Also known as
Kampuchea and Cambodge, Cambodia has hovered near the top of the travel wish-list
for some time and a 10 day break over Christmas proved the perfect opportunity.
The 12th century temple of Angkor Wat is often the main draw-card
for visitors, but Cambodia is so much more than just one temple. Over the 10
days we squeezed in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Koh Rong Samleom,
and even that was just a taster!
In Phnom Penh,
it was a very sobering afternoon at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. In order to
understand a little bit about Cambodia, one should attempt to have some understanding
of the Khmer Rouge regime and the impact it had and still has on Cambodia
today. The aim of the Khmer Rouge was to make a classless society. In order to
do this they executed all the educated people while everyone else was forced to
work in the rice fields where many died of malnutrition, exhaustion and
disease. Money, education, religion, freedom of movement and many other things
were banned to create a ‘free’ society. The regime eventually turned on itself
searching for imaginary enemies. No one was safe. The history of the Khmer
Rouge is complicated and won’t fit into one paragraph. If you want to know
more, read up on Pol Pot, Brother Number 1 and the Khmer Rouge. It is harrowing,
be prepared to be disturbed.
Tuol Sleng
Security Camp, or S-21 for short, was an ordinary high school in central Phnom
Penh that was converted into a prison and torture camp during the Khmer Rouge. Prisoners
were transported to S‑21, kept in cramped conditions, and tortured into giving
false statements which then condemned them to death, even for something as
simple as breaking a sewing machine needle in a factory (as part of a plot to
undermine the regime, obviously). Inmates sometimes died at S-21 but most of
the executions happened at the Killing Fields of Chuong Ek located a bit
outside of the city to isolate the noise and smell. We chose not to go to
Chuong Ek, S-21 was chilling enough. The audio guide at S-21 is very well done,
respectful and essential to a visit here. We didn’t take any photo’s at S-21 as
we thought this would be inappropriate.
Some
17 000 men, women and children passed through S-21 on the way to Chuong
Ek. S-21 was one of many such camps all around the country. Between one and
three million people died at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, with two million the
most quoted figure, about a quarter of the population. Let that sink in for a
minute. A quarter of the population. We struggled to make sense of the
senseless killing and waste of life. The impact of this loss is still felt in
Cambodia today with the country definitely still developing and emerging from
its past. Having said that, we found Cambodians in general to be a friendly,
welcoming and peaceful people.
Exploring in Phnom
Penh also included a trip to the National Museum, a graceful terracotta
structure with a beautiful and peaceful enclosed courtyard. The museum is home
to a fine collection of Khmer sculptures including Pre-Angkorian and Angkorian
works and also a collection of pottery and bronzes. Between the National Museum
in Phnom Penh and the Angkor National Museum in Siem Reap, it is a wonder that
there is anything left at Angkor itself! (Don’t worry, there is plenty.) We
found the Museum to be really useful preparation for visiting the temples of
Angkor, understanding the history behind the kings who built the temples and
also the symbols of Hinduism and Buddhism that we would see at the temples.
Definitely worth a visit and the audio guide is also worthwhile too.
The inner courtyard and terracotta buildings of the National Museum in Phnom Penh
Elephant statue
Bron trying to stay cool!
From the
National Museum we went around the corner to the Royal Palace and Silver
Pagoda. The palace is a striking structure on the riverfront with classic Khmer
roofs and ornate gilding, and bears a strong resemblance to the Grand Palace in
Bangkok. The palace is the official residence of the king and many areas are
closed to the public. Remember to take a t-shirt with you, as wearing a wrap
and being covered head to toe is apparently not sufficient, you have to be
wearing an actual t-shirt as Bron discovered. If they are not happy with your
dress you will be directed to buy a t-shirt and/or long pants before they will
even sell you an entry ticket. The palace is worth a visit but unfortunately we
did find it in need of some repair and maintenance.
Gardens and various buildings of the Royal Palace
Buddha statues in the garden
Stupas near the Silver Pagoda
Mural depicting the Hindu epic Ramayana
Buddha in the defeating evil pose
Phnom Penh is
also full of wonderful NGOs making a difference in the lives of Cambodians. The
few we experienced and enjoyed are Seeing Hands Massage (training blind people
in massage therapy and offering employment), the Daughters of Cambodia shop and
Sugar and Spice Café (helping victims of human trafficking), and the TREE
restaurants and associated shops (Friends and Romdeng in Phnom Penh). Google,
visit and support these wonderful initiatives!
On the streets of Phnom Penh at sunset
The Independence Monument at sunset
After a brief
1.5 days in Phnom Penh we made our way to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor. Stay
tuned for a separate bumper photo edition of our time at Angkor!
From Siem Reap
we travelled to Sihanoukville. Sihanoukville is
a super seedy town, there's no other way to put it, but it is also the gateway to the islands and we would not
have stayed here unless we had to due to flight schedules. We avoided going
into the town itself and just hung out at the two places we stayed at which we
did enjoy. From Sihanoukville we caught the Speed Ferry fast-boat service to
the island of Koh Rong Samleom for 3 days of sea, white sand, and tranquillity.
Not much
happens on Koh Rong Samleom and that’s the point. Our accommodation was a
rustic but comfortable bungalow in Saracen Bay, set in the sand with cosy
chairs on the veranda. We spent 3.5 days combing the beach, swimming, napping,
and enjoying BBQ grilled fish at night with our feet in the sand and a cat
snoozing in our laps. The island doesn’t start waking up until about 08:00, we
got up earlier and enjoyed the quiet early mornings on the beach before anyone
else was around and before the heat set in. Most days we did the 30 min walk to
Lazy Beach on the other side of the island where there was still shade until
about 12:00 or so, and did just that, laze. And played a competitive game of
the Saigon card game Traffic Oi or two. The restaurant on this side was also really
good and cosy and perfect for an extended mid-day brunch. Overall a good way to
end our time in Cambodge.
Our cosy little bungalow at Saracen Bay
Early mornings and sunsets at Saracen Bay
The aptly named Lazy Beach
Thank you
Cambodia!
See you next
time for Angkor Unplugged!!
