Spend enough time on buses and various other modes of transportation and you start tapping (to) into the popular music that is being listened to. Some of my fondest memories of music and definitely not the bus rides are of Nepal, where the buses were cramped full of people, many often sitting or sleeping in aisles, chickens, and radio blaring with feet tapping rhythmic tunes. Same was the case in Cambodia, albeit the buses were slightly more comfortable, the music more mellow. While in Central Asia, we heard a mix of Russian and Persian music, which reflected more of the proud culture and its mix influence of Muslim and nomadic roots.
It was the music that made the rides more enjoyable paired with snacks and road stops.
Showing posts with label cambodia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cambodia. Show all posts
Cambodian Bus Chats
We were glad to leave Siem Riep and take some time away from the tour groups and the many backpackers and so opted to go to Banlung in the Ratanakiri province in the NE of the country with its famous red soil. Riding on the bus, I sat next to a man who had converted to Islam from Buddhism and lived for 6 years in Saudi Arabia and owns a Rubber tree plantation. He spoke better Arabic than English. The facts learned from him were quite revealing as he told us that Cambodia has 1 million Muslims, pretty significant for a country with only 15 million people and lots of mosques. We saw Muslims in Siem Riep, heard the azan and would later hear the azan again in Banlung. I shared a few snacks with him and chatted the whole way about family and life in the country.
After riding on many buses, we still are sometimes surprised at how many people get packed on them, so on this ride, plastic chairs were brought out so that people could sit in the cramped bus. I also almost got peed on by a kid who just barely missed me. He was cute and his grandmother laughed, so all ended in laughter and I just rolled up my pants and sat inches from the puddle.
Arriving into town, we were met by some motorcycle touts offering free rides to hotels as they get commission for bringing in tourists, so hopped on and found a place nearby.
After riding on many buses, we still are sometimes surprised at how many people get packed on them, so on this ride, plastic chairs were brought out so that people could sit in the cramped bus. I also almost got peed on by a kid who just barely missed me. He was cute and his grandmother laughed, so all ended in laughter and I just rolled up my pants and sat inches from the puddle.
Arriving into town, we were met by some motorcycle touts offering free rides to hotels as they get commission for bringing in tourists, so hopped on and found a place nearby.
Atop a Crater
Leaving the temples and the crowds behind, we decided to enter the Ratankiri Province in NW Cambodia to the small city of Banlung. The area is sort of an adventurous paradise with lots of waterfalls and one significant crater lake known as Yaklom that is a good swimming spot. The town itself is nothing significant but that is the charm with a central market and some walks in the quiet town.
Our first hotel stay wasn't great as the room was full of ants and with no screen on the bathroom windows an open invitation for mosquitos to make a meal of us. Speaking of Mosquitos we've been pretty good about spraying ourselves with Deet but also lucky since we're not taking Dyxocycline due to side effects and the fact that it is a mild antibiotic and doesn't really provide adequate protection. We figure the best course is to wear pants in the evenings and stay covered.
On the bus from Siem Riep we had met Jared an American working at a hotel who invited us to view the sunsets from the commanding terrace of his hotel atop a mountain a few kilometers from town. Calling the hotel, they graciously decided to pick us up and we spent a few hours watching the forest views and the psychedelic pink and purple sunset while sipping tea. The place and the surroundings were too beautiful so decided to check in the next day and spend a few relaxing days at Motel Phnom Yaklom. Word spreads fast and after chatting with a few fellow travelers convinced them to come along on the bumpy ride to the hotel.
Our first day was spent swimming at the crater lake, which after I got my courage up jumped in (something spooky about it's mint green waters). The Ratanakiri Province is also known for it's blood red earth so after visiting a few waterfalls were both completely red but a little swim in the falls was the perfect cleansing. One of the falls had elephants to take you to the waterfalls but we instead opted to feed them a few of our bananas and oranges, which they happily snatched from us and even let it put it in their wet mouths. One even became so bold as to try and open my bag zipper to get at the remainder of our food.
The Christmas celebrations consisted of a few downloaded holiday tunes off of Jared's laptop and a fire with a few travelers around to close off the evening before heading off for the Laos border the next day.
Our first hotel stay wasn't great as the room was full of ants and with no screen on the bathroom windows an open invitation for mosquitos to make a meal of us. Speaking of Mosquitos we've been pretty good about spraying ourselves with Deet but also lucky since we're not taking Dyxocycline due to side effects and the fact that it is a mild antibiotic and doesn't really provide adequate protection. We figure the best course is to wear pants in the evenings and stay covered.
On the bus from Siem Riep we had met Jared an American working at a hotel who invited us to view the sunsets from the commanding terrace of his hotel atop a mountain a few kilometers from town. Calling the hotel, they graciously decided to pick us up and we spent a few hours watching the forest views and the psychedelic pink and purple sunset while sipping tea. The place and the surroundings were too beautiful so decided to check in the next day and spend a few relaxing days at Motel Phnom Yaklom. Word spreads fast and after chatting with a few fellow travelers convinced them to come along on the bumpy ride to the hotel.
Our first day was spent swimming at the crater lake, which after I got my courage up jumped in (something spooky about it's mint green waters). The Ratanakiri Province is also known for it's blood red earth so after visiting a few waterfalls were both completely red but a little swim in the falls was the perfect cleansing. One of the falls had elephants to take you to the waterfalls but we instead opted to feed them a few of our bananas and oranges, which they happily snatched from us and even let it put it in their wet mouths. One even became so bold as to try and open my bag zipper to get at the remainder of our food.
The Christmas celebrations consisted of a few downloaded holiday tunes off of Jared's laptop and a fire with a few travelers around to close off the evening before heading off for the Laos border the next day.
A Big Temple...Angkor Wat to be Exact
Coming into Siem Riep is a bit of a shocker as it feels like the biggest city in the country due to its many hotels, restaurants, and bars all present because of the rush of onlookers to visit Angkor Wat. As soon as we arrived into town, were propositioned by a tout for a free performace done by kids at a local school. We agreed because (a) it was free and (b) we like seeing performances. The name of the school where this was to happen is called Santepheap and in the Khmer language means peace. Fittingly, the place is run by an American who came here as a tourist and after seeing the need for educating kids found this school and is now its director. The school takes in kids from the ages of 10-18 and provides free education for them. Many Cambodians can't afford to send their kids off to get schooled due to financial constraints and the need for them to stay and work with the family on the farms. Santepheap instead provides free education in English, math, and science subjects with the the help of local tutors, volunteers, and staffed teachers.
Upon our arrival at the school we were greeted by the happy kids and asked to sit on plastic chairs under the stars where they served us tea and biscuits prior to the beginning of the show. We met some other travelers who had also been lured and made ourselves comfortable. The performances consisted of traditional Khmer dances and some Ramayana performances which were met with loud applauses from the audience. The kids were wonderful in their donated costumes and performed with confidence and were well practised. David, the director of the school made a plead for anyone interested to come and voulunteer and teach the kids some English, so we immediately agreed and signed on for the next day to spend a few hours at the school.
Next day, about 13 or so kids were ready for us and the day began with the senior tutor first giving us an introduction about the school and then a tour of the several small classrooms and dorms for the boys and girls. Our time was spent reading and conducting listening and writing exercises. Many of the kids were ahead of their age but many were still struggling and it was sad to see several 13 year olds reading at a kindergarten level but we still admired their determination and thirst for knowledge. On the plus side, a few kids have done so well that they have been admitted to a local private school for their education. To read more about the school, check out http://www.santepheap.org/
Now, about that big temple, yeah of course Angkor Wat was grand, we even got up way early to watch the sunrise, which was really amazing with the light of the flashlight and seeing the outlines of the buildings in the pitch darkness was both spooky and cool. We took the lazy approach and instead hired a tuk-tuk to take us around the sites and were satisfied with our one day pass. We took food with us so were able to pass the day sitting under shaded trees looking onto thousand year old ruins sometimes with hardly a soul in site. We packed Tamarind candy with us because we both really like it and it also serves a dual purpose for giving it to the local kids and seeing them smile.
There are a lot of mine victims in Cambodia and many have turned to imaginative ways to make money rather than begging so instead they make their living by playing in bands doing traditional music performaces on the street and around the temples selling CDs and also by selling books on the street.
Upon our arrival at the school we were greeted by the happy kids and asked to sit on plastic chairs under the stars where they served us tea and biscuits prior to the beginning of the show. We met some other travelers who had also been lured and made ourselves comfortable. The performances consisted of traditional Khmer dances and some Ramayana performances which were met with loud applauses from the audience. The kids were wonderful in their donated costumes and performed with confidence and were well practised. David, the director of the school made a plead for anyone interested to come and voulunteer and teach the kids some English, so we immediately agreed and signed on for the next day to spend a few hours at the school.
Next day, about 13 or so kids were ready for us and the day began with the senior tutor first giving us an introduction about the school and then a tour of the several small classrooms and dorms for the boys and girls. Our time was spent reading and conducting listening and writing exercises. Many of the kids were ahead of their age but many were still struggling and it was sad to see several 13 year olds reading at a kindergarten level but we still admired their determination and thirst for knowledge. On the plus side, a few kids have done so well that they have been admitted to a local private school for their education. To read more about the school, check out http://www.santepheap.org/
Now, about that big temple, yeah of course Angkor Wat was grand, we even got up way early to watch the sunrise, which was really amazing with the light of the flashlight and seeing the outlines of the buildings in the pitch darkness was both spooky and cool. We took the lazy approach and instead hired a tuk-tuk to take us around the sites and were satisfied with our one day pass. We took food with us so were able to pass the day sitting under shaded trees looking onto thousand year old ruins sometimes with hardly a soul in site. We packed Tamarind candy with us because we both really like it and it also serves a dual purpose for giving it to the local kids and seeing them smile.
There are a lot of mine victims in Cambodia and many have turned to imaginative ways to make money rather than begging so instead they make their living by playing in bands doing traditional music performaces on the street and around the temples selling CDs and also by selling books on the street.
Old French Town
Cambodia, like its neighbors was ruled by the French so has beautiful old charming French buildings around town and viewing them with the setting sun makes a picturesque image as the golden sunlight meets the pastels and yellows of the old fading and sometimes crumbling buildings. Battambang is such a town and outside of viewing some of the old French architecture there isn't much to do and the charm lies in just that, exploring the town on bicycles and cruising around the river. We arrived late into town and being a small area, were able to walk a few minutes to our hotel where we were able to get dinner as they were shutting off the lights.
All towns in the country are dominated by markets (psar) and the one in Battambang Psar Nat was a wonderful place to sample local flavors and we got our breakfast of rice porridge and noodles to start our day. The few sites in town as stated earlier are the old buildings and the night market, another place that exists in many countries. We decided to get ambitious the next day and rented a few bikes to peddle out to Phnom Sampeou, which is a religious site consisting of monastaries, caves, monks, and sadly more brutal history of the Khmer Rouge where they ruthlessly killed people. The hike to the top provides great views of the countryside below but one has to watch out for many mischevous monkeys that will gladly take your food. There are a few impressive caves around the area and with the help of a local were able to locate many of these hidden areas on foot. There was one disturbing cave in particular where the Khmer Rouge soldiers bludgeoned to death approximately 1,300 people and would throw their bodies from the cave opening below. In display were the many bones and skulls of the deceased now encased in a Buddhist shrine to ease their soul and spirit.
Another reason for being in this town is to take the picturesque 9 hour boat ride on the Sengker River all the way to Siem Riep. The boat departs early in the morning, so had to wake up around 5:30 AM to get ready and head out to the dock. We started the day with a traditional Khmer breakfast of duck eggs, rice porridge, and fish all provided for the wonderful price of free! Yes, the gracious hotel owner was kind enough to send us off on a full stomach and everytime encounters of such amazing kindness happen to us, we are always taken back by the people's genuiness and amazing friendliness. The ride up the river was beautiful, tragic, and happy. It was beautiful because of the sites that we passed, which consisted of floating villages, locals fishing, woman and kids bathing and playing in the waters and basically using the river to provide for their livelihood. It was tragic because at many places along the river we passed slums and many shanty towns with floating garbage, burning trash, and open pipes from houses above running into the river with many kids playing in the dirty water. It was happy because despite the hard conditions present everytime we passed a house a kid would pop up and smiling beamingly would shout out "hello" above the loud boat water and wave like a flag in the wind with all the enthausium that he/she could muster. We couldn't help but break out in gigantic smiles and never got tired of waving back during the entire ride duration. I know for both if us if anything can be said about winning over a country, it definitely is the people and we certainly fell in love with their optimitic, enthuastic, and friendly attitudes.
All towns in the country are dominated by markets (psar) and the one in Battambang Psar Nat was a wonderful place to sample local flavors and we got our breakfast of rice porridge and noodles to start our day. The few sites in town as stated earlier are the old buildings and the night market, another place that exists in many countries. We decided to get ambitious the next day and rented a few bikes to peddle out to Phnom Sampeou, which is a religious site consisting of monastaries, caves, monks, and sadly more brutal history of the Khmer Rouge where they ruthlessly killed people. The hike to the top provides great views of the countryside below but one has to watch out for many mischevous monkeys that will gladly take your food. There are a few impressive caves around the area and with the help of a local were able to locate many of these hidden areas on foot. There was one disturbing cave in particular where the Khmer Rouge soldiers bludgeoned to death approximately 1,300 people and would throw their bodies from the cave opening below. In display were the many bones and skulls of the deceased now encased in a Buddhist shrine to ease their soul and spirit.
Another reason for being in this town is to take the picturesque 9 hour boat ride on the Sengker River all the way to Siem Riep. The boat departs early in the morning, so had to wake up around 5:30 AM to get ready and head out to the dock. We started the day with a traditional Khmer breakfast of duck eggs, rice porridge, and fish all provided for the wonderful price of free! Yes, the gracious hotel owner was kind enough to send us off on a full stomach and everytime encounters of such amazing kindness happen to us, we are always taken back by the people's genuiness and amazing friendliness. The ride up the river was beautiful, tragic, and happy. It was beautiful because of the sites that we passed, which consisted of floating villages, locals fishing, woman and kids bathing and playing in the waters and basically using the river to provide for their livelihood. It was tragic because at many places along the river we passed slums and many shanty towns with floating garbage, burning trash, and open pipes from houses above running into the river with many kids playing in the dirty water. It was happy because despite the hard conditions present everytime we passed a house a kid would pop up and smiling beamingly would shout out "hello" above the loud boat water and wave like a flag in the wind with all the enthausium that he/she could muster. We couldn't help but break out in gigantic smiles and never got tired of waving back during the entire ride duration. I know for both if us if anything can be said about winning over a country, it definitely is the people and we certainly fell in love with their optimitic, enthuastic, and friendly attitudes.
Lazing Away
One always hears about the beaches in Thailand but not the beautiful ones in Cambodia, at least for us anyway. We went to Sihanounkville in the southern part of the country to check out the crystal clear warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand. We definitely found the waters to be exactly that but along with that there a lot of tourists in town as it happens with a lot of developed touristy towns. There are plenty of Western food restaurants, music, and bars. Wanting to take a break from the madness, while idling on the white sand beach were approached by a man selling boat rides to the nearby islands. We had been looking for such offers but when ones comes to you with the best price in town it was hard to resist such an offer.
The first night we saw a golden sun sinking itself into the water along with locals playing with fire lit batons on the beach. On the way to Koh Ruh (Bamboo Island), we spotted several white dolphins playing in the waters nearby, which even for the locals came as a surprise as sadly not a lot of wild life is seen in these parts. Before disembarking at our destination, we did some snorkeling but unfortunately the reef was not in great shape and many of the colorful fish were missing along with a lot of other marine life. Arriving later at Bamboo Island, lunch was prepared consisting of baked Barracuda and cold bottled Cokes. We hiked through a small jungle trail and arrived at a nicer beach on the other side of the island complete with thatched roof huts and hammocks to laze away the day. We opted for a basic room with mosquito netting and were surrounded by a cat, a dog family of four, some chickens, ducks, and one crazy goat aptly named Rambo. When trapped on an island, the only thing to do is swim, eat, nap, and swim some more. We fell asleep to the soothing sounds of the waves lit by nothing more than a beautiful moon as the generator would shut off at 10 PM, turning off the few lights.
We had initially planned to stay one night but intoxicated by the inviting surroundings, ended up spending three. We would have stayed longer but having no ATM on the island, we ran out of cash and had to make a run for the mainland. Luckily, we had kept the number of the boat operator who had dropped us off and a quick phone call under the coconut tree (the only place on the island that received cell phone reception) found our ride back. Coming back to mainland, got our bus ticket to our next destination and headed off to Battambang.
The first night we saw a golden sun sinking itself into the water along with locals playing with fire lit batons on the beach. On the way to Koh Ruh (Bamboo Island), we spotted several white dolphins playing in the waters nearby, which even for the locals came as a surprise as sadly not a lot of wild life is seen in these parts. Before disembarking at our destination, we did some snorkeling but unfortunately the reef was not in great shape and many of the colorful fish were missing along with a lot of other marine life. Arriving later at Bamboo Island, lunch was prepared consisting of baked Barracuda and cold bottled Cokes. We hiked through a small jungle trail and arrived at a nicer beach on the other side of the island complete with thatched roof huts and hammocks to laze away the day. We opted for a basic room with mosquito netting and were surrounded by a cat, a dog family of four, some chickens, ducks, and one crazy goat aptly named Rambo. When trapped on an island, the only thing to do is swim, eat, nap, and swim some more. We fell asleep to the soothing sounds of the waves lit by nothing more than a beautiful moon as the generator would shut off at 10 PM, turning off the few lights.
We had initially planned to stay one night but intoxicated by the inviting surroundings, ended up spending three. We would have stayed longer but having no ATM on the island, we ran out of cash and had to make a run for the mainland. Luckily, we had kept the number of the boat operator who had dropped us off and a quick phone call under the coconut tree (the only place on the island that received cell phone reception) found our ride back. Coming back to mainland, got our bus ticket to our next destination and headed off to Battambang.
Forgiven But Not Forgotten
Entering Cambodia, the differences are imminent from Vietnam, first of all Phnom Penh for a capital city is pretty small at just over a million people. The biggest difference for us was in food, as Khmer cuisine is heavily influenced by Indian and Thai cooking so flavors based on Coconut milk and Turmeric are pretty evident in the dishes. The capital is a peaceful place and despite the fast moving traffic, the people don't seem to be in too great of a hurry to go any place. Along the Tonle Sap River, all nations are represented with their flags fluttering in the breeze and it made us realize that many of these countries do a far better job of being accepting of other cultures and are so eager to learn from them whether it be the language or wanting to know more about current events and history.
The history of this nation is wraught with despair and sadness and is in full view at Tuol Slueng (S-21) security prison, which was used by the Khmer Rouge and built on the orders of Pol Pot to eradicate the population not tied to the revolution. In total 20,000 people were killed at this prison and the surrounding Choeung Ek Killing Fields and only 7 managed to survive using their skills in painting and photography. The black and white photos of the inmates taken before they were killed at S-21 stare back at you in their neutral expressions and makes one wonder if they knew their fate. I even saw a photo of a young man, smiling back. Visiting the detention center was the most horrific site for me as I was the only one in the area and the site of miniature dungeon like holes with swinging wooden doors really was very spooky. The people despite the horrors seem to be carrying on and have a contagious smile that can instantly befriend strangers. I heard a tour guide at Tuol Sleung say "that we are Buddhist, so we can forgive but we can never forget."
After seeing the Killing Fields and coming face to face with the remains of thousands upon thousands of souls exterminated at the site, we were ready for some soul searching, so ended up at the Royal Palace with lots of Buddhas and temples to bring it home for this Buddhist nation.
The history of this nation is wraught with despair and sadness and is in full view at Tuol Slueng (S-21) security prison, which was used by the Khmer Rouge and built on the orders of Pol Pot to eradicate the population not tied to the revolution. In total 20,000 people were killed at this prison and the surrounding Choeung Ek Killing Fields and only 7 managed to survive using their skills in painting and photography. The black and white photos of the inmates taken before they were killed at S-21 stare back at you in their neutral expressions and makes one wonder if they knew their fate. I even saw a photo of a young man, smiling back. Visiting the detention center was the most horrific site for me as I was the only one in the area and the site of miniature dungeon like holes with swinging wooden doors really was very spooky. The people despite the horrors seem to be carrying on and have a contagious smile that can instantly befriend strangers. I heard a tour guide at Tuol Sleung say "that we are Buddhist, so we can forgive but we can never forget."
After seeing the Killing Fields and coming face to face with the remains of thousands upon thousands of souls exterminated at the site, we were ready for some soul searching, so ended up at the Royal Palace with lots of Buddhas and temples to bring it home for this Buddhist nation.
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