Four months after my return from Asia and little did I know I could travel again this soon. This time I went to Cambodia and Vietnam. This trip is not as long as the last one. Nonetheless, it gives meaning to life, to travel, learn, to get out and see the world. There is a lot to see out there.
Obviously, I have to pack light. My backpack only weighed about 15 lbs. I went through my stock of school supplies and stuffed them in my backpack for the kids. Now my backpack weighs 40 lbs.
Cambodia General Information and Culture:
Cambodia borders Thailand to the west and north, Vietnam to the east and Laos to northeast. Roughly less than 15 million in population (about 2 million died in the hands of Khmer Rouge’s Pol Pot regime). The country’s independence and population are fairly young. That is what I saw In Phnom Penh, a very young population.
There are two seasons here, wet and dry or, very hot and very humid. Their religion is predominantly Buddhists – 2 kinds, thammayut (wear dark robe) and mahani (wear saffron color robe). Theravada is more predominant.
Ancient culture has India’s influence evident with 9th century’s ritual inscriptions where sanskrit was used. In the pre Angkorian period, Hindu represented worshop of harihar where shiva and vishnu were embodied as single deity. They also have the same cultural gestures of taking footwear off when entering vihara (temple sanctuary), placing feet sideways (not in lotus position) in front of the dais (buddha platform), no finger pointing, greeting in namaskara gestures, and handing gifts with the right hand. While dining, do not rest chopsticks vertical or V shape on the bowl as this symbolizes death. Though riel (pronounced riyal) is the nation’s currency, the US dollar is used everywhere (and preferred).
Phnom Penh:
Phnom Penh (PP) was named after an old woman named Penh who found four buddha images on the Mekong River banks; Phnom (hill of Penh). Angkor was Cambodia’s capital until around 1430 when PP became the new capital. In practical sense, Angkor was poorly situated for trade and was subject to attacks from nearby Pattaya, Thailand. By mid 16th century, PP became one of Asia’s trade power because of its strategically and centrally located area for trade with Indonesia and China via Mekong.
PP is nestled on the banks of the confluence of Mekong and Tonle sap rivers. Traces of French union rule still harks the city as French colonial buildings are still erect in many places. Like many asian countries, ancient means of transportaton is still employed, riskhaws, cyclos, moto, remorke – kang, still ply the streets. For the tourist, this particular medium is quite appropriate for majestic sight seeing.
I flew from San Francisco via Taipei and arrived at Pachentong airport in Phnom Penh late morning. My visa was issued on the spot. There was only one line to handle all arrivees. The passport, photo, money, visa application and other paperwork was passed on to all 10 Cambodian officials in order for it to be approved.
The cyclo driver took me to Riverfront area of the city where row of hotels juxtaposed one another ready to serve the next guest. My hotel is walking distance from the local market, the Royal palace, the pagoda and across the street from the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. After I checked in, I went across the street and got a long needed Thai massage from the “Seeing Hands”. It is the place where blind people were employed. It cost $6 for one hour. I plan to stay here a couple of days then head to Siem Reap.
While walking around PP, around the block from my hotel, I found a place called Children and Friends. It is a non profit organization serving orphan children. Instead of school, they attend this place they call “organization”. I donated the school supplies there that I brought.
The average tourist is approached by vendors incessantly. While I was dining at the restaurant, I was asked if I needed a tuk tuk. As I shook my head no, The guy next to me smiled and said, they always ask him is he needed a woman or opium not a tuk tuk.
The next day I toured the Royal Palace. It is elaborate but nothing in comparison to Thailand's Grand Palace.
Silver Pagoda:
The temple of the emerald pagoda was originally built from wood. In 1962, the face lift replaced the pagoda’s floor with over 5,000 of 1 kilo silver tiles.
The solid buddha is made from 90 kilos of solid gold and the emerald buddha from baccarat crystal. The life size buddha is decorated with 9584 diamonds, the largest of which is 25 carats. Several buddhas are actually preserved here including a silver and gold stupa containing a relic of buddha brought in from Sri Lanka, an 80 kilogram bronze buddha, a marble buddha from Myanmar and two golden buddhas each docorated with diamonds weighing 16 carats.
Asia never ceases to amaze me. Each country is rich with its own story to tell, history, culture, people and many different things to boast its guests. Each has art that is unique and distinct. If you have travelled these places, you can actually identify the art's country of origin.
The Killing Field (Choeung ek):
Now this is a very, very, very disturbing sight. We now live in the 21st century. Most countries live a modern living enhanced with advanced technology. But here........ imagine the exhumation of humans! The war history is recent as over two or three decades. What I saw here are the skull remains of Khmer Rouge genocidal cleansing that are stacked on a 17 level glass stupa. The 17,000 skulls were victims only from this immediate area.
The killing field is 15 km southwest of PP. The 1975 movie Killing Field depicted actual history of barbaric acts where men, we and child and 9 westerners were massacred and buried. Prior to their death, they were turtored. This chiling brutality of the genocidal Khmer rouge regime is a horried uncomprehensible act beyond my understanding. Many were bludgeoned to death to save previous bullets.
|
