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Cambodia: Past vs Present

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By bus, on foot, but mostly by boat we looped for three days through Viet Nam's Mekong Delta to Cambodia.  From an historical perspective, the Mekong Delta was originally territory of the indigenous people of Cambodia, the Khmer.  Viet Nam demanded a vast portion of the Delta in exchange for its support of Cambodia against Thailand hundreds of years ago. As the weaker neighbor of these two stronger powers, Cambodia was often forced into allegiances with one or the other.

Winding through small muddy tributaries we saw people wading shoulder-deep hunting for clams and crustaceans. We witnessed the making of coconut candy and rice paper, and Bill shared a shot of snake wine with one smiley local gent; and, we saw shores rich with 40 percent of Vietnam's rice production, ranking it among the top-3 in the world. Once in Cambodia, though, the landscape turned immediately dry, we were packed into a rickety mini-bus, along with the bicycle of one co-traveler, and were off to Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh felt dusty and run-down in comparison to the sultry, romantic feel of Saigon.  Roads turned quickly from pavement to rutted dirt even in the center of the city...evidence, perhaps, of continued political instability.   Amazingly, the city has seen violence as recently as 1997.

Having delved into Viet Nam;s war history, we were eager to understand how Cambodia was affected. Certainly one of the most tragic events was Pol Pot's rise to power.  Visiting Tuol Sleng, also known as S-21, was eye-opening.  It is the infamous institution where Pol Pot orchestrated the massacre of thousands of Cambodians between 1975 and 1979. Once an inner city high school, this site now memorializes the lives of innocent people, young and old, who were tortured and killed at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. Classrooms were converted to jail cells and interrogation rooms. Some are now lined with photographs that document those who were killed. A documentary movie outlined the typical story of one woman, separated from her family in the countryside, forced into hard farm labor, and senselessly murdered by Pol Pot's regime. We also visited Cheung Ek, the actual site of one of the many killing fields where people were taken, blindfolded, executed and buried in mass graves. The eerie site, a 20 minute motorbike ride outside of town, now houses their unidentified bones: over 8,900 skulls behind glass in a memorial tower.

In contrast, the Royal Palace was quite grand, boasting a silver-tiled pagoda, jeweled buddhas and manicured grounds. The Royal Museum houses artifacts dating back before the Angkor period (800 A.D.) revealing skilled stone carving, bronze works, and paintings. Together these institutions reflected a culture as rich and accomplished as that of the Incas of Peru.  Unfortunately, in Phnom Penh Cambodia's ancient history seems to sit  in the shadow of its more-recent devastating past

We stayed at the home of a friend who has lived in Phnom Penh for over 10 years. He told us frankly that Cambodia has not recovered from its tumultuous history, that educated people over the age of 35 were a rarity, and that the government lacks any real supervision over the people. He described a feeling that many people don't care and that the future of Cambodia and its people looks grim. This was in stark contrast to Viet Nam where people were outwardly motivated to make money, embrace development, and design their own future. At the same time, from our perspective as travelers, there were still cafes, restaurants, email shops and the bustle of daily life. A perfect example was the lively Russian Market with its tasty Cambodian noodles and endless stalls selling Buddha statues, opium pipes and painted lacquer trays....business as usual.  This dichotomy of socio-political indifference and organic, commercial industriousness left us unsure as to the potential future of Cambodia.

Dust and bustle drove us north from Phnom Penh by fast-boat to Siem Reap, the site of the Angkor ruins. Our first glimpse came at sunset from the top of Phanom Bakeng, overlooking Angkor Wat and the neighboring plains to the west. There were a zillion tourists: Japanese, Korean, French, Swedish, German, Israeli, and American to name a few. We toured the enormous temple grounds riding from temple to temple on the backs of motorbikes for 2 days and by bicycle for 1 day.

Sunrise on day one was only halfway serene as any potentially silent moments were filled by the shouts of "mister....you want breakfast...you buy from me......you promise......I give you peace and quiet.....mister...."   But, the sun was huge and bold red as it rose over the water pool at Sras Srang. Our guide led us through the intricate panels of bas relief that line the walls of the Bayon. We were amazed walking through the classic overgrown "jungle temple" formally known as Ta Phrom, and the day was topped off with our first visit to Angkor Wat itself. We climbed up the steep stairs to the center tower where monks and tourists alike took in the 360-degree view.

Day two we ventured to the more remote sites of Banteay Srei and Kbal Spaen. Known for its intricate carvings, Banteay Srei is a smaller temple thought to have been crafted by women. We hiked 200 meters into the jungle to see Kbal Spaen, a river now dry due to the season, in which 1,000 linga (the male symbol of fertility) are carved into massive stones which line its bed. It paled, however,  in comparison to the ornate and enormous mani stones we saw in Tibet .

On our final day we rented bicycles and planned to visit some of the less frequented areas in the complex: Preah Khan, Preah Neak Pean and Ta Som. It was serene and surreal to wander the long stone corridors and happen upon an ornate carving or a pile of fallen stones. We could imagine how grand the whole complex must have been during the Angkor Empire.

In our reading about Cambodia, many authors seemed perplexed and saddened that a people who once ruled a vast region, including territory that extends well into what is now Thailand and Vietnam, could end up lacking energetic leadership, a sense of identity, or a vision for its own future.   Seemingly more stable now, we hope Cambodia will have its chance at peace and prosperity.