Weekend in Cambodia

Last week a met I Lithuanian girl, she was going for 4 days to Cambodia, Siem Reap/Angkor Wat. I also want!!! Have to go to work on monday, can have 2 days there. Too short? At least something. I get tickets, and the next day we go - me, Ruta, and her chinese friend.

Angkor Wat - the area of antient temples, and the most touristic part of Cambodia. But you can still see a bit of "real" local life (not for long, I guess). So far, it's the most poor and the most exotic place I've seen. There are quite some 5* hotels, or you can sleep in a guesthouse 5$ per room as well, what we did. Everyone lives from tourism, many speek english, but most are still very poor, there are people earning 20$ per month. Of course, they get different prices. Bars have menus for tourists, and 4-10 times lower prices for locals, you can rent a room for 50$ per month and squeeze with the whole family. If you come for short time like I did, that's gonna be one of the most expensive trips. Have to pay visa, exit fee, ticket to the temples, transport, and of course at least a bit support kids that surround you at every temple selling cheap scarfs (good, but cannot have 100 of them) and all nonsences like "christmas decorations". Merry christmas to you too, but no, thank you, no, no, no, noooo.... some can have patience to follow you for kilometers. We had a "car" to run away at the end.

We arrived to the place 7am, after ~3 hours of sleeping. Just like our Aalborg trips:) Cab tothe city $5 - that's a flat rate, and we are in the most poor and at the same exotic town I've seen. The driver dropped us out at hte center, apparently few streets further than we asked, but everything is close. We took the first guesthouse on the way, it was good choice. Inside much cleaner than in the street, still "local" style. Nice owner, like everyone else. People are increadibly friendly, and not only for money. Kids will alays say hello, when we had a boat trip to a floating village quite far away from the city, everyone was waving and smiling to us. NOT asking for money. A common way to travel around - a tuk-tuk, that is a motorbike with a carriet attached behind. The driver is always with us, helping to shop, etc., telling about the country as much as his english allows.

Floating Village

The trip to the village and the views are amazing. It seems like it's 100s years ago, all food is made on fire, houses build of something tree-straw like, all have 4 legs, as there are floods in march and april. Plenty of kids. ~5-6 per family. Half of population - younger than 20, much more women due to the civil war and totalitarian regime some 10s years ago. Kids are all dirty, half naked, playing around. Free and happy, even if poor. Everyone seems to be happy. Of course, that's touristic area, and they can get some dollars. For selling food, souveniers (though in that village did not see any), taking around by boat. Water is brown, and of course that's the place where villagers put ALL waste. Kids are swimming around. Probably getting deseases as well. They also have floating "hospital" and floating school. Not much worries about education though. Young girls were taking us around by a small boat, on a school day. Very beautiful, taking in Khmer, singing, giving us to row the boat, singing Khmer national songs (that was the best part!), touching without shyness. At the end asking a dollar, but they deserver it! The agreed fee their mam is taking. Infinite smile and joyful screems with getting it. Actually, we gave sweets to some instead of money, and they were equally happy.

Sunset in Angkor Wat

In the evening we went to the temples to see sunset - standard procedure. You can get in after 5pm with tomorrows ticket. Ankor Wat - the biggest temple, impressive. Check wikipedia for more info, I am not good in remembering facts :) The area of the temples is huge, 100s of sq. km, I guess. Can go >30km from one area to another - these were antient, also from middle ages villages. Many from Khmer empire. Now protected by UNESCO, many countries support reconstruction. Plenty of package tour visitors.

The next day

Another procedure, but less standard - sunrise, coming to place 5am. That's what I did, again not more than 4h sleeping. Let me use this word again, AMAZING! Our tuk-tuk driver had to pick up the rest of our team 9pm, and I took a motorbike driver. Very romantic trip :)) Warm morning, clear sky. No city lights around - you see all stars and the moon. The driver being funny, telling about his family, teaching me Khmer, as I always ask that."tree" is three, all I remember. The rest does not associate with anything, only sound of vietnamese from hollywood war movies.

There were not that many people in the morning, and the view is worth cutting off half night, seing the sun rise right behind the temple. It's entrance is straight to the west, which is direction as death - as the temple was a tomb for one of empirors. A few kids offering coffee and a plastic chair to sit, but it's easy to step away and try to make some crapy photos (still too bad in that). After, 2kms walt to another ancient city, and another temple with many faces directed to the east. Should that mean birth? Just don't approach little "markets", as they don't let you pass by peacefully, and enjoy climbing on the stones - they let go in and on anywhere you want, plenty engravings - mostly faces of god(esses) and war scenes. Good to have some time alone and explore everything. After, still many hours with my travel mates, sauna-like feeling, sunset on one of tallest temples, and nice conversation with english-speeking guide. Nice and bright, can discuss politics, history, anything. Education - probably not more than primary school + some craft school in Singapore. Education, that's what we need, he sais. Volunteer teaches - educated people were killed during all stupid totalitarian times. Maybe that could be the place to go?:)

Local foreigners

to be continued:)

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