Standing in front of the lion & "Naga" statues near the Preah Norodom Blvd. in Phnom Penh
Kingdom of Cambodia. Before my visit to this country, the only thing that I know about Cambodia is their majestic Angkor Wat which had been built by one of their great king, King Suryavarman II during the 12th century. Angkor Wat literally means "temple city". Back then it served as the capital of ancient Khmer. My one-week visit to this place taught me a lot about their culture and hardship that they have endured throughout the years. I had visited three of Cambodia's major cities; Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Battambang. Cambodia was also made infamous for the genocide that took place between year 1975 - 1978, where almost one fifth of their citizen were wiped out from the country by the ruthless regime of Khmer Rouge. Below are some of my experience during the journey.
* Cambodia is using both of their own currency (Riels) and USD; 1 USD = 4000 Riels.
Example of situation: Buying a meal at 6000 Riels would require you to pay the stall owner 1 USD and 2000 Riels; buying a souvenir at USD 6.5 would require you to pay the seller USD 6 and 2000 riels, or 26,000 riels if you have tonnes of Cambodian's cash. One of the reason why Cambodians are good in math.
Phnom Penh - Capital City of the Kingdom of Cambodia
Riding a Tuk-tuk (motocycle taxi) on the street of Phnom Penh
I was greeted by a tuk-tuk driver upon stepping out from the airport in Phnom Penh. We made our way to Hostel Nomads, which located near to Mekong river in the city. The first thing that I noticed about Phnom Penh was that most of the roads were covered by dust. Plenty of dust. It is not surprising to see most of the motorcyclist in the city wear scarf to protect themselves against the fine dust. This is mainly caused by the heavy construction projects that take place around the town where investors from China and Japan invested in the property development within the town. Most of the citizen are happy with the foreign investment as it brings them the development that the country needed. Phnom Penh also has a huge numbers of motorcyclist, where crossing the road would become tricky sometime for a newcomer.
The evening view of the riverside in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is not really a favourite destination among the tourists. Most of the tourists flock to Siem Reap instead to witness the beauty of the sacred temple of Angkor Wat. Phnom Penh however has its own attraction. This place is no Bangkok where sky scrappers are scattered around the city. Phnom Penh is a city where everything is moving slow and peacefully. Walk to the park located beside Mekong river and one can catch a glimpse of the old citizen of the capital having their leisure activities at the center of the park. This is usually accompanied by the local pop music and they are doing this almost everyday throughout the year. It was amazing to see the locals enjoying their time exercising despite surrounded by the busy traffic and if you have some extra riels and dollars to spend with, you can just dine on the ship that cruised along the Mekong river while watching the sun set view.
The dancing Cambodians on the riverside
This could be the one and only tallest building in Phnom Penh which is still under construction; the Vatanic Capital Tower
The Dark Period of Cambodia - The Occupation of Khmer Rouge (1975 - 1978)
One of the most horrible thing that a Cambodian could ever mentioned of is the occupation of Khmer Rouge during 1975 - 1978. Under the ruthless leader of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (Khmer Rouge), nearly 1.7 million people from the overall population of Cambodians were slaughtered under the reformation of the new communist ruling government. Under the command of Pol Pot, thousands of people were sent into jail and executed, where most of the victims were accused to be spy for America and even KGB. The people that lived in the city were labelled as the "new generation" that would become an obstacle in the administration of the new communist party, thus they were subjected to harsh treatment.
The pictures of the prisoners in S-21; where the innocents were tortured to death
The mass migration planned by Khmer Rouge, where cities were left vacant
The city dwellers were forced to leave the city and migrated into the rural villages, where a business man would end up being a farmer in the vast paddy field. This resulted in one of the largest mass-migration that had ever took place in Cambodia's history. Frightening enough was the story of the man that wore spectacle that would be caught and executed, all because of the reason that the intellectuals were condemned to be the one that caused the destruction of the country (and yes, the one that wearing spec would be regarded as an intellectual person). The people living in the rural villages were brain-washed by Khmer Rouge into believing that the city dwellers were evil and hypocrite, they were hired as the soldier for the Communist Party. The monks were not spared either, they were tortured and killed as the religious activities were completely banned from the country under the rules of Khmer Rouge.
Security Office 21 (S 21) - The High School that turned into Prison
The view of Block C building of S-21, the barbed wire is still attached in its original condition as 40 years ago
S-21 or known as Tuol Sleng among the Cambodians, is a high security prison building functioned as the place of interrogations for the Khmer Rouge regime. As many as 30,000 victims were believed to have died here. S-21 consists of four building blocks which used to function as a high school before the occupation of Khmer Rouge. Today it has transformed into a genocidal museum for education purpose and believe me, this place could be the last place on earth that you would want to be. By climbing to the top of Block C building one could see clearly the blood stains on the floor. Each of the building block is attached with electric fence to avoid the prisoner from escaping the prison compound. When the Vietnamese armies stormed into S-21 in 1979, they discovered the badly decomposed remains of 12 unidentified dead bodies in the building. The bodies of the victims were then buried right in the center of the courtyard that still present till now.
The view of the Block C building overlooking the courtyard
The inside view of Block C building, where the blood stain still could be seen on the floor
The inside view of the second floor of Block C building was somehow chilling. Tiny cell blocks existed within the building. The chain that was used to leash the prisoner from escaping was still present in some of the cells. During my visit to the place there was hardly anyone around the building. I dared myself to step into the third floor of the building alone but it felt strange. It felt cold and I must say the cells were spooky. Wanting to explore more I called up my friends that had been exploring the building beneath. The inmates of the prison were treated harshly back then. They were tortured and forced to confess for something that they did not commit. Out of the total 30,000 prisoners that were kept here, only 12 of them are known to have survive the ordeal of the place. Below are some of the pictures that would give someone a clearer picture of what had been happening here.
The actual mugshot of one of the civillian prisoner of Tuol Sleng; the device was used to keep the head of the victim up straight
The condition inside the cell of the prisoner
The prisoner was executed during interrogation process by slitting his throat
The victim was subjected to drown execution to obtain information from him
Apparatus and equipments used by Khmer Rouge in torturing the victims
Cheoung Euk Memorial - The Killing Field
These pits holes in Cheoung Euk Memorial are the result from the excavation of the remains of the victims from the ground throughout the years
Located at about 17 km from the capital city of Phnom Penh is Cheoung Euk Memorial, or known better as the killing field. This place had a connection with S-21, where some of the prisoners in S-21 were deported here for their final destination. As many as 9000 dead bodies were discovered here, at a place where the size of the field is only as big as an ordinary football field of our country's secondary school. The visitors are strictly required to stay silent during their visit to this place. On the middle of the field stood a stupa, which is filled with the remains of the bodies excavated from the ground. The skulls and bones are separated and layered into different level in the stupa.
The stupa that stood firmly at the center of the field
One will see cruelty as a whole new definition once they step their foot here. The prisoners from S-21 were brought here by truck at night as to cover up the entire process. The victims were told that they will be set free after weeks and months of suffering in S-21. The victims were chained with one another in a long queue with their eyes covered before asked to kneel down in front of their own grave. Under the dimmed light with the roaring sound of the generator, one of the Khmer Rouge army will then deliver a big blow by using a long pole to the back of the victim. Falling into the pit, the other army men will slit the victim's throat as to avoid him from screaming. The whole process was carried out with the national music playing in the background through the speakers that were attached to the trees. The music was played as to covered up the screaming of the victims. Khmer Rouge armies thought that ammunition was expensive in killing the victims, so the resorted the entire execution by using traditional weapons instead; the razor sharp leaves of oil palm tree were used to slit the throat of the innocent. Khmer Rouge did not want the villagers nearby to aware of their activities, so they poured chemicals onto the dead bodies as to fasten their decomposition and to cover up the smells.
* There was also a tree nearby which was used by Khmer Rouge to execute the infants, where their heads were smashed against the tree. The first person that stepped into Cheoung Euk after the regime flee from the killing field noticed the strong smells that came from one the trees, and saw the brain remains of the infants there. A grave containing hundreds of headless bodies were also discovered within the killing field, which was believed to be the bodies of the soldiers that had opposed the barbaric rules of the communism.
Siem Reap - the City of Angkor Wat
Forget the dark past of Cambodia and lets move to the present. I have no valid statistical figures to show, but I strongly believed that Siem Reap is the pulse of Cambodia. You can see Europeans, Americans, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and tourists from all around the world flock to this place. In other words, this city could potentially generate the main income of Cambodia, that is by tourism. If you are a traveller that travelled on a tight budget like me, be no worry because this place is a heaven for backpacker. Likewise if you have some big bucks to spend with, you can consider to stay in Park Hyatt Siem Reap hotel at the center of the city.
Fried banana near Pub Street, anyone?
It's party time!
Pub street is one of the famous attraction of Siem Reap's night life, considering one could buy a can of local made alcoholic drinks less than USD 1 here. Watching the traditional Apsara dance is a must here. There are plenty of places around Siem Reap offers the visitors a chance to watch the show but if you are on a tight budget, just head over to the Temple's Club. Apsara performance is carried out almost every night in Temple's Club and the admission is FREE. You could just ordered the drinks and meals that you want at a very affordable price and having yourself entertained by the performers at the same time. After buying a bunch of bananas from the local market downstairs, I went into this place awkwardly (nobody would expect you to bring bananas into a club anyway). The Cambodian's Apsara traditional dance is almost identical to the Thai's. It is a no wonder as the ancient Khmer used to ruled Vietnam and some parts of Thailand at the peak of their civilization and a cultural exchanged must have been taking place during this period.
Angkor Wat - The Legacy of the Ancient Khmer
Angkor Wat; the pride of Cambodia
Waking up at 4.00 o'clock in the morning, I packed my bag along with my friends. We rented a Tuk-tuk for a half day tour around the ancient place. Our first mission was to catch the sunrise in Angkor Wat. I was thinking that we could be among the earliest people to reach there but I was totally wrong. Reaching the entrance of Angkor Wat, there was already long lines of queues in front of the ticketing counters. I bought a one-day tour passport and it was slightly expensive, but worthy to an extend that I will be witnessing one of the world's greatest architectural building. Angkor Wat served as the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia. But after numerous wars with the neighbouring Champa (modern day Vietnam) and Siam, the king flee and re-established a new capital away from Angkor Wat. The temple city was firstly build to worship Vishnu before turning into a Buddhist temple years later. Surrounded by the lush forest deep in the jungle, this place was still very well preserved by the Buddhist monks that had their meditation practice daily there, long before it was discovered by Henri Mouhot in the mid of 19-th century.
The pathway that leads to the main entrance of the ancient temple
The carving on the walls of Angkor Wat tells the story during the ruling of Cambodia's great ancient kings in the past
The Bayon temple or also known as the temple of faces; facing towards north, south, east and west, represent the king rules across every continent of earth
The view of Angkor Thom, built during the reign of King Suryavarman II
The entrance to Angkor Thom that still standing proud after hundreds of years
Battambang - Bamboo Train & Mount Sampov
A view overlooking the street of Battambang from Ganesha Guest House
This city was my final destination of the Cambodia's journey. This city is made famous by the bamboo train that only relies on simple mechanism to run. The bamboo train was once used widely in Cambodia as it was fast and convenient to travel from a village to the city. However the bamboo train service was reported to be stopped soon by the local government. I was staying together with my friends in Ganesha Guest House which was operated by a German expatriate with his Cambodian wife. Ganesha Guest House is among the cheapest hostel to stay within the city, but be mindful that the heat would make one feels uncomfortable sometime. Every single bed is equipped with a small ceiling fan (that looks much more like a toy) and a mosquito net to protect the travellers from the risk of Malaria. We stayed in the hostel for two nights.
The Bamboo Train Ride - The World's Simplest Train
Sitting on top of the bamboo train platform, with no ideas of the things that waiting for us up ahead!
Talk to any of the foreign travellers that you meet in town, they will ask you to try out the bamboo train in one of the villages here. The bamboo train station located at the suburb of the city and is one of the last remaining bamboo train station that still operating in Cambodia. What is so interesting about this train is that it applies a very simple mechanism to run. The wheels are taken directly from the damaged battle tanks and is proven to be very useful for the uneven terrains of the railways. The passengers' seats are built from a wooden platform that could be dissembled any time, and the brake is made by a block of wood. The train runs on a single motor that capable of reaching to a top speed of 60 km/h, which is bizzarely fast considering by its size. The safety features of this train? You can just jump out from the platform any time in case of emergency (and try to avoid from breaking your bones at the same time).
The French-made quality; taken directly from the battle tank
During the colonial ruling of French in Cambodia in the late 18th century, an extensive network of railways were built by the French around Battambang. Modern and luxurious coaches were introduced to the Cambodians. However the service did not last long as wars continuously erupted in the country. This was worsen during the rules of Khmer Rouge where the train service was forbidden among the civilians. The locals told a story about a monk that frequently travelled to town from a village far away. This monk turned out to be frustrated by the long journey of walking to the town so he started toying with an idea of building a train that made from the bamboo. This train was soon became so famous that people would use it to go to the hospital, buying the groceries and transporting the goods for business.
Phnom Sampov - Hidden Gem of Battambang
The view from the top of Phnom Sampov overlooking the village below
I simply fall in love with the panoramic view from the top of Mount Sampov. Phnom Sampov is a place that offers an amazing view where one can see a huge landscape of the paddy fields shadowed by the mist that surrounding the place. It was already at late evening by the time when we reached this hill from Battambang. To make matter worse, it was raining which mean a walk to the top of the hill was going to be risky. Embracing the rain, we hired the motor riders below and rushed to the top of the hill. Phnom Sampov was used to be the monastery for the Buddhist monks before the arrival of Khmer Rouge in Battambang. The temple on top of the hill was then converted into the interrogation office of Khmer Rouge in Battambang where the monks were slaughtered and thousands of civilians were murdered here. After the interrogation process was finished, the victims will be brought to the top of the hill before they were pushed down into the opening of a cave below, where they will be died of serious injuries.
The newly renovated memorial of the buddhist temple on top of Phnom Sampov
At the entrance of the cave where the victims were pushed to their death
Three crazy guys with disposable plastic rain coats
Heading back to Battambang after our journey to the top of Phnom Sampov, we came across a cave entrance where hundreds thousands of bats lived. The bats were making their way out from the cave to find their foods in the villages nearby.
The fascinating view of the bats flying in a line out from the entrance of the cave
The End of the Journey
My journey finally came to an end. Cambodia is a country that is rich historically where It was known in the ancient time as one of the strongest empire in South East Asia. The construction of the temple complex of Angkor Wat only took 32 years to be completed where according to the archaeologists to build such a massive temple complex in a such a short period of time was almost impossible in the ancient. The ancient Khmer managed to build complex water system network for irrigation purpose at the peak of their civilization where they became very successful in planting their crops. The barage (the lake that functioned as the water reservoir) was built to store a huge volume of water during the monsoon and supplying it back to the crops during drought season. It is widely believed that a dramatic changed in climates was the main factor that brought the empire down to its knee, where the water network became so tough to maintain. The occupation of Khmer Rouge that witnessed millions of people being slaughtered brought the development of the country to a halt and backward. This is worsened by the fact that most of the victims of the cruelty were the intellectuals that hold the future of Cambodia. However, Cambodia is slowly regaining back its track in economy development, all thanks to the foreign investments. The Angkor Wat is now an important asset to the country where it acts both as the national monument that plant seeds of patriotism among its citizen and one of the country's main tourist attraction.
* Special thanks to my two travelling buddies, Rain & Nic for accompanying me in this great journey, my journey would not be the same without you guys. and thank you to Snguon for providing us with a better understanding on Cambodia. Would love to meet up with you in the future soon. :)
