The Dichotomy of Cambodia

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Those opening lines to Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities are an apt description of what it has been like for us traveling in Cambodia.

Ben and Drew entering Angkor Wat

On one hand, we've rendezvoused with our good friends Ben and Casey here and had a wonderful time visiting the town of Siem Reap and exploring the magnificent ancient temples of Angkor. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor) Angkor is a region in Cambodia that is filled with massive temples and cities that were built by the Cambodian people, or Khmer (as they call themselves even today) almost a century ago, between 800 and 1200 A.D. It's a spectacular place. I was struck by two things in particular. One, the structures are absolutely gargantuan. And two, they are amazingly detailed. Every inch of these temples and walls that are some times miles long (or in most cases, hundreds of feet long) are covered in ornate carvings of Hindu, Buddhist, or royal figures and stories. It's truly staggering to get your head around how their civilization pulled this off a thousand years earlier when the U.S. was not yet even a glimmer in anyone's eye and even Europe was primitive by comparison. It marks one of the greatest achievements of the human race up to that time.

Ben and Casey in the tuk-tuk

It was quite enjoyable exploring the temples, by bike and by tuk-tuk. (A tuk-tuk is a carriage that is pulled by a motorcycle.) And we had a wonderful, friendly, and cheap guesthouse in town. And the Khmer food has been delicious. And we're with friends in an exotic part of the world. That all sounds great. Where is the down side, you ask?

Drew, Erin, Ben, Casey at Ta Prohm ruins

The faces of Bayon

Too many temples!

Nature wins, Ta Prohm

The ornate stone carvings of Banteay Srei

Well, there is also another side to Cambodia which we witnessed full force today in the capital city of Phnom Penh. In the 1970's a radical communist movement known as the Khmer Rouge (or red Khmer, as rouge means red in French) took over the country and plummeted the country into the darkest chapter in the country's history. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge) The Khmer Rouge led a radical social experiment in which they emptied the cities, marched everyone out to the country to work on farms, and tried to run a purely agrarian society. They ruled with an iron fist and eliminated all enemies of the revolution, real or imagined. The people lived in terror, even those who were part of the Khmer Rouge. They also ran the country into the ground, leading to massive famine and starvation. In the course of their five years in power, it is estimated that roughly 1.5 million people died from starvation, execution, or exhaustion - out of a population of 7.5 million. That's 20% of the population!

This morning we visited the Tuol Sleng Museum, which is on the grounds of a former top-secret prison of the KR security police known as S-21. It is one of the most morbid places I have ever been. It made my stomach turn to be there. During the KR reign, an estimated 14,000 prisoners passed through the walls of S-21. Only seven survived. The rest were detained, interrogated, tortured, and executed. A very grim place.

The memorial for the victims at the Killing Fields (Look closely if you dare)

Then this afternoon we visited The Killing Fields. The killing fields are the location, about 15 kilometers out of town, where the prisoners of S-21 and other enemies of the state were brought to meet their end. I'll spare you the details, but it is a memorial site whose grounds are covered with mass graves containing up to an estimated 20,000 bodies. Another very grim place.

It is in the shadows of this relatively recent history that Cambodia lives on and tries to recover. I'd argue that you can feel it in the air. The country suffers to this day. It is struggling to rebuild and heal its wounds and bring more prosperity and happiness to its citizens. As a visitor, I'm faced with it every day and around every corner. There are many beggars - children, mothers, victims of land mines that are missing limbs - asking for food or money. There are lots of signs of poverty where ever I look. We've seen a lot of poverty on our trip to Asia, but somehow it seems different here. Darker, more desperate somehow. It's been a challenging place to visit. I'm glad to have come here, but to be completely honest, I will also be glad to leave.

It has left a lasting impression on me, though, and will not soon be forgotten. It also has led me to think differently about events in the world today. Genocide, not unlike the one perpetrated on the Cambodian people, is happening right now in Sudan. Innocent men and women and children are being exterminated every single day, and I have done nothing about it, and the world collectively has done very little about it. I think 200,000 people have died there in the last three to four years. It's crazy. These human atrocities continue to happen through time and history. The visit to Cambodia brought the issue home for me.

It also makes me think differently on other matters - the U.S. prison and tactics at Guantanamo Bay, the past and current events in Kosovo, and more. But I'll spare you my opinions before I go too far astray.

Part of the The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh

In any event, that's what it has been like to travel in Cambodia. Both the best and the worst of humanity have been on display. We're looking forward to spending some more upbeat and enjoyable days seeing the other sights of Phnom Penh with Ben and Casey before we go our separate ways. Then we'll head back to Thailand where we hope to find a beach for a day or two en route to Bangkok.

Cool fountain/statue in Phnom Penh,
Naga (or mythical serpents) with twisted tails

Be well.

Drew