Cambodia Part 5 - Last Day of Temples

Today we were off on our own to explore whichever part of Siem Reap we chose.  After an exhaustive look at all of the temples, I decided we would go to Beng Melea, which is about 1.5 hours off the beaten path. 

Our drive there was well worth the 1.5 hours.  On our way there we passed by the local Red-Cross hospital.  There we found quite an array of people who apparently had walked 10-20 miles to the hospital for care....just that day!  We also passed many stands where it appeared that people were selling some sort of liquid in re-used containers.  Our driver informed us that these 1-2L bottles were full of gasoline!

While this may seem rudimentary, I can't recall seeing any gas stations, so I suppose this method works just as well.

We also passed a wide array of transportation, from people hand-carrying loads of cardboard and other materials, to the typical scooter with 5 people riding, ox-driven carts, and lots and lots of school-aged children.  This was my favorite part. 

The children of Cambodia are breathtaking.  Their schools operate in 2 shifts - morning and afternoon.  The children are required to wear a uniform, and while the public school system is technically 'free', the students must pay for their materials and also many must provide funds to the teachers (under the table of course).  Many of them go to school without shoes, as in the rural areas shoes are considered a luxury item. 

We weren't quite aware when we arrived at the temple as there were no tour buses or other crowds of people, which was a good sign in my opinion!  We did see a few children and young adults in the front of the temple, seemingly waiting for tourists in hopes that some may pay for a picture or some other trinket they had to sell.

Beng Melea made Ta Prohm (the Tomb Raider Temple) look very well manicured in comparison.  We lovingly called this temple the 'Indiana Jones' temple as we truly felt like explorers.  The temple is in ruins and one must really climb all over the temple to get a good look around.  There was a young man who did show us around a bit (for a fee, of course!), and he was able to show us a couple of good photo-ops.  We managed to find the library (I think) and a few other areas which lie in ruins.  We really had a GREAT time climbing about and exploring...as we were the only ones there at times it did get a bit creepy, but all the same this was everyone's FAVORITE temple as it felt as if we 'discovered' it!

That afternoon, after our usual swim, Andrea and Brandon (our hosts) offered to take the girls, along with their own children, into town for pizza and play.  Terry and I took advantage and went out for a nice adult meal.  While the food in Cambodia was quite good, as I mentioned in other articles, the service leads much to be desired and we waited for quite some time before being served.  The atmosphere in the restaurant was fabulous, but the food was mediocre in comparison.  Still, it was nice to have some adult time!

Up next....Terry and my favorite day touring a farm village in Siem Reap! 

Cambodia Part 4 - More Temples!

Our second day at the temples would be a very full one indeed.  We were scheduled to visit Banteay Srei, Banteay Kdei and Ta Prohm...all before lunch, hence it was going to be a VERY busy one!  After a good night's sleep, we set off a bit early that day better prepared (yes, I remembered to bring snacks and water).

Banteay Srei  is a VERY small temple; however, it's on the 'must see' list as the carvings at this VERY small temple are unusually well-preserved and also demonstrate some of the most beautiful Khmer artwork to be found among the temples.  All I can say is that while, yes, the carvings were by far the most intricate we had seen, the place was VERY small and crawling with tourists...it was difficult at times to listen to our tour guides what with all of the other languages being spoken around us!  We didn't spend too long at the temple as it was already warming up, and it was only 9:45am...so we quickly headed to our next destination, Banteay Kdei.

To be honest, I don't really remember Banteay Kdei other than we climbed an awful lot and Brianna bought a few trinkets; however, Terry had quite a few pictures that were quite nice!  One thing I did remember about this temple was all the people trying to sell things to us.

Most people in Cambodia live on less than one dollar a day, and poverty is evident throughout the country.  At EVERY temple, many Khmer people will try to sell a number of trinkets and souvenirs in hopes of making a few extra dollars for their families.  The trinkets range from guide books to post cards to slide flutes and T-shirts.  What is amazing to me is that the majority of the people selling these trinkets are children under the age of 12.  This made more sense when I discovered that school for Khmer children is only 1/2 of the day, either from 7am-11am or from 1pm-5pm, leaving LOTS of free-time (when one isn't expected to be helping on the farm or in other family matters).  Tourists (me included) feel more sympathy to children than to adults, hence children are far more effective at selling their trinkets than adults.  Even more amazing is that these children were selling me these items IN ENGLISH.  They approached me, asked me my name and where I was from...then proceeded to quote random facts about the USA....'USA President is Barrack Obama.  His wife is Michelle and his children are Sasha and Malia.'  They then asked me to buy '10 (postcards) for $1'.  When I smiled very politely and said no, they followed me to the car...eventually getting more desperate 'please buy 20 (postcards) for $1'.  When I say 'they', I mean about 4-6 children following us to the car....right up to the door.  They weren't aggressive, but just persistent.  They literally would not accept 'no' for an answer.  The girls and I did buy a few things (Brianna found some hand-made trinkets she liked for her cell phone, etc., and I found postcards); however, on the whole, we kept a smile on our faces and stuck to a simple 'no thank you'.  As an testament to how tenacious and smart these kids can be....they would then turn around and approach a different tourist and ask, in JAPANESE, 'please buy 2 for $1'.  AMAZING!

As Banteay Srei is quite a ways away from the B&B, we had a lovely drive back.  The scenery was pretty spectacular as it captured a glimpse of what daily life is like in Siem Reap.  The one thing we consistently noticed were how many children there were...no adults around, but mostly children.  They were mostly barefoot and sometimes in uniform, other times not (note the school times above).  They were riding bikes that were far larger than they were, playing in mud pits on the side of the road, other times escaping the unforgiving intensity of the Cambodian sun with their families under their houses (which are mostly built on stilts...more on that in another post). 

Along the way, we stopped on the side of the road by a row of small road-side stands.  At these particular stands, they were making a local staple...palm sugar (which I now am to understand is highly coveted as an alternative to high fructose corn syrup and is quite expensive in the USA).  To make it, the men climb a rickety hand-made ladder and cut a small slice in the fruit of the male palm tree.  A blue cup is then placed underneath the flower, collecting the palm sap.  The next day, the liquid is brought to the women, who sit above a fire pit with a GIANT wok, cooking down the liquid for hours until it turns into a caramel-kind of sugar.  The sugar at these particular places is then poured into molds and wrapped in palm leaves...making a super cool gift (we bought lots...largely because Terry went to purchase them at one stand and was then approached by the other 2 stand owners, persistently asking him to buy from them as well!).  We also purchased a few silk scarves as they are plentiful in Cambodia. 

Our last stop before lunch was Ta Prohm, better known as the 'Tomb Raider' temple.  This was one I was REALLY looking forward to as it has been somewhat unrestored.  The jungle has been beaten back and kept at bay; however, some of the trees have grown throughout the temple, making it near impossible to cut back.  I was not disappointed; although it was teeming with tourists.  The temple is everything it is quoted to be.  The sheer massive size of the trees is quite awesome.  There is one famous area within the temple where one tree overtook a smaller tree, and both are swallowing the temple, crushing it with their weight (although I am to understand that the type of trees growing throughout Ta Prohm aren't very dense, which is why the temple  hasn't been completely demolished by the jungle).  We got some great pics; however, by the time we were done, we were HOT, starving and ready for a break.  Our guide, Mr. Santhou, chose a lunch place which was yummy (but took FOREVER) and then bid us adieu, as this was our last day with him.   With full tummies, we headed back to the B&B where we had yet another activity that day....volunteering!

The B&B that we stayed at has a community center which has been built on the grounds...a gate connects the B&B facilities to the center.  This community center, JWOC (http://www.journeyswithinourcommunity.org/) offers a variety of free classes to the community, trying to improve the lives of the Khmer in Siem Reap.  They offer free classes to small school-aged children, as well as conversational English classes to young adults.  For those who are trying to improve their job skills, the center offers vocational courses (e.g. sewing).  As JWOC is connected with the B&B, where mostly foreigners are staying, they courses are extremely popular, as most guests at this particular B&B volunteer about 1-3 hours of their time by just talking with the students.  While it seems very simple, for those who have studied a foreign language, there is NOTHING like trying to speak the language with a native speaker.  The cadence of the speech, the accent, the rate of speech is a very different experience when trying to converse with a native speaker.  The experience is invaluable, hence the classes are typically full. 

We had the pleasure of helping out in a class with young adults aged 16-22.  While we were all exhausted, and the girls felt a bit out-of-place, I did find the experience to be fun.  Terry found it rather strange, and I agree that the topic we used could have been better.  Rather than trying to converse on a simple subject, we were tasked to identify items that are 'recyclable' and to explain how we can 'recycle' these items.  Terry made the comment, and I agreed, that perhaps it would have been more meaningful to discuss something a bit more relevant and simplistic.  When I had the chance to dig a bit deeper with one student, her comment to me was 'we are not rich like Americans, we cannot recycle'.  I found it a rather odd statement to make as I was unaware that recycling is something that is a 'luxury'?  I would think that everyone has access to recycling at one level or another.  At any rate, it provided a deeper glimpse into what life must be like for the many people living in Siem Reap.  Overall, the students were very friendly and happy, albeit a bit shy. 

From the size of this posting, you can see what a full-day it was...yet again, we found ourselves with a mediocre dinner and VERY tired girls (although Elaine and I managed to get a quick fish foot massage).  Knowing that we had a long drive ahead of us the next day, we headed off to bed. 

Cambodia Part 3 - 1st Day at the Temples!

Cambodia Day 3

Today was the day we were off to the temples!  Knowing it was going to be a hot one, we got up around 7am and made our way to the patio for breakfast at 7:30.  Filling up on a delicious western breakfast, we suited up with plenty of bug-spray and sunscreen and made our way to the van, heavily anticipating the wonders that lay ahead.

Sorry for the lopsided pic!!

Our first point of order was to ride on an elephant around the Bayon Temple.  We arrived at the elephant site and piled all 4 of us in.  Each elephant was suited with a platform-type saddle.  At first, the girls were a bit worried that we carried too much weight for the elephant.  Now granted, Terry and I did have a big breakfast; however, our guide assured us that the mighty beasts are quite used to carrying much more weight than the 4 of us (and let’s face it, Brianna and Elaine hardly weigh anything at all!).  We all enjoyed the scenery at the Bayon Temple, and riding around the perimeter made Terry and I quite excited about visiting later.  However, after our ride was over, Mr. Santhou suggested we not linger at the Bayon Temple, but rather turn around and start our temple tour at Angkor Watt, which is probably the most famous of all the Khmer temples.

Angkor Watt is the three-pointed temple which appears on the Cambodian flag.  At first glance it was overwhelmingly grand…it was a bit surreal, and to be honest, I don’t think I truly appreciated it until we left Cambodia.  It is perfectly symmetrical, and almost every detail that went into the structure has some symbolic meaning.  The apsaras (female guardians carved in the stones of the temple, which number in the thousands), the bas-reliefs (stories told through pictures carved into stone)…this all came to life for us, mostly due to our guide, Mr. Santhou.  He expertly guided us through this monumental piece of architecture and ensured that we saw the key pieces and understood their significance.  Trust me when I say that one could easily spend a whole day here.  This temple is quite massive, and really spread out.  We only caught the highlights as it was already about 95 degrees with 100% humidity at 10am!

The highlight of the tour was learning about the ‘churning of the sea of milk’, a very famous story from Hindu mythology, which is told through pictures in a bas relief (for details, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samudra_manthan).

I also learned that Angkor Watt was built largely as a religious monument, originally thought to have been dedicated to the Hindu God, Vishnu, by a King of Khmer.  It was definitely the most culturally rich temple we visited by far, and many many many great stories were to be had.  Having a guide at Angkor Wat I believe is essential for a true appreciation of why this great temple is so historically significant.

However, as amazing and rich as the journey was, the morning wore on and the sun was relentless.  While we tried to keep cool in the shade, this mom made a rooky move and forgot to bring snacks!!!  So, we called it a morning around 11:30 and agreed with Mr. Santhou that we would meet up with him at 3pm for the next round of our journey at the Angkor Complex.

Back at the B&B, our host, Andrea, invited Brianna and Elaine to join her and the children at the Community Center (which they founded, and happens to be in the same complex, through an adjoining gate) for an art class offered to the local kids.  Afterwards, they were invited to stay for swimming and snacks.  Terry and I quickly jumped on the chance to go touring without them and rushed to meet our guide for the next leg of our tour, the Bayon temple.

I understood why we were advised to take the afternoon easy as the heat was definitely intense.  We met our guide, Mr. Santhou, around 3pm and headed straight to the Bayon Temple (also known as the ‘smiling temple’).  Terry and I felt remarkably fast and light as we were travelling sans children.  With traffic (keep in mind that the Angkor complex was only 3 miles away!) we reached the temple around 3:45 (yup...30 minutes to go 3 miles!).  

The temple is a fraction of the size of Angkor Wat, and seems to be falling apart when compared to the robust architecture of Angkor Wat.  I learned that one of the great mysteries is learning where the builders obtained the stones for Angkor Wat, as the stones are not believed to be located close by.  Those that built Angkor Wat chose a much more durable stone, whereas the Bayon builders were in more of a hurry (the King who built the Bayon was the most prolific builder in the Khmer history) so they used what was closest.  I find the stone to be more beautiful in color and more interesting, as the stones to me appeared the size of bricks.  However, as one can see walking around, the temple is in far worse shape and needed quite a bit of restoring and structural assistance to keep from crumbling.

The one aspect of our temple touring that bothered me somewhat was how accessible the temples are….which can be seen as a precious and rare opportunity, but somewhat disturbing.  Walking in, on and through the temple just felt…..sacrilegious.  Something as rare and precious as this sacred temple should be treasured…walking all over it just felt weird.  I felt some small relief that there was no vandalism and the trash around the complex was quite minimal; however, I still couldn’t help but wonder with the increasing numbers of tourists who visit the temples every year, how much longer will the country allow this to happen?  Then again, this is a 3^rd world nation with one of the most corrupt governments known to man, so, I shudder to try and answer my own question.

After taking some gorgeous photos at the temple (Terry definitely was having a blast with his mid-life crisis purchase!), we headed to Phnom Bakheng, for the most 'touristy' part of our journey.  We were to watch the sunset at this temple.  I didn't realize it, but Cambodia is mostly flat, and this temple happens to be built on a large hill, providing the best place to view the sun set.  It's quite the popular thing to do for tourists.  While it sounds romantic, let me tell you it’s overrated!  We practically ran up the hill (which is the equivalent to running up the P-town ridge) to get there in time, as we arrived rather late for subset viewing.  Once there, the walk to the top of the temple is quite steep.  We clamored our way up to the top and squeezed in with some other folks to get a decent glimpse.  Yes, the sun was beautiful, and I can’t remember the last time I stopped to simply watch it set (wait…yes I do…it was yesterday, March 30 in Taipei!!); however, it was VERY VERY crowded.  The way down was quite treacherous.  This is another thing I am amazed at…there are no waivers one must sign before climbing to the top…anyone of any fitness level is welcome.  There is no mention that the stairs are about 6 inches deep, but each stair was about 18 inches tall….and one must climb down at about a 40-45 degree angle.  Terry and I quickly decided that we would NOT be taking the kids to see the sunset.  Our guide reluctantly acknowledged that there had been 2 accidents that previous year. 

Quite happy with our visit, we headed back to the B&B to see how the girls were faring.  We discovered them upstairs with Andrea’s children, watching American cartoons (in English, what a treat!) and relaxing.  They participated at the art class and had made Valentine card holders, then went swimming and after a snack, were relaxing.

We ate a meal in town that night (uneventful…the food this night, unfortunately, was not very good and the service was SLOW!) and headed back to get a good night’s sleep before our next temple excursion!