Cambodia: Beautiful and Tragic

Two weeks has not been enough time for Cambodia. We found it to be a country of stark contrasts: old ruins and modern cities, wealthy businessmen and begging landmine victims, beautiful countrysides and litter-filled rivers. The only constants seem to be the presence of tuk-tuks (3-wheeled motorbike transportation) and cheap beer.

We started our trip in Siem Reap to visit the Angkor Archaeological Park, with the 12th century ruins spreading over 3,000 sq. km. Our two favorite temples were the infamous Angkor Wat and the mysterious Ta Prohm. Angkor Wat is intricately detailed with wall carvings, steep stairs, tall towers, and Jaime loved the perfect symmetry. Unfortunately large portions of Angkor Wat were under restoration, so we don't have any photos worthy of posting. Ta Prohm is another stone temple that appears to have been taken back by the forest; the trees are overgrown on the temple walls, creating a nearly magical feel.

Phnom Penh is the capital city with a riverfront esplanade that comes alive with activity in the evenings. While the food and beer have been delightful, this city has made us think deeply about Cambodia's past and present. There are countless street children and amputated landmine victims begging or selling bracelets and copied books; a number of small children simply begged for a sip of water. Despite the extensive US bombings over the country, 1/3 of the Cambodian population (2-3 million people) was was killed under the rule of the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s. We visited Tuol Sleng (a.k.a. S-21) Security Prison which was a high school that the Khmer Rouge converted into a prison and interrogation center in 1975. Approximately 20,000 people were held there, and the torture methods used were so atrocious Jaime started to cry. We also visited Choeung Ek (a.k.a. The Killing Fields) where many prisoners from S-21 were executed enmasse, never "wasting" bullets, but rather using garden hoes and other horrific methods. In 1979 the remains of nearly 9,000 people were found in 86 of the 129 mass graves onsite (they left the remaining 43 mass graves untouched). Sadly, this is only one of 380 killing fields the Khmer Rouge created throughout the country.

On the complete opposite side of the spectrum from our emotions in Phnom Penh, we spent several days doing absolutely nothing in the oceanfront town of Sihanoukville. We sat on Serendipity Beach eating, relaxing under the shade of umbrellas on deckchairs, swimming in the warmest ocean water we've ever experienced, sleeping in a cheap hotel room, and then repeating the process for the next three days in a row. Jason drank so much Angkor Draft that he was forced to swim/pee every 30 minutes.

If you haven't heard yet, on March 6th (tomorrow!) we're flying from Cambodia to spend the last five weeks of our trip in India. We start in Delhi and head to the north. Then back to California on April 11th!