Angkor What? Or, How To Be Adopted by Filipinos in Cambodia

What Angkor Wat looks like when you don't check the time for the sunrise...and you arrive well over 1 hour early.

Greetings all!

How good to be writing again, it's been too long!  Life is crazy, but crazy and wonderful.  Don't they say that you are supposed to be more rational and settled as you get older?  All I can say is that, despite turning 24 a few weeks ago, life's only become more irrational and excellent.

Anyway, no time to lose, much to say (and much work in Sangkhlaburi to catch up).  I returned this past weekend from a brief jaunt to Cambodia.  I have a double-entry visa to Thailand, but my first entry period was due to run out on October 20, so I had to travel somewhere--HAD to travel, you know.  I decided, wallowing in self-pity of course, that I would just have to make a trip to Cambodia, and while I was there, I would be forced into seeing Angkor Wat for three days.

Around this exact time last year, I made another short jaunt, that time to Belize (as chronicled in another post).  Like Belize, Cambodia had a strong impact on me more for the people than the place necessarily.  That may seem surprising, as the point of Angkor Wat is to stare at important old rocks, but I'll explain as we go along.

Lucky for me, while I found the people of Belize lovely and crazy...but mostly crazy, I found the people of Cambodia genuinely generous and gentle.  Sorry Thailand, but I'm recrowning Cambodia the "Land of Smiles," no small feat for a place with such a tragic history.  Perhaps it was my state of mind, but I seemed to find the people in Cambodia (native and non-native) to be so easy to connect with, and the trip was such a great reminder of our common humanity.

A reminder of uncommon humanity, uncommonly generous humanity, was my introduction to Cambodia.  Well, my second introduction.  The first introduction was the "Consulate of Cabodia" about 1/2 km. from the official border.  Here, where the bus drops off, hawkers surround you and insist that you must buy a visa from them at the "consulate."  Now, three things: first being that you would not have a consulate on the border, second being that you wouldn't be dressed like a street hawker if you worked for the Cambodian government, and third, you would know how to spell the name of your own country (though I remember that they did misspell Syria on one of the signs at the border with Jordan).  If you've not already picked up, that little set-up is a scam, so if you're headed to Cambodia, please ignore it and proceed to the border.  If you're headed to "Cabodia," however, bienvenidos.

Following that introduction, it was a strange and surreal relief to be approached by three Filipinos also traveling through the border with me.  They work in Siem Reap (the closest town to the Angkor temples), and they offered me a space in their shared taxi.  Between four of us, it was easily as cheap as the bus, and it would certainly be faster.  They were also just so darned friendly, how could you turn down such an offer?   

We piled in, at the price of $25 total, and watched as $5 of that went directly to Cambodian police at the taxi stand (and another $5 had been pre-paid just to go to the taxi stand).  Bribes are a necessity of life here, as they were in Cairo, and as they are in Burma.  My partner organization actually budgets for the multiple bribes they know they will have to pay to get their work done--they are under the line item "Mutual Charity Fund."  Brilliant.

First impressions of Cambodia were soggy.  Soggy and green.  The road to Siem Reap is well-maintained, and it somehow seemed to just rise above the rice fields on each side, like a tiny causeway or isthmus of dry over an ocean of green rice noodle soup.  There has been a lot of flooding in SE Asia lately, and though Sangkhlaburi's lake wouldn't prove it, Cambodia would.  Naturally, Cambodia receives a lot of rain during the rainy season, prompting Lonely Planet to remark that the whole country looks like "one almighty puddle" from the air.  You don't need to be in the air to believe that.

Along the road to Siem Reap

"One Almighty Puddle" (Lonely Planet has a knack for coming up with lines that stick in your head for awhile, like song lyrics.)

While on the drive to Siem Reap, I got to know my lovely fellow travelers (and fellow English teachers) better.  Grace, Theresa, and Paul have been working in Siem Reap for over a year, and Grace was just returning from a trip back to the Philippines, with suitcases full of Filipino food goodies, some of which were readily passed along during our 2 hour ride.  When they learned that I had no guesthouse lined up, it was settled that I should just stay with them, sharing Theresa's room with her for my stay.  While I tried to protest that it was too generous, they would have none of it, insisting that they were more than happy to do it.  I was so honored, but I had to admit, that it made me feel some shame.  I've never been so open to complete strangers, even when I definitely had the experience and ability to help make their travels better.  My inner traveler, who prides herself on always trying to respect local traditional and culture, was certainly humbled by the realization that I don't have enough respect for others who are traveling like I am.  Excellent lesson learned.

We got back to Siem Reap in the dark and dropped off our bags at their rooms.  We then headed to the noodle stands at the end of Pub Street, the epicenter (and essentially only center) of Siem Reap nightlife.  They are regulars at one of the stands, and they introduced me to the $1 fried yellow noodles.  Universal tip to being respected like a local: add hot peppers to everything.  Seriously.  Mexicans respect it, Moroccans respect it, Belizeans respect it, Thais respect it, Mon respect it, and Filipinos will tell you (even if you are 5'10" and blonde) that "you look so Asian."  Even Hungarians like you better for it, granted that the hot pepper you add is specifically paprika.    

Aside from earning street cred for high spice tolerance, you can also earn props by really respecting the power of a dollar.  After Cambodia, you will be hesitant to ever again use the phrase "it's just a dollar."  A dollar here has mega buying power.  Noodles, 20 minutes of your hour-long massage, half-day bike rental, several short tuk-tuk rides, a few draft beers, etc.  You don't really need to change money in Cambodia, as dollars are accepted everywhere.  The dollar is worth 12,000 Cambodian riels, so I changed some money regardless, just so I could carry around bank notes that said 10,000 on them.  As long as you prove that you know the true worth of a dollar, by effective bargaining, you literally buy yourself more respect.

Blurry Pub Street from the back end

Siem Reap's cute little night market.  They've put the vendors in little palapa-esque huts along paths which twist and turn just enough to be somewhat charming.  There are a few open bars inside, with some music and vibe to give the market atmosphere--somebody with a marketing degree helped set this up...

You know how some places totally overdo a theme?  Well, I couldn't begin to count the number of fish massage tanks there were throughout Siem Reap.  The fish eat the dead skin off of your feet.  Ummm...granted I have a fish phobia, but EWW!

Speaking of overdone themes, but this one understandable, let's get to Angkor Wat.  Angkor Wat is literally the symbol for everything in Siem Reap.  On the flag, on the beer, on the currency, on the visa, everywhere.  The only place and meme that could outdo this is Turkey with Ataturk imagery.

I decided to spend three full days in the Angkor area, so I bought a three day pass to the sites.  The ticket itself makes quite the souvenir, as they print your photo onto it to ensure that no one else uses it.  I rented a bike for each day, and made the 20-40 minute trip.  The first day was cloudy, so the ride wasn't too hot, but the other two days I did regret cycling with such enthusiasm--there's a reason people take it slow here. 

My trusty steed and me

While Angkor Wat is most famous as a backdrop, it is also well-known for the beautiful murals inside.  They were my favorite part.

The murals all represent stories from Hindu mythology.  I know next to nothing about Hindu mythology, unfortunately, but I was certainly impressed with the style.  Here soldiers are running off to battle--the middle of the mural is where two great armies clash.

After the previous mural, this looked like democracy in action.  Democracy that is, for very important people with very important headgear.

All these years, and still so stunning.

"That" picture.  Yes, it's like the pyramids, you can't just walk away without bagging the "I'VE BEEN HERE" trophy.

So, Angkor Wat gets all the attention, but it is actually just one in an overwhelming series of monumental temples.  Just down the road from Angkor Wat is Angkor Thom, literally "Big Angkor," which was at one point an enormous city.  Today, only the religious (i.e., stone) structures remain. One of which is Bayon, a strange structure filled with towers, towers which are themselves filled with faces.

How many faces can you find?

 

The second day was largely spent at a third temple site, called Ta Prohm.  Ta Prohm is the probably the coolest place in Angkor.  It seriously looks like you dropped into a fantasy adventure land--and if you don't believe me, they filmed parts of the Lara Croft movie here.  Rather than being built in a raised temple style, like most of the others, the layout here is flat.  Or, at least, it started out flat.  Now it is, in another line attributable to Lonely Planet, a testament to "the awesome fecundity and power of the jungle."  Fallen carvings, roots the size of motorbikes, slippery rainy-season moss--it is a jungle gym, quite literally.  For better or for worse, at all of the sites, there is no one to tell you where you can climb and where you can't.  At will, I scrambled all over the rocks and fantasized that I was the first explorer to come across a lost civilization, which had a strange affinity for planting rooftop gardens and then forgetting about them. 

Entering the temple

Whoa.

Clearing my head of cobwebbed fantasies of Ta Prohm's lost world, I got back onto the bike and promptly pedaled into a rain storm.  I stopped back in Angkor Thom to dry off a bit in one of the towers.  It was there that I had another encounter with some locals.  At each temple and every stop, you will be approached by Cambodians selling things.  "Lay-dee!  Buy something?!"  "Lay-dee!  Cold water!!"  "Guide book?!"  "Postcards?!"  "One dollar!!" An important note to make is that, while they are persistent, they are not in the least aggressive or in-your-face, like they could be in Marrakech or Cairo.  Of course, you don't have to stop and talk with everyone, but if you do talk to at least some, even without buying anything, you will be amazed at how polite and honest and friendly everyone seems.  Despite a French colonial heritage, Cambodia seems to have prioritized English in schools, and nearly everyone I met could have a basic conversation with me about their lives, their families, their interests, etc.  Even the most rudimentary Cambodian vocabulary (literally "hello," "thank you" and "a little bit") was enough to earn respect, which actually saddened me a bit.  Can you imagine how little some visitors must know about Cambodia if "hello" and "thank you" are enough for respect and friendship?  

Rather than be anxious about the approach of strangers, as I typically am, I decided to handle all of Cambodia in the way that I handled the first meeting with the Filipinos--trust people, or at least take time to be polite, and you will be overwhelmed by kindness.  It's true!  If anyone has anything to be nervous about in the situation, it is the person approaching you, and I figure if a small child can come up and try to sell me something, I can at least make the effort to be half as bold and talk for a minute.  Sure, people preferred if you bought something as well, but just sitting with them, and asking them about their lives, you could learn so much and earn so much.  Suddenly, instead of allowing the vendors to be a flat aspect of the landscape, they become three-dimensional and warm and funny.  I was so appreciative of everyone who took the time to sit with me.  In one modern-day Buddhist temple in Siem Reap, the elderly men I spoke with couldn't even speak with me, as they knew no English, and I knew only my 3 words of Cambodian and some Thai.  But, we sure threw all of our enthusiasm and interest into trying as hard as we could for those few minutes.  We were rescued at the end by a young monk who gave each side broken translations of the other...but the smiles had already said it all.  Cambodian people rock.

My new friends Som and Cheb, 10 year olds who sat with me at Angkor Thom while my clothes dried.  They live in a village near the site and ride their bicycle to classes in Siem Reap each morning--about 25 km.  Then in the afternoon they hang out at the temples, waiting to meet foreigners to sell them postcards.

Brothers, Daak and Ulian, at the other entrance of Angkor Thom.  They caught me watching the monkeys and approached me to sell bananas.  I hesitated but finally bought one, and by that time the monkeys had run away.  They joined me in calling out "MON-KEES!" "MON-KEES!" trying to get them to return.  Adorable.

Speak of the devil...THERE'S that darned monkey!

Another creature that technically "crosses" the road...

But in reality really consumes the whole of the road.

After three very-full days of temples and bicycles and yellow fried noodles, it was already time to start packing up.  Grace, Theresa, Paul and another friend, Ryan, took me out on Pub Street my last night to play some bad pool and do some bad dancing.  They absolutely made this trip the fun adventure it was.  I am so grateful to everyone I met on the road, it's amazing how you can connect with a place over only 5 days (and 2 of them in transit!). Yet I am equally grateful to be home and jumping back into the thick of things in the office.  Looking forward to updating again soon on Sangkhlaburi.  Hope you're all well, and "lao jer gam mai!"