After spending a few more days in Bangkok coming back from Laos, I set off by bus for Siem Reap, Cambodia. The journey cost a mere 4 dollars and consisted of a 12 hour bus ride. The venture started out in an air conditioned coach with plush comfy chairs and ended in a bare bones clunker; leaving those along for the bumpy ride of potholes, dusty rust colored roads with an orange face and a sore backside upon arrival.
Siem Reap is famous for it’s Temples of Ankor; one of the wonders of the world and known as the largest religious sanctions to date. The temples themselves are the capital of Cambodians’ ancient Khmer Empire and were dated as early as 8th century. Rising at 5:30am, by rented bicycle, I witnessed for a little over 5 hours what I would describe as an archaeological fantasia. My pictures do no justice to the crumbling Wats aging together with the nature surrounding them; this place is what historical sites are supposed to be like.
Hot, sticky and once gain orange from my daily dosage of Cambodian road dust I retired to my guest house totally knackered.
Although Angkor Wat, in all its majesty, was truly memorable my most impressionable experiences thus far would have to be the interaction with the Cambodian people. At first, I was annoyed by the mere volume of people constantly approaching me, haggling me, following me to try to sell me something. As soon as you step out from where ever you are at least 3 people are coming to you….buy, buy, buy…some saddened me as they were local amputees from land mines. Sadness and frustration getting me nowhere, I turned on the smile and gave humble polite no thank you. When presented with local tuk-tuk and motorbike touts I laughed and started to play some jokes. This mostly ended in smiles and when lucky a conversation showed a glimpse as to what it was really like to live in Cambodia.
On the last night in Siem Reap I met a tuk-tuk driver named Tee by telling him I wanted a ride to Phnom Phen (12 hours away and totally unrealistically possible by tuk-tuk) when he asked me “Lady you need a ride in tuk-tuk? Where you go?” I declined his ride to take me there for 1 USD and asked if he would rather have a beer which lead into candid conversation about his life and an exchange for information about both how the politics, health care and education systems work in both Cambodia and the US. I found out, as I expected, that Cambodians really have it unfair. The government here, the state and the police are corrupt and can be bribed with money. The current challenge for the local Cambodians trying to make a living lies with the struggle of inflation, too much competition, and a drive to somehow better themselves with minimum means and opportunity to do so.
An education is very expensive and to earn the money to achieve an education is close to mission impossible. Tee had teamed up with a friend whom would attend university while he worked as a tuk-tuk driver to help to pay the tuition. After completion, Tee would attend university with his friends help. I was shocked to also hear that even the teachers could be bribed with money if a student would pay it to pass. Paying the police to ’look the other way’ when a crime was committed was a common occurrence.
After an hour of talking with Tee we ended our conversation around what are dreams were. I felt a pit in my stomach turn when he said that his dream was to have an education and to travel the world. Hairs standing up on the back of my neck as this was also my dream and I was living it right in front of him. I felt sadness and a ping of something I think was named guilt sweep over me. I was thinking maybe that he could never realistically live his dream given the means and opportunity that he had been dealt with. The part that made me want to cry was that he was working so hard and had so much hope and determination in his eyes. In myself I doubted his dreams which made me ashamed my own insatiable wants and lack of realizing how lucky I am.
Cambodia is a country of contradictions; even in the hardest of settings and a history laced with turmoil Cambodians share together a vision and a mindset of success.
They are fighters, survivors and even dreamers....
Siem Reap is famous for it’s Temples of Ankor; one of the wonders of the world and known as the largest religious sanctions to date. The temples themselves are the capital of Cambodians’ ancient Khmer Empire and were dated as early as 8th century. Rising at 5:30am, by rented bicycle, I witnessed for a little over 5 hours what I would describe as an archaeological fantasia. My pictures do no justice to the crumbling Wats aging together with the nature surrounding them; this place is what historical sites are supposed to be like.
Hot, sticky and once gain orange from my daily dosage of Cambodian road dust I retired to my guest house totally knackered.
Although Angkor Wat, in all its majesty, was truly memorable my most impressionable experiences thus far would have to be the interaction with the Cambodian people. At first, I was annoyed by the mere volume of people constantly approaching me, haggling me, following me to try to sell me something. As soon as you step out from where ever you are at least 3 people are coming to you….buy, buy, buy…some saddened me as they were local amputees from land mines. Sadness and frustration getting me nowhere, I turned on the smile and gave humble polite no thank you. When presented with local tuk-tuk and motorbike touts I laughed and started to play some jokes. This mostly ended in smiles and when lucky a conversation showed a glimpse as to what it was really like to live in Cambodia.
On the last night in Siem Reap I met a tuk-tuk driver named Tee by telling him I wanted a ride to Phnom Phen (12 hours away and totally unrealistically possible by tuk-tuk) when he asked me “Lady you need a ride in tuk-tuk? Where you go?” I declined his ride to take me there for 1 USD and asked if he would rather have a beer which lead into candid conversation about his life and an exchange for information about both how the politics, health care and education systems work in both Cambodia and the US. I found out, as I expected, that Cambodians really have it unfair. The government here, the state and the police are corrupt and can be bribed with money. The current challenge for the local Cambodians trying to make a living lies with the struggle of inflation, too much competition, and a drive to somehow better themselves with minimum means and opportunity to do so.
An education is very expensive and to earn the money to achieve an education is close to mission impossible. Tee had teamed up with a friend whom would attend university while he worked as a tuk-tuk driver to help to pay the tuition. After completion, Tee would attend university with his friends help. I was shocked to also hear that even the teachers could be bribed with money if a student would pay it to pass. Paying the police to ’look the other way’ when a crime was committed was a common occurrence.
After an hour of talking with Tee we ended our conversation around what are dreams were. I felt a pit in my stomach turn when he said that his dream was to have an education and to travel the world. Hairs standing up on the back of my neck as this was also my dream and I was living it right in front of him. I felt sadness and a ping of something I think was named guilt sweep over me. I was thinking maybe that he could never realistically live his dream given the means and opportunity that he had been dealt with. The part that made me want to cry was that he was working so hard and had so much hope and determination in his eyes. In myself I doubted his dreams which made me ashamed my own insatiable wants and lack of realizing how lucky I am.
Cambodia is a country of contradictions; even in the hardest of settings and a history laced with turmoil Cambodians share together a vision and a mindset of success.
They are fighters, survivors and even dreamers....
1 comment:
Cambodia, sweet memories...
My tuk tuk driver was called Vanna. A very nice guy too... I tried to find him a Cambodian girlfriend, but it seemed to be too expensive: 5000USD!!! So I told him he should find himself an occidental one, as he could have her for free if Love is around the corner :)
He is one of my best memories from Cambodia.
Keep writing!!
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