November 13-30, 2019

Siem Reap

Siem Reap is best known for the ancient temples of Angkor Wat and indeed, other than that, there is no real reason to go there. Don’t get me wrong, the temples are awe inspiring. But if temples are not your thing, Siem Reap likely isn’t either. We were there 4 nights and 3 days and during that time we enjoyed 2 half-days at the temples and a great circus show. The rest of it was spent poolside at our guesthouse!

Let me first tell you about the Phare Circus. This is not a show featuring performing (and possibly abused) animals. Rather this is an amazing show featuring Cambodian youth performing drama, dance and gymnastics (like a mini Cirque de Soleil). Phare is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children escape poverty by providing education, training and skills. Proceeds from the performances fund a school with fine arts and gymnastics focus which provides the children with the desire to stay in school and graduate. Some evolve into performers and others into skilled artists and artisans supporting themselves as well as the foundation. Another goal of the foundation is to educate people about at-risk children and how to break that risk cycle: for instance, not to take pictures of children or to buy anything from them, because to do so encourages the children as well as their parents to utilize them as money makers rather than going to school. We would highly recommend seeing the Phare Circus, either in Cambodia or elsewhere on its world tours.

The Siem Reap region includes the actual massive temple called Angkor Wat as well as other temples inside the ancient city and surrounding it. There are over 1000 temples of varying size, importance and condition but 72 main ones, all constructed during the 12th century. One can see the most popular ones in one day on a one-day ticket but the heat and amount of walking necessary to accomplish this would make for a very long hard day indeed! Instead we bought a 3-day pass which allowed us to space our visits for the time of day and length of visit that appealed to us.

The first day saw us picked up by our Tuk Tuk driver at 4:30 am to be at Angkor Wat in time for sunrise. Though our pictures do not do it justice, the serenity of the experience watching the sun come up to silhouette this famous temple was worth the price of admission alone! Being there early also meant that we had almost 7 hours of temple exploration before the main onslaught of heat and tourists, though there is no way to completely avoid either!

These temples represent the grandest period in Cambodian history. The walled city and structures housed royalty, commoners and monks alike: providing shelter, stability, protection and places of worship and burial amid this vast jungle. To walk amongst those ruins in the footprints of the thousands who walked there before is awe inspiring. It is hard to imagine that the level of sophistication necessary to produce this scale of building and level of carving and decoration existed in this civilization so long ago.

Far beyond the temple grounds, the city of Siem Reap stretches for miles, but the core area surrounding the river is most visited. There are of course the old market and night market for souvenirs and trinkets, with restaurants selling good and cheap Cambodian fare everywhere. We would usually split 3 dishes between the 2 of us with a drink each for less than $8 USD. There is also Pub Street, an area full of pubs and eateries geared towards western tourists as well as many stands selling grilled insects on sticks for those with an adventurous palate!

Battambang

We had read in various blogs about the slow boat trip from Siem Reap to Battambang. The trip takes 7 hours but would give gave us a unique view of this region, so we signed on for the voyage. The trip began in the Siem Reap river but quickly emptied into the lake Tonle’ Sap, the largest source of fresh water in Cambodia. We will mention this lake again later in the blog related to the bat caves.

We spent an uneventful hour on the lake getting used to our boat. This craft is very rudimentary, a long covered wooden boat with 2 seats on either side of a narrow aisle and there were about 50 people aboard. The boat was propelled by a big block Chevy engine that sat on the back open to the air and made a racket that rattled your back teeth. Luckily, we read in the blogs to stay away from the back of the boat because of the noise and the smells emanating from the toilets at the rear, so we secured a seat closer to the front.

We exited the lake into the Sangker River where we would spend the next 5 hours winding our way through rural Cambodia past multiple floating villages, fish farms and rice fields. It was fascinating to see firsthand how people live full time on the river, raising families, working, shopping, going to school and church, seeing doctors, police and even their political parties without touching land. We stopped at a floating restaurant/store for a lunch consisting of ginger chicken and a fresh pineapple, which cost us $5.00 for both of us. We were travelling in the dry season so the river was low but you could see everywhere how high the river rose during the rainy season as trash was hanging from branches 3-4 meters above the current river level. The few buildings we did see on land were built on stilts 2-3 meters off the ground. It was extremely hot that day and we did our best to cover up to avoid the heat, but you gave up caring about perspiration and sweat alongside all our boat mates.

We are really glad we decided to take this adventure but agreed with our fellow travellers that we would have been just as happy if it had been a 3-4 hour trip vs. the 7 hours we endured. Upon arrival in Battambang we were met by an army of Tuk-Tuk drivers who whisked us away to our respective guest houses.

Battambang is the regional capital and the center of commerce and trade for the region but is a much smaller and less touristy city than Siem Reap. We hired a Tuk-Tuk driver for a half day and we toured the more interesting sites of the area, including the bamboo train, the bat caves and the killing caves.

The bamboo train is what’s left of the regional railway that was dismantled by the Khmer Rouge as part of their isolationist policies. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge the locals began using the rails again, but not with typical trains, but with the makeshift bamboo raft like contraptions they could toggle together to move people and goods between neighbouring villages and towns. Because they had no schedules the ‘cars’ needed to be able to be disassembled to allow for north and southbound trains to share the same track. The cars consist of two train wheels axels with a bamboo platform resting on top. A belt is attached to the rear wheel axel and a small portable engine that can be detached easily and sits atop the bamboo platform. Now that a new modern rail system has replaced the bamboo train, it exists now strictly for the tourists.

We took a ride for about 8 kms through rice fields and got an up close view of the ingenuity the locals had when rebuilding their nation after the genocide. We had a blast careening down the old tracks with the little single stroke engine pushing us along doing north of 40 kms an hour. We stopped at least 5-6 times to disassemble our car and let the oncoming tourists pass, but we were back on the rails and on our way in under a minute. As a parting note, while taking our ride our old train track passed over a new highway that was under construction, so I think it safe to say that the bamboo trains’ days are numbered.

After the bamboo train our Tuk-Tuk driver took us cross country by dirt road to the famous bat caves of Battambang. I mention the dirt roads because I have never been to a dustier country than Cambodia. It seems that every street and highway is either under construction or is in need of it. You don’t want to Tuk-Tuk in Cambodia with loose fillings. Heidi and I looked like a doctor and a desperado respectively (see picture for clarity) to ensure we didn’t arrive home with a kilo of sand in our lungs. We arrived at the highest point of land in the area of Battambang that houses three interesting attractions, the Killing Caves, the Temples of Phnom Sampov and the Bat Caves.

The Killing Caves are the infamous spot that the Khmer Rouge used for executions in this region. There are a series of deep caves to which the Khmer Rouge led men, women and children to execute them with their remains being dropped unceremoniously into the caves. It is now a sad memorial to these victims that unfortunately has a bit of a Disneyland feel to it with vendors and young children pestering you non-stop as soon as you arrive.

The temples that share this mountaintop were interesting, but not nearly as interesting as the hundreds of monkeys that live around the temple and village. Everywhere you turn, monkeys big and small are scooting to and fro, some are cute and others ferocious looking. We watched with fascination the interaction amongst them, especially the young ones pulling each other’s tails and getting on the nerves of their elders.

My favourite attraction was the Bat Cave. 35 meters up on the side of the mountain was a cave stretching another 25 meters up the wall and measuring 10-15 meters wide. The locals have setup restaurants close by and line up chairs and tables directly in front of the caves to sell food and drinks to the tourists who are awaiting sunset to witness the spectacle of the bats of Battambang. Like clockwork as the sun disappears these small bats stream out of the caves like a 5-meter-wide black river. They are immeasurable in numbers, but the tour guide at the next table said they stream out for over two hours each night. All of these bats are headed to Tonle’ Sap lake to feast on the mosquitoes that reside near the lake. Not only is this the largest source of fresh water in Cambodia but is also the largest fresh water source of fish in the world so the bats and fish control the unchecked growth of mosquitoes. These millions of bats and fish save us all from the scourge of mosquitoes that would plague this region without their help.

We explored the local day and night markets and rented kayaks to take a trip up the river leading into Battambang from the south. We enjoyed getting a water level view of the villages along the river and the locals seem to enjoy seeing these crazy Canadians floating along smiling and saying hello in Cambodian. It really does help if you learn even the most rudimentary words, usually hello and thank you. Locals appreciate the effort and reciprocate with whatever English they know in return. It’s all about building bridges if you want to communicate.

Koh Rong Sanloem

After spending 7 busy days in Siem Reap and Battambang we were ready to relax again on a beach. The destination we chose was called Koh Rong Sanloem on the west coast of Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. To get there we flew to the town of Sihanoukville to catch a high-speed ferry over to this little island paradise. When doing our research, we had watched a YouTube video that spoke briefly about the massive transformation going on in Sihanoukville, but we were not prepared for what we encountered.

We caught a cab from the airport that took us through what can only be described as a warzone, as the development and construction was everywhere through our one hour journey to the ferry pier. Cambodia has limited financial resources and the Government has created a special economic zone here and has allowed the Chinese to invest heavily here in hotels, casinos etc. What was once a sleepy beach destination for tourists has in two years been transformed into a new Macau or Vegas. The locals are worried because the promise of prosperity for them isn’t materializing as the construction workers are primarily Chinese nationals and even the cab drivers are being brought in from China because they speak Chinese.  Apparently, some of these Chinese hotels refuse even to rent rooms to non-Chinese.

We couldn’t get away from Sihanoukville fast enough but when we arrived at Koh Rong Sanloem the horror quickly faded. Our bungalow was in the center of this lovely beach and was very rustic. We had no air-conditioning or hot water and because the island is not on the national grid, we only had power from 6:00 pm – 9:00 am because our resort was strictly solar powered. On the other hand, the ocean breezes blew through our bungalow cooling it down through the night and we had a fan for the warmest of nights. We didn’t miss the Wi-Fi as we spent our days walking, swimming, reading, playing cards or dice and generally relaxing.  We spent 90% of our time in bare feet and the walk from our bungalow to the various restaurants on the beach was no longer than 10-15 minutes. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a fridge, but without power or supermarkets to buy fresh food, it was impossible, so we learned to live with buying all our meals and snacks.

The local tradition here is seafood BBQ and I must admit, I had some of the best fish I ever tasted here on Koh Rong Sanloem. We ate jumbo shrimp, squid, (me not Heidi, not her favorite), red snapper (my all-time favorite) and coconut fish. All of them were full platters, more than one person could eat, i.e. 12 jumbo prawns or 1.5 kilo coconut fish, included salad, baked potato and corn on the cob all for under $10.00. Cambodian food was also available, example red curry with chicken or fish including vegetable and rice for $3.50.

This island is very small with our beach being the biggest at about 2 kms long. A short 25 minute walk across the island gets you to Lazy Beach, one of the top 21 beaches in the world according to National Geographic. We went over after breakfast one day and were one of the first 25 people to arrive and had a fantastic day. There is only one restaurant, a series of beachside bungalows, (power but no Wi-Fi) and a spot to rent stand up paddleboards (SUP), kayaks and snorkels. The water was crystal clear and like glass it was so calm, so we decided to rent SUP for Heidi’s maiden voyage! She was a natural: we paddled around for 60-90 minutes and she never fell in once. You will get no argument from me; this beach was truly magnificent.  

From our bungalow porch we could see a resort called The Pearl way out near the point past the far end of the beach. We had been told by a local that you could do a jungle walk to get there so we decided to spend a morning and go exploring. As we passed each successive resort the path became narrower and steeper and eventually petered away to almost nothing.  We passed at one point a group of workers building a wall.  A few minutes later one of those young men came along behind us, passed us and kept going.  About 15 minutes later he passed us going back the other way. By this time, Heidi felt we were in serious trouble!  We were wearing flip flops, scrambling along cliffs and rock faces, grabbing onto tree roots (Heidi had visions of accidentally grabbing onto a python by mistake).  We were sweating so profusely that it was burning our eyes and making our feet slippery in our flip flops.  Heidi, with her fear of heights, was practically hyperventilating and I was breathing hard too!  Eventually we saw clearing through the jungle and came down onto the beach of resort. 

Bedraggled and filthy, we made our way to the bar and ordered a drink.  The manager came over and we told him that we had walked.  He was amazed and told us that the young man that had passed us had come specifically to tell him to keep a watch out for some middle-aged crazies who were hiking in (ie send out a search party if they don’t show up!).  He also said that we were lucky not to have encountered snakes along the way:  pythons (see!) and at least 2 dangerously poisonous varieties frequent the area! We enjoyed a swim and lunch, before gratefully accepting the Manager’s offer of a boat trip back to our beach!

Phnom Penh

Landing in Phnom Penh after such a relaxing week at the beach was a bit overwhelming but we knew it was only for a few days before flying home after 6 months away. The guesthouse we chose was in a perfect location close to the river and most of the attractions we planned to take in. Our hotel manager was extremely helpful in arranging tuk-tuk drivers, tours, and cabs to the airport, just what the two lazy travelers needed. To be honest, our enthusiasm for touring a new city was waning but we were committed to seeing Choeung Ek Killing Field and the Tuol Sieng Museum chronicling the Cambodian genocide by the Khmer Rouge.  This tragic event is so very fresh in the minds of current Cambodians as almost everyone lost family members to the mass execution.

We spent our first day visiting the sombre Choeung Ek Killing Field and the Tuol Sieng Museum. I felt overwhelming sadness as we walked around Choeung Ek, one of the 300 execution sites the Khmer Rouge used to kill over 3 million of their own countrymen, women and children in less than four years during their reign of terror. That number represented 1/3 of the population.  The extermination of these people went undeterred as it was happening at the height of the Cold War in a far-off communist country.

Pol Pot, the leader of this regime, first emptied Phnom Penh of its 2 million inhabitants and forced them to join the peasant population in trying to “turn back the clock” to a time when rice production was the highest noble work.  He then crushed any existence of education, culture, religion or professions: just wearing eye glasses or having smooth hands in this time was a death sentence as it proved you were part of the elite. 

With the city empty, the Khmer Rouge then set up many prisons for the detainment and torture of its citizens.  Of them, the most infamous is S21, now the sight of the Tuol Sieng Genocide Museum, located in a former prestigious high school. Through this facility came nearly 20,000 men women and children who were tortured into false confessions, and then transported to the killing fields. Only seven people survived S21 during its 3 years of operations. These tortures and confessions were meticulously documented by the Khmer Rouge. The Vietnamese liberating army discovered the horrors of S21 and left it undisturbed so the true facts of the genocide could be made known to the outside world.

Today, the beds these poor people were strapped to while being tortured remain with the shackles used still in place, accompanied by horrific pictures documenting the fates of the last 14 prisoners killed and left there as the Khmer Rouge fled. Unlike the sadness I felt leaving the killing fields, my emotions were pure anger and outrage seeing what human beings could do to one another in the name of political or racist ideology. We must never let this happen again.

Both Heidi and I were really down returning from the tour and while walking down the street looking for somewhere for a late lunch, we walked by a Kitty Café, just what the doctor ordered. You pay an entry fee of $1.25 per person plus the cost of your beverage to enter a café filled with little furry friends. In a space about half the size of a typical Starbucks roamed 25-30 cats who didn’t have a care in the world. We were one of about 10 people sitting with our drinks petting and playing with these beautiful feline friends. I left feeling so much better, my spirit lifted by the experience.

The absolute highlight of our visit to Phnom Penh was being reunited with our honorary American daughter, Gretchen, who we met while travelling in Vietnam. Gretchen had been backpacking through Australia, New Zealand and SE Asia for a year and a half, the last month on her scooter Ruby. She inspired Heidi and me with her adventurous spirit and ‘can-do’ attitude and we were elated to be able to see her once again before heading home. Gretchen plans to stay in Phnom Penh to work for one of the many NGO’s focusing on the children at risk in Cambodia. We had a wonderful couple of nights together and tears were shed when we had to say goodbye. We made Gretchen promise she would come to Vancouver for a visit when she was next back in North America, and we will hold her to it.

Phenom Penh is a cool city, we shopped at the Russian market, ate at several noddle and Pho shops and generally lazed our way through our last days of this trip.