To the Lives That Were Lost at Choeung Ek

Day 1 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Saturday, 17 August 2013

2126 Hours

Another excellent day. I woke up with the sunlight, and was still able to go back to sleep for a couple hours. I took my time getting ready, and this time remembered to ask for scrambled eggs, because the hotel defaults to sunny side up (gross!). Anyway, today was the first time I traveled domestically via airline in a foreign country. The food at the airport after going through security was to die for: ham and cheese croissant, with a raisin croissant and a mango yogurt smoothie. So good.

The first thing I noticed flying into Phnom Penh was the skyscrapers…the small handful, of course. Cambodia looks insignificant from the skies, as if you had a backyard with nothing but dirt, and it had been raining constantly for a week. I am blessed just to be an American. Today, again, was spent mostly in awe, horror, and sadness from seeing the way some of the people live. Prior to today, the most people I had seen on a motorcycle was two. Now, it’s four. I saw a mother, father, and two very young children cruising through the streets without helmets, boots, or any type of protection. I saw people driving their motorcycles one-handed, with a friend in the back, while eating corn-on-the-cob. There are few street lights or stop signs. What would normally be a two-lane road in my home town could fit dozens of motorcycles, side by side, as if they were racing each other. The sidewalks here are not for walking, but rather for street vendors, trash, dirt, and rocks. Children don’t hesitate to cross a busy intersection that has no rules. It wasn’t unusual to see people driving the opposite direction in our lane. I am so thankful – so thankful – that I grew up in a city that had ZERO pollution by comparison. It smells similar here to the way it smells at a go-kart racing track. People cook food next to piles of trash, which is burned on the sidewalks. Anyway, I’m thankful for the life God gave me. Nick and Andy should come here sometime, too.

I also saw the main killing field where Pol Pot’s regime executed thousands. I had an audio tour. What was most horrifying was hearing the guards would hold babies by their legs, and smash their heads against a specific tree. The Buddhists leave bracelets and other small things to honor those who passed, or spirits that remain…that tree was full of color, and had more bracelets than anywhere else. They would blast revolutionary Communist music to drown the screams so the other prisoners wouldn’t hear. They didn’t use bullets, because those were expensive. They resorted to crude gardening tools and sharp tree branches. The thousands of skulls displayed in the main memorial building were covered with man-made cracks, holes, and scrapes in areas around the head, eyes, and nose. It was weird seeing the depressions in the actual ground where people were buried – and where skeletal remains continue to be discovered.

On the way back to my hotel, my tuk-tuk driver let me check out the Independence Monument. It was very cool-looking…it is in the center of a huge round-a-bout and is surrounded by a long water fountain. I liked seeing a large Cambodian flag proudly displayed next to it. In all honestly, I am abnormally fascinated with flags. After growing up in the U.S., I think it is pretty easy to get used to seeing Old Glory everywhere: inside classrooms and sporting arenas, or in front of homes and government buildings. After awhile, it starts to blend in and become camouflaged with its surroundings. I love going to another country and seeing their flag proudly displayed, and knowing that those colors mean something special to the people that reside in that specific country. Then, when I see my own flag...I remember what it represents and means to me.   

Alright, it’s 2208, time for bed. I’m leaving at 0730 tomorrow for S-21, a high school-turned torture center, and maybe the Royal Palace and National Museum. I need my rest so I can be motivated! 

“It’s All About Perspective…Even in the Cambodian Countryside”

Day 2 of Siem Reap, Cambodia

Friday, 16 August, 2013

Local Time: 1919 Hours

            Today was a wild success. Everything went better than planned. I started the day to the sound of a rooster cock-a-doodling. I got a solid three hours of fun on an ATV going through the Cambodian countryside. My motto for the past couple weeks has been “it’s all about perspective”. And it’s true. How easy I as a middle class American complain about the dumbest things. Today, I saw naked children playing in the dirt roads in front of their shacks, waving to me with enthusiasm as I drove by in something their family would likely never be able to afford. It was very weird stopping to take pictures of them…it was like I was at a human zoo, fascinated by the creatures who lived in a diseased swampland. Why, without fail, were small children running to the side of the road to wave at me as I passed? What kind of person would pay money to take pictures of people who were going about their daily lives? God, I pray for forgiveness for all the times I’ve failed to notice the blessings I’m surrounded with every day.

            After the ATV adventure, I was dropped off to my hotel to find my taxi driver patiently waiting for me. I had told him I would be ready at 10:00 am, not 11:15. I apologized, and he smiled, revealing a full set of yellow teeth. The simple fact that I have white teeth is something to be thankful for. He took me to a popular restaurant that is frequented by tourists. No offense to him, but I wanted to try the local foods…without trying the local food. I ate outside on the second floor, overlooking the massive moat on the side of the Angkor temple.

            He then took me to the Landmine Museum. The statistics were staggering: 600,000 civilians maimed or killed from the American bombing campaign to cripple the Khmer Rouge. The best part of the museum was finding Cambodian flags to buy! I got an amazing deal of five flags for $10. I also bought soap in the shape of a landmine for my mom. It’s up to her if she wants to use it, but I have to admit, it would be an awesome decoration in any bathroom.

            I had originally planned on seeing the Floating Village, which is a two-hour boat ride that shows what local life is like. Judging from what I knew of that from YouTube, I decided to skip it, because I had already seen that on my awesome ATV ride. I decided to just spend a little time at another temple – a great idea. Throughout most of that, I was bombarded by little girls trying to get me to buy bracelets, postcards and other goodies. They wouldn’t leave me alone, so I started to mess with them (in a loving way, of course). To get them to stop asking for money, I starting asking about them; what was their favorite subject in school, what they wanted to be when they grew up, etc. One adorable 10-year-old said she wanted to be an English teacher. Her favorite food was pancakes. After many attempts to get her to lower her prices, I finally got a great deal: five magnets for four dollars. I agreed, and gave her six dollars. She showed her appreciation by giving me a bracelet and a small wooden flute that was protected by a cool case she said she’d made. By the way, I just realized she reminded me of Lily on Modern Family. I’m so thankful I got a video of her talking. I’m excited to see my friends and family’s reaction when I upload it tonight.

            Another thing I’m grateful for: my hotel has some computers for the guests with free, high-speed internet. Yesterday’s photos uploaded very quickly. I just had the thought that Mom would probably like it if I typed up these thoughts and sent them to her.

            A lot to look forward to tomorrow: I get to visit the nation’s capital, Phnom Penh. I have a few friends there, so I hope to link up with them. Anyway, I’m done with my delicious food. Time to upload my media, and get a lot of sleep…I asked my driver to pick me up at 1030 am. 

Day 1 in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Thursday, 15 August, 2013

Local Time: 1943 hours

What a day! I’m very excited to be here. My flight and arrival here went extremely smoothly. When my flight originally landed, it was pouring rain. This was shortly after 4 pm, and I knew if I didn’t get to see Angkor Wat today, I wouldn’t be able to do much else, as the other attractions I researched close very early.

I’ve heard and read many things about this place, but of course, nothing compares to seeing it firsthand. My taxi driver is extremely kind. He waited a couple hours for me while I walked inside Angkor Wat (he would have to pay $$$ for a ticket if he joined me). I was bracing having to not have many pictures of myself, since I came alone and my driver couldn’t join me. Miraculously, as soon as I entered a temple a man (named Moon, but sounds like “Mahn”), started giving me advice on what angles I should get for my pictures. At first, I thought he was trying to act as my tour guide, then force me to pay him when I left (I had heard stories from friends of this happening). I made sure to clarify I wouldn’t pay him, and he told me he was only doing it as a generosity. I was very skeptical, especially after having numerous children trying to sell me things, and from what I read online. I ended up staying there until 6:45 pm – well after sunset. 

When I initially arrived, I noticed how many hundreds of tourists there were, and this was a Thursday! My new friend talked to a guard, and for $10 extra dollars, was allowed to climb to the very top of the center tower to get a bird’s eye view of the place. I was the only tourist there, in what was labeled as being closed off to visitors. The view was literally breathtaking! It looked like it was straight out of an Indiana Jones movie or the Uncharted video game series. The fact that my friend was able (and willing) to take portraits of me was incredible. I'm still amazed that I didn’t get a single tourist in my shots. How was I allowed to visit a restricted area, when the others were being asked to leave the main park? God, this I am thankful for. I just hope and pray the pictures turned out as good as they looked on my preview screen. Oh, and the fact that the rain stopped as soon as I got there…wow.

Everyone I have come in contact with speaks English. However, judging from some of the body language, facial expressions, and generic “yeah” responses, not everything I say or ask is totally understood. Something neat about the bed in my hotel: there are mosquito nets around it. Finally! I get to experience that myself. I’ve read about them and seen those in movies, but tonight I will understand. I just hope I don’t get too personal with the bugs while I try to sleep. I was just going to say I haven’t seen too many bugs, until I looked up and saw three lizards crawling in the light fixture overhead. As long as they aren’t touching me, I’m fine. This restaurant I am currently eating at is right outside, but is still part of the hotel. I am drinking bottled water. I really don’t want to be like my buddy who spent 10 days in Vietnam, and came back sick as a dog. For now, I’m enjoying the heck out of my French fries and bacon/lettuce/egg/ham sandwich, which I drenched in ketchup. Also, the breeze from the fan is super enjoyable. The group of people behind me are speaking in a language I don’t recognize.

I think of all the hotels around the world. Some, the nicer ones, all kind of blend together. They are all the same to me. But, I think about the cultures and idiosyncrasies of the places that stand out: 1849 in Mammoth, CA, and the Shining Boutique in Siem Reap, Cambodia. These places have culture. All hotels can be simplified into one, with all being inheritantly the same, as they all serve the same general purpose. But, I think of this hotel, along with other three-stars in places like Pakistan, Morroco, and Venezuela. I think of the cities they are in, and what’s unique to those ones. Anyway, time to walk around and get a feel for my surroundings.