Friday, October 31, 2014. Laundry and Phare, The Cambodian Circus.

We planned a quiet day today so that we could take care of our laundry, hang out by the pool and spend the evening at Phare, The Cambodian Circus. Taking care of laundry involved walking about 20 meters from the hotel and putting our laundry bag on a scale. Weighing in at 2 kilograms, we were told the cost would be $2.00 and to come back for it at 5 pm. 

     

      

Hanging out at the pool was just as effortless. We staked out a couple of lounge chairs, spread out our towels and rested, read, swam and baked. It was another very hot day in Siem Reap and so a couple of hours was more than enough to spend at the pool. 

A walk downtown took us to neat little cafe where we had lunch. Even though Cambodia is the poorest country in South East Asia, Siem Reap is such a tourist town that there are many good restaurants and hotels. There are also zillions of tuk tuk drivers, all trying to make a living.  As we walked back towards the hotel we were asked many times, "tuk tuk madam?" There were several long canoes and some decorations on the water which I assume are in preparation for the Water Festival which begins next week.

      

We booked John Henry to pick us up at 7 and drive us to Phare. It began as an art school formed 20 years ago by 9 children and their art teacher when they returned home from a refugee camp after the fall of the Khmer Rouge.  A music school and theatre school were next, and finally, the circus school. Today more than 1,200 pupils attend the public school daily and 500 attend the alternative schools.

       

The performed incredible moves while telling a Cambodian folktale. The energy, emotion, enthusiasm and talent displayed by the performers was truly astounding. John Henry, our loyal tuk tuk driver was waiting for us after the performance and delivered us to our hotel.

Thursday, October 30, 2014. Temples, Landmines and Butterflies.

Cambodia is a country of such contrasts. There is much to be sad about here and yet there is a distinct sense of optimism and hope for the future among the Cambodians we have met. Most do not want to talk about the over thirty years of war that they endured, the death of 1/4 of the population at the hands of the Khmer Rouge or the millions of Land mines that still sit in wait for innocent victims. As our guide yesterday put it, "we look ahead."

One of the most fascinating places we visited today was not a spectacular temple, although today's temples were indeed spectacular. 

        

Today's highlight belongs to the Cambodian Landmine Museum. I first heard about this museum from my daughter Joanna who visited Cambodia several years ago. I got the distinct feeling from her that should I ever get to Cambodia this is one place I should visit. I am so glad that I did.

The Cambodian Landmine Museum and Relief Facility was established in 1997 by ex-child soldier Aki Ra. As a child soldier fighting first for the Khmer Rouge and later against the invading Vietnamese, he laid many land mines. After years of fighting he returned to the villages in which he planted thousands of mines and began removing them, by hand, and defusing them with homemade tools.

                        

In 2007 the government ordered Aki Ra’s museum closed. He was allowed to move it to a new location 40 kilometers from Siem Reap, near Banteay Srey Temple, inside the Angkor National Park. A Canadian NGO, the Cambodia Landmine Museum Relief Fund, founded by documentary film producer Richard Fitoussi, raised the money to buy the land and build the Museum. Most of the funding was provided by a movie director from California.

The facility currently houses a 4 gallery museum as well as being the home to 27 children. Originally all the children at the facility were landmine victims.  Today the facility cares for children who suffer from a variety of physical, emotional, and familial difficulties. Some of their stories, told in their own words, are posted on a wall in the museum.

After visiting this sad, yet very optimistic place we headed back towards Siem Reap. Along the way we spotted a Butterfly Centre and decided to stop. For $4.00 we had a great tour around the grounds and saw all the different stages in the life cycle of the butterfly. We took pictures of many beautiful butterflies and flowers before hopping back in the tuk tuk for the ride back to our hotel.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014. Angkor Temples.

    

Today was day one of our Angkor temple tour. Since hiring a guide for at least your first day is highly recommended we asked about a guide at the hotel's tour desk. By the time we finished breakfast a guide was booked for us. We had already made arrangements with last night's tuk tuk driver, John Brown, for an 8 am pickup and so when Kim, our guide arrived we headed out for a day of visiting several of the Angkor temples.

Stretching over some 400 square kilometres, including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire of the 9th to the 15th centuries, including the largest pre-industrial city in the world. The most famous are the Temple of Angkor Wat Angkor Thom, and the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations. Angkor Wat is the largest monument to religion ever built and is truly one of the seven wonders of the world. Kim provided us with lots of historical information and was able to interpret the stories told in the many detailed carvings. In fact, almost every stone has some kind of carving on it.

My description of these temples cannot do them justice. They are simply magnificent, awe inspiring and breath taking.

Even at 9 am it was very hot. By noon the thermometer reached a feel like temperature of 42 and we could feel every degree of it in the direct sunlight. Climbing the steep temple stairs was a chore, but simply not to be missed. Although there were huge crowds at Angkor Thom, by the time we recached Ta Phrom (now referred to as the Tomb Raider) the crowds had thinned out and we were able to explore without pushing through large tour groups. 

                       

Although it was a long, exhausting day, it was most enjoyable. We purchased 3 day passes for the Angkor temples and will explore some of the others on our own over the next few days. A brief, refreshing rain shower greeted us as we left Angkor Wat. However as soon as the rain stopped and the sun came out, the temperature again soared. 

Back at the hotel we treated ourselves to banana spring rolls topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate. After showers, we walked to the market, stopped at a cafe for coffee and walked back to Frangipani Hotel. That's enough for one day.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014. Phnom Penh to Siem Reap.

Taking the bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is quite an adventure. It took 7 1/2 hours to travel a little over 300 kilometers. The roads are a mess; mostly unpaved with big potholes, many of them filled with water. There were lots of signs that read, "Road Work" but I didn't see anyone working.

I chose the newest, highly recommended Ibis Bus Company. Although it was the most expensive $17.00) it was well worth it for the comfortable seats, air conditioning, movies, water and snacks. We had the front seats and so had a great view, although sometimes it was a little scary to see the driver passing a big truck on a single lane dirt road with oncoming cars, trucks and motorcycles headed straight for us. Thankfully, the condition of the roads kept the speed down.

     

The scenery along the way included small villages, towns, rice fields, cattle and innumerable shanties with small stands out front with produce and coke bottles full of gasoline for sale.

This sign was posted at a rest stop. Many Cambodian children living in the countryside do not attend school.

      

Once at the bus stationing Siem Reap it was easy to get a $2.00 tuk tuk ride to our hotel. Tomorrow we will start exploring the Ankor temples.

Monday, October 27, Phnom Penh, Day 4.

With another day of 41 degree temperatures forecast we were glad that we had booked a boat ride up the Mekong River to visit a silk farm and see some of rural life on the island of Koh Dah (Silk Island). Our tuk tuk driver dropped us off at the dock where our guide led us aboard the boat and happily informed us that we were the only ones booked for the trip. After leaving the dock she immediately served us drinks (we chose water) and a snack. She provided us with lots of information and answered our many questions as we made our way up the Mekong.

Phnom Penh is a city of stark contrasts and no where was it more in evidence than from the water. We motored by clusters of boat people; families who live in extreme poverty and try to eek out a living by fishing were dwarfed by an enormous, soon to open luxury hotel. Our guide told us the people living on the boats are Cham Muslims.

        

      

We also passed a very crowded ferry crossing the river and noticed where the ferry was heading to dock; a muddy looking dirt road sloping towards the water. There were lots of people there waiting to board.

        

   

Our young skipper stopped the vessel at a riverbank, put out a plank and along with our guide, we walked up the bank, through a grove of banana palms and ended up at a silk farm. We were greeted by the owner who showed us the entire process; from worm to silk scarf. Everything is done by hand and natural products such as flowers and tree bark are use to dye the thread. 

          

After being served fruit and water at the silk farm we boarded a horse drawn cart and enjoyed a very bumpy ride through the villages. Children seemed to pop out of nowhere to say "hello" to the foreigners riding on the back of a cart in the 41 degree heat. We stopped at a monastery; home to about 12 monks and the site of many large stupas which serve as crypts for the ashes of those who have died. 

A short walk took us back to the riverbank where we boarded our private vessel for the one hour trip back to the city. What a terrific day!

         

Sunday, October 26, 2014. Phnom Penh, Day 3.

  After a much needed good night's sleep and breakfast by the pool we decided to brave the busy streets of Phnom Penh by walking to our destination; the Royal Palace, home  to His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni and his mother. There is no access to their residence, of course, but visitors may tour the many other buildings on the grounds including The Throne Hall and the Silver Pagoda. The entire floor of the Silver Pagoda is made of 5600 silver tiles. This beautiful building houses gifts to the king, statues of the Buddha in many poses as well as a shining jade Buddha. Our guide provided us with lots of information and answered all of our questions. There was lots of activity on the grounds as staff are preparing for a huge celebration on Thursday to mark the 10th anniversary of the king's coronation.

                               

     

After we left the Palace we headed towards the waterfront. We were accosted by many, many tuk  tuk drivers, offering us various tours and rides to wherever we wanted to go. Beggars and people selling almost anything from sidewalk carts were everywhere. We had to shake our heads and say no thank you every few feet as made our way to Sisowath Quay.

 The heat was almost unbearable at a feel like temperature of about 40. However, it is by walking that one can truly experience life in this city and so we soldiered on, stopping to watch life go by on the riverbank and on the hectic city streets. The smell of city life was evident today; everything from meat cooking on sidewalk carts to the stench of garbage scattered everywhere. We saw Cambodians driving expensive cars as well as very poor Cambodians drying their laundry on the riverbank. 

       

        

      

         

  

We found "Friends" an NGO that works with marginalized youth and their families offering food, shelter, medical care, training and education for over 1,800 vulnerable or abandoned children each day. The organization runs a restaurant and a shop. Since we were not hungry we decided to support the organization by purchasing something in their shop. We left with a couple of t shirts and a bit of bling.

We had to say many more "no thank you's" before we made it back to our hotel where we quickly changed into bathing suits and had a refreshing dip in the pool. 

          

   

After a brief siesta we me out tuk tuk driver outside the gate and off we went to experience Phnom Penh's Night Market. The drive there was slow due to extremely heavy traffic. No one obeys stop signs or traffic rules of any kind.  It is nothing to see five vehicles side by side in a single lane. Bicycles, motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses and tuk tuks all vie for the same spot. I am amazed that we haven't seen, or been in, an accident. It seems as if the drivers have a certain respect for each other and someone yields at the last second.

      

      

We weaved in and out of the market stalls and did lots of looking, but no buying, until we got to the food area. To purchase food one is handed a small plastic basket and a pair of tongs. You then choose the food you want, pass back the basket and it is prepared on the spot. We chose shrimp, crab and tofu...all on sticks. There are two seating areas: large communal mats spread out on the ground (you must take your shoes off before sitting on the mats) or child size chairs at child size tables. As prices are in riel, there are tons of locals and very little English is spoken, I can assume that this is indeed a market for locals. We finished the market experience by stopping at a stall that sold Korean ice cream. Who knew!

Juan met us at the agreed time and he very skillfully tuk tuk'd us back to our hotel. Another full day in Phnom Penh.

Saturday, October 25, Day 2, Phnom Penh

We thought that our jet lag would be minimal because we did all the right things: hydrated, no heavy meals, melatonin, stay awake until bedtime local time, no caffeine, and light exercise; but, it is very difficult to fool the circadian rhythm of the body. Hence, last night was a no sleep night. We both dozed off a few times but those times were very few and brief. 

In spite of the fatigue we managed to eat a great breakfast by the pool and chat with two Australian women who were here visiting a school they had established some years ago. We met our tuk tuk driver outside the gate at 9:30 and with rain jackets in hand, headed out for the day.

Today was a somber day, as we visited S-21 Prison and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields. Both serve as reminders of the genocide that took place under the rule of The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot. From 1975 to 1979 the Khmer Rouge were responsible for the torture and murder of about 1.5 million people. 

After taking power in 1975, the Khmer Rouge evacuated Phnom Penh’s 2.5 million residents. After Pol Pot and his followers captured the capital, they immediately began a campaign of “purification” which cleansed the country of:

• Urban and Western life: The cities were evacuated and millions were marched into the countryside in a fanatical attempt to create a pure peasant society. 
• Capitalism: To make the country self-sufficient, it was turned into a giant labor camp – radical form of agrarian communism.
• Religion: Buddhism, the dominant religion, was attacked in the form of suppression and killing of monks. Of 60,000 Buddhist monks only 3,000 were found alive after the Khmer Rouge reign. 
• Educated Elite: Doctors, teachers, engineers, and any person of a professional occupation were killed along with the extended family.
• Foreigners, especially Chinese, Vietnamese, Muslims: Only half of the Chinese population survived. Thousands of Vietnamese were expelled and killed, and of the 250,000 Muslims in the country, 90,000 were massacred.

At the S-21 Prison, today called Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide, you are greeted by a list of rules for prisoners. Number 6 reads, "When getting lashes or electrification you must not cry at all".  Formerly the Tuol Svay Prey High School, the complex was converted to a prison.  From 1975 to 1979, 120,000 people were registered and photographed, then imprisoned and tortured, before they were killed.

    

       

   

The torture system at Tuol Sleng was designed to make prisoners confess to whatever crimes they were charged with by their captors. Prisoners were routinely beaten and tortured in various ways including electric shock, searing hot metal instruments, and hanging. Other methods for generating confessions included pulling out fingernails while pouring alcohol on their wounds or holding prisoners’ heads under water. 

The instruments used to torture 20,000 women, men and children, as well as photos of many of them are difficult to look at, but turning away is impossible. 

About 15 km outside of Phnom Penh the Choeung Killing Fields is one of the many killing fields that can be found in Cambodia. So far, 86 mass graves have been excavated here and there still more to be examined. Prisoners were sent here to be executed. Anywhere from several dozen up to three hundred people were brought here daily to be executed. Their hands were tied behind their backs, they were blindfolded and made to kneel in front of a big pit where they were clubbed on the neck with tools such as a cart axle, hoe, stick, wooden club or whatever else served as a weapon of death. They were sometimes stabbed with knives or swords to save using bullets, which were deemed to be too expensive. 

     

It is easy to describe the emotion experienced when visiting these two sites. The feeling of sadness is profound. How could this happen is the question many ask. Like other genocides in the not too distant past, it is so difficult to imagine that such a thing took place while the rest of the world stood by.

After visiting these two sites we stopped briefly at the Russian Market before heading back to our hotel where we enjoyed complimentary massages and a cup of passion fruit tea. Tonight we will dine here at the hotel and attempt to stay awake until at least 9. I predict sleep tonight.

October 24, 2014. Phnom Penh, Day 1

We arrived at our hotel around midnight, 28 hours after we left home. All flights were great as were the waits at the airports. Our hotel, advertised as a boutique hotel, an oasis in the midst of the hectic pace in Phnom Penh is living up to its ad. We missed this morning's complimentary breakfast as we slept until noon.

We left the hotel around 1 pm and found lots of tuk tuk drivers on the street, eager for our business. Our hotel posts typical tuk tuk prices and so negotiating a $2.00 ride to the National Museum was easy. Riding in a tuk tuk is a great way to travel. Our driver, Juan easily negotiated the heavy traffic, weaving in and out of lanes and crossing what looked to me like perilous intersections with ease.

      

  

The National Museum entrance fee of $5.00 was well worth it. We examined and read about Cambodian history from pre history to early 20th century. We saw 6th century bronze works, 10 ft tall Buddhist statues as well as mammoth stone statues of ancient kings. 

       

Juan was waiting for us when we came out of the museum and for another $2.00 we headed for the Central Market in search of cool, wrap around pants. Although everyone wanted to sell us something, we learned how to say "no thank you" in Khmer and used it. We eventually found the pants, bargained for them and then enjoyed a fresh coconut drink. 

Since we hadn't yet eaten and it was around 4 pm, we got Juan to take us to Naturae, an organic restaurant. Before Juan left he gave us walking directions to our hotel and we booked him for tomorrow's excursion. We enjoyed a great meal and managed to walk back to our hotel, even crossing the street like locals.

Back at the hotel we changed into our bathing suits, enjoyed a swim in the pool and relaxed poolside in a canopied lounge.

So far, life is good in Phnom Penh!

Wednesday, October 23, 2014. Cambodia Bound

I find it difficult to sleep well during the night before an early morning flight. Irrational thoughts such as, "what if the alarm doesn't go off or what if I forget my passport" seem to crowd out a peaceful sleep. However, the alarm did go off, I do have my passport and all is well as we relax at the Toronto airport. If you have had to board a plane at Terminal 3 in Toronto you already know how nice it is with comfortable seating and about 1,000 iPad stations, all connected to the internet. 

As I look out the airplane porthole of Korean Air, Flight 740 I can see Lake Huron go by. The flight map says 12,000 km to our destination, which is Seoul. The flight attendants have provided everyone with earphones, water, a blanket, a pillow and a pair of slippers and so with any luck at all, I will soon have a nap. However, first there were drinks followed by  a meal. Of the three choices we both chose the traditional Koren meal of rice, vegetables and seaweed soup. After offering everyone more wine, then tea and coffee, we were asked to put  our blinds down and the lights were dimmed for nap time.

I find myself sneaking the blind up a bit as we are flying over Northern Canada and since it is a bright, clear day, there is much to see. Currently we are flying over Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. It looks like we will see the Beaufort Sea and then cross the Bering Strait.

After a four hour rest period, the lights are back on, refreshing warm facecloths have been passed out and I see that we are 3236 miles from Soeul. We did cross the Bering Strait and as I look at the map now I see that we are flying over Siberia.

This photo is a look at Siberia from 32,000 feet.

    

As we approach Korea from northern China I see that we heading out towards the Yellow Sea to avoid North Korean air space. With less than an hour to go, we will soon be descending to the import at Incheon.

At the Incheon Airport we have a few hours to wait for our next flight and so we have been doing a lot of walking just to get the circulation going again after the 14 hour flight. I must say that Korean Air gives great service. The flight attendants were very attentive, keeping all 500 passengers fed and hydrated.

One more flight and we will be in Phnom Penh!