On to Cambodia

Cambodia, for us, has been a country gold and gray, like the drying leaves of the palm trees that dot the country landscape, or the concrete that lines the busy, chaotic streets of Phnom Penh.  It could be that on the day we arrived it hadn’t rained for 4 months and from what our friend in Phnom Penh told us, was one of the hottest weeks she had experienced in her two years there.  The temperature hovered at 97-99F in the day and 90-92F at night.  And despite a gray haze in the city, or a golden one in the countryside that seemed to cover the sky, the sun felt inescapable at all hours of the day.

The sun shining through the haze

This is not a filter. Afternoons always take this hue

We spent 4 days in Phnom Penh, the capital and – at 1.5 million – the largest city in Cambodia, visiting the National Museum, replete with meticulously carved gray stone statues over a millennia old; admiring the golden roofs and walls of the various pagodas and historic buildings hidden throughout the city; and sampling some delicious curries and noodles.  We also visited one of the many infamous and heart-wrenching killing fields, where from 1975-1979 the Khmer Rouge – under notorious dictator Pol Pot – slaughtered 2-3 million of his people in an effort to purge the country of the ‘elite’ and impose Maoist-style reforms until Vietnam finally toppled the regime.  An entire quarter of the country was killed during this harrowing time, and needless to say the country is still healing.

The chaotic streets of Phnom Penh

People enjoying the river bank.

Monks walking through the city on a Sunday morning. For the record, they all have smart phones.

Following this sobering experience, we went to the city of Siem Reap, home to the largest religious complex ever built:  Angkor Wat and its surrounding temples.  Built in the 12th century, the Angkor Wat complex is full of ancient architecture and mystery.  We explored as much as the heat would let us, waking up before sunrise and panting our way home just after 1PM.  We saw the infamous Angkor Wat and 4 (out of many, many more) ancient temples, thanks to a friendly Tuk Tuk driver who shuttled us around.  (We got around exclusively by Tuk Tuks in Cambodia — they are open-air rickshaws or go-carts with benches and guardrails often pulled behind a motorcycle.  No, not always safe; yes, pretty much the only option for a taxi.)  

Bayon temple

The main Angkor Wat temple

Ready to escape city life, our next stop was the much more tranquil town of Kampot on the southern coast.  Kampot, a smaller, somewhat more artsy riverside town, has been called a ‘hidden gem’ in Cambodia.  Here we toured a pepper farm and salt fields (who knew there were so many types of each), sampled tasty cuisines, kayaked on a palm tree-lined river and watched a beautiful sunset on the banks of the Kampot river with some new friends from Holland and Mexico. 

Salt and…

…pepper

Sunset on the Kampot river.

Kayaking on the Kampot (unfortunately, it looks cleaner than it really is.)

Children biking home from school.

Other highlights of our 12 days here included seeing Karen’s old-time family friend Holly, who had been living in Phnom Penh for 2 years and gave us the best tips on where to eat and what to do.  (She also let us tag along with a group of her friends for trivia night!  Which we did not win but, with .75 USD beers and good company, enjoyed immensely nonetheless.)  We also made new friends in Kampot, many of whom had just left Vietnam and gave us great advice for our upcoming adventures there… speaking of Vietnam, we are currently on the bus and will cross the border in the next few hours.  

But first, as always, a few more photos of Cambodia!

See what we said about the smartphones?