A mostly flat and forested land, Cambodia is a small, compact country.

CambodiaTrip

Feb 2007

Siem Riep, Cambodia feels like turn of the century…100 years back in time. Very few cars on the road for it's a 3rd world country and people are poor. Main means of travel is the tuk-tuk and motorcycle. Streets/roads are barely paved, covered mostly with dirt, dust, mud; pollution is strong. But there is a charming element felt, and that is a combination of the French colonial charm from yesteryear, the graciousness of the people and the smiles of the children. Cambodian people love Americans for it is us, the tourists, who pour money into their incredibly poor economy. We loved our French colonial hotel with high ceilings, teakwood trim, dark wood panels, furniture with caned back wood chairs and starched white tablecloths with salmon coverlets….and a wide open lobby, so very quaint, nothing modern but air-conditioning…and that is a relief, for the temps are in the high 90s, titlehough no humidity and a breeze.

We so respected our Cambodian tour leader, survivor of Khmer Rouge regime, when 2,000,000 educated, professional citizens were tortured and killed; as were families with children by the communist leader Pol Pot during the 70s.

Visiting Angkor Wat was the highlight of the trip. It is a sprawling temple complex nestled in more than 96 sq. miles of cleared jungle. Its role as the center of the Khmer Empire speaks volumes about Asian political/cultural history. Hard to forget are the network of palaces, massive terraces, haunting statues, intricate bas reliefs….and especially the Killing Fields Memorial dedicated to all those killed during the Pol Pot regime. Other special memories of Cambodia include the floating village on Tonle Sap Lake (which is as large as one of our Great Lakes) including the church, school, bank and shacks where people live on the lake. It is called floating because as the water level of the lake changes, the village moves.

A memorable moment was when…during our visit to the floating school, Jim's camera lens cap fell into the lake, a small boy in the classroom ran out, threw off his shirt, dove into the muddy, murky water three times, and recovered it. Or the cart we rode, pulled by two oxen….thru the poor rural villages with naked smiling children living with pigs, chickens, etc. in one room shacks, no clothes or shoes, with a diet of fried snake, rats and mongoose… all waving to us. Rice, of course, is the main crop, and it is served with most meals.

This is a country, should you visit, you will always remember, and especially the graciousness of the people and the smiles of the children.

Cambodia Photo Gallery

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