Cambodia - Siem Reap and Angkor

My trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia, to see the lost temples of Angkor was a multitude of experiences and emotions that I didn't expect. I felt peace and tranquility while traveling along the countryside at the simplicity of rural life. I was awed and amazed at the magnificent temples of Angkor. I was exhausted by the heat, dust and sand, and the large complexes which we explored. I experienced vertigo. I experienced fear. I was disturbed and saddened by the paradoxical realities of poverty and war. And lastly, I'm silently cheering on the resilience of the people.

The temples are truly of such great scale and grandeur that it is quite unfathomable how they were built block by block with bare hands, without any technology whatsoever. Scaling the central temple of Angkor Wat was an arduous undertaking. I trembled and was weak to the knees with vertigo. Those steps were built to signify that ascending to heaven is no easy feat. Point made. The carvings on the walls are equally impressive - they are intricate, vivid and extensive. The quiet contemplation of sunrise at Angkor Wat was also truly memorable. However, as I stood in awe in front of these man-made works of wonder, I was struck by a larger, formidable force - that of nature. These temples were swallowed by the jungle and lost to civilization for hundreds of years. Some of the trees at Ta Prohm whose huge buttress roots have thrust their way through crevices, and enveloped the roofs of the buildings, have been preserved. These commanding acts of nature provide compelling evidence that however impressive the foundations that Man can lay, we will all have to succumb to the whims and fancies of Mother Nature in the end.

I had not thought Cambodia as a country still very much recovering from the bruises of war and the violent rule of the Khmer Rouge. Granted, it is less progressive than its more successful neighbours, however, just driving through the town of Siem Reap will have you realize that that period of unrest isn't so far back in history. You will chance upon a sign warning of landmines - and mind you, it isn't a deserted piece of land, but an open field just next to a main road, and not far from an established hotel is a sign which seeks to provide assurance by informing you that that minefield has been cleared, and yet another signboard paints two extremely different scenes - one of war and another of peace, with the words "We do not need weapons anymore". Whatever the purposes of these signs, they unsettle the mind. There are many people out on the streets, children, women and the victims of landmines. Some of these victims are no older than 20, and all they did was to play or work in the fields near their homes - don't we all seek security in our homes?

In this town of finding a balance between flourishing tourism and living with poverty, a number of poignant paradoxes emerge. There is a children’s hospital with mothers and their children crowding the entrance at all times of the day, and just beside it resides a luxurious resort and spa that is twice its size, with huge banners advertising its breakfast buffet screaming out “Have you had breakfast yet?” Any meal would suffice, thank you. The majesty of Angkor Wat tells of a once prosperous empire in a golden age of abundance, the very descendants of that empire now lives in the forested area just outside the gates of Angkor Wat. There, the homeless pitch their tents and set up their homes. There are no street-lamps in the town, and it gets dark and dangerous to drive and walk at night. But fear not, some roads have the fortune of being lined with lavish hotels, and are lit with the light from those many useless decorative lamps that are found every few centimeters apart.

As much as the scenes of poverty and war were perturbing, the unfaltering spirit of the Cambodians shone through even brighter. The town of Siem Reap is the one place everyone going to Cambodia will hit during their visit, as it is the gateway to the temples of Angkor. For this, I’m glad for the people of Siem Reap, as the tens thousands of tourists mean boundless opportunities for them to get a slice of the tourist dollar. The hotels and restaurants might be owned by the rich, but they provide jobs for the locals. The tenacity with which the Khmers work hard to earn their living in spite of their handicap and the hardships warms the heart and puts many of their fully capable fellow human beings to shame. They sell postcards and tourist gimmicks, offer to show you the wonders of Angkor in English, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, French, ferry you around safely on the rockiest roads in their tuks tuks, and serve you with such excellent service at the restaurants and hotels. Although many might argue that the children should be in school instead of trying to earn money, living with poverty is not something an outsider can fully comprehend. The Khmers are also remarkably warm and friendly. They are always smiling and eager to hone their language skills by speaking to you, and the children will always be waving at you enthusiastically from their homes.

The thoughts and emotions that resulted from the 5 days in Cambodia will stay with me for a long time yet. The Cambodians have showed and taught me much – from the building of Angkor to the building of their lives after war.