-shooting, telling it the way they see it, though not necessarily with any negative intent. I soon came to really appreciate this direct and unpretentious nature, despite always feeling a little out of place and touch with their culture. In a place like Cambodia, one has to always search for the positive in a given situation, as well as how one can learn and toughen-up inside from it. If you can continually do this, and not let it get to you (no matter what), you’ll evolve in a way well beyond what you think you’re capable of.
So..interesting experience, hmm? What’s the take-home? I’ll break it down to the skin and bones: you want sun and fun for the whole family, go to Florida. You want an intimate, relaxing getaway with your sweetie pie, go to the Caribbean. Now, you want an non-stop, adventurous journey into the wild that will test the inner sanctum of your mind and the very fabric of you being, come to Cambodia, where anything is possible.
Choice is yours ;-).
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Stay tuned for Part II : A Basic Cambodian Survival Guide
