Cambodia: a 2.5 day trip to Siem Reap
I had the chance to go to Cambodia last week, only an hour's flight away from Bangkok. The trip was a revelation for me, because I had more or less mixed up in my mind a broad swathe of Cambodian, Thai, Laos and Vietnamese culture.
The normal currency used by default is the US dollar, and the taxi driver asked me why I wanted to exchange my dollars for Cambodian Riels: "Dollars work everywhere!" They changed from French to English as a second language a few decades ago.
If you ask politely, they will stop and pose for you!
And some had really interesting children hooked to their mobile games!
Most of the shops had women 'manning' them, just as some villages in Telangana, my state.
Still life with a live dog
Cambodia is one of the poorest countries today, with a population barely 2/3 that of New Delhi (15 million compared to 21 million). The country has been devastated by conquerors and colonizers from outside, and civil war from within.
While it is an agrarian economy (90%), Cambodia still ranks among its exports some minor gold and timber from its forests, and tobacco.
The Pre-Angkor period: Not much is known about the pre-Angkor period. King Isanavarman (of Cambodia) ruled over 'Suvarnabhumi' in 633 CE. Indians have had a tradition of conquering regions rich in their gold reserves. 'Suvarnabhumi' means a 'land of gold'. So it might just be that Cambodia was colonised by Indian Kings for its gold reserves, just like the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Cambodia still ranks among its exports some minor gold and timber from its forests, and tobacco.
Angkor Wat before Sunrise.You can see the stars in the sky pre-dawn. Angkor is derived from Nagara (Sanskrit-City) and Vat from Wata (Sanskrit -temple grounds. The original name of the place however is Parama Vishnu Loka.
The next mention of Cambodia is when King Jayavarman II established the dynasty. He came and the start of the Nagara (Angor) period around 820 CE originally came from the Srivijaya (Jakarta) dynasty which ruled Indonesia. The Srivijaya dynasty conquered the Melayu kingdom (Malaya dvipa - mountainous island) because it was renowned for gold.
Fried Rice with pork and iced tea by the side. This cost me $2
The place where you buy Angkor Tickets
Another view of Angkor Wat. The next mention of Cambodia is when King Jayavarman II established the dynasty. He came and the start of the Nagara (Angor) period around 820 CE originally came from the Srivijaya (Jakarta) dynasty which ruled Indonesia. The Srivijaya dynasty conquered the Melayu kingdom (Malaya dvipa - mountainous island) because it was renowned for gold.
Jayavarman II united the Khmer people under the name "Kambuja" in 885 CE. By late 12th century, King Jayavarman VII had converted to Mahayana Buddhism and built the Bayon Temple of the Smiling Buddha.
The gates to the Bayon Temple have a depiction of Gods on one side, and Demons on the other, churning the ocean with naga (railing on both sides) to extract the elixir of immortal life, in an ancient Indian myth.
Cambodia still is 95% Buddhist, of the Theravada persuasion. Theravada Buddhism originated in Sri Lanka and spread across Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. It's the more conservative form of Buddhism, compared to Mahayana Buddhism in China, Tibet, and other regions.
The Archaealogical Society of India is helping (supposedly) in the conservation.
Jayavarman II united the Khmer people under the name "Kambuja" in 885 CE. By late 12th century, King Jayavarman VII had converted to Mahayana Buddhism and built the Bayon Temple of the Smiling Buddha.
The kingdom then fell into decline by the 15th century, and Angkor Wat was abandoned as a capital. The next three centuries were the dark ages when the hill tribes of Cambodia were carried off as slaves by the rest of Cambodians, Thai and Vietnamese.
No relation to the Buddha or the photograph, but let me tell you about the French next!
The French then colonized it in mid-1850's, and every cambodian learnt French till a few decades ago. Cambodia became independent from France in 1953. Sihanouk, the new ruler, permitted the US to use Cambodia as a base against Vietnam communist sanctuaries (publicly a different stance). He was deposed by the Khmer Rogue.
The Bayon Temple
Ah, yes, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was shot here! The Ta Phrom Temple with overgrown trees entwined with rock
Angelina Jolie must have touched this very tree in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider! A good reason to stay away.
These trees can't be removed anymore because the temple will come crashing down!
So the tree is conserved along with the temple, until the temple makes way!
Through the 1970's to 1985, was one of the worst periods of civil war and strife. The Cambodian people were caught in the cross-fire between the Khmer Rogue's army and the Vietcong army. Almost 2 million people (a quarter of the population) were killed by Pol Pot, a communist who was leading the Khmer Rogue and styled himself in the steps of Maoist China to establish an 'agrarian socialist' society.
The Cambodian genocide denial was the reprehensible belief expressed by many Western academics that claims of atrocities by the Khmer Rouge were much exaggerated, characterizing contrary reports as "tales told by refugees" and U.S. propaganda.
In 1978, Vietnam forces invaded Cambodia and propped up a rebel Cambodian party backed by it, and by Soviet arms.
In 1993, the monarchy was restored under King Nordom Sihanouk, but all power was in the hands of the government established after the UNTAC sponsored elections.
FACES!
There's something about faces - they change so fast!
Expressions changing faster than I can click!
I wish I was a child!
For a few moments, I was lost in that golden age of childhood, and I knew that perhaps this was the only reality worth respecting
They all seemed to get along, peacably just as most people seem to, for a tourist. Especially the school children. As I did enough high-fives and got my palm slapped by the laughing school children, till it was sore,I started smiling myself, and all thoughts fled from my mind. Of the history of suffering, of war and oppression and the killing fields.
A crocodile farm in the Floating Village of Tonle Sap
A Make In Cambodia musuem. Unlike the Make in India products, they really had only stuff that was made in Cambodia.
Frogs being roasted on a stick to be packed for my lunch. Cost $2.5 for 3 frogs.
Angkor National Musuem is a re-iteration of ancient history, largely filled with thousands of buddhas and other figurines of gods.
Phare Circus: White Gold Show
Rice Wine infused with various fruits and flavors
You could have a free taste - so I did and promptly got drunk!
The Phare Circus group performers. It was a brilliant association formed in 1994 by 9 men from refugee camps, who wanted to give troubled children a chance. Today, around 1200 performers are trained in public schools and 500 pupils alternative schools. It is a way out of their poverty to self-respect and freedom.
I entered Pub Street very tentatively
Pub Street wakes up only at 3 pm every afternoon, and every tourist is accosted by a pimp who asks if you want boom-boom. Acknowledging them even with your eyes invites an immediate follow-up. I moved on fast!
The lights were ever changing on Pub Street, the beer overpriced.
Pub Street is not my idea of anything except a photographer's delight.
Taj Mahal! Purely Halal Food and Draft Beer for only $0.50!
Luk-Luk with beef. This was a local Siem Reap speciality at the Golden Pumpkin, where you have to wait for two hours or reserve well in advance! Cost $3.5.
On my way to Chond Kneas
A regular Buddhist ceremony. I don't really know what it was about, but it was a celebration.
Ethnic tensions between the Khmer and the Vietnamese can be high and traceable back to history of conflict. The Khmer have been influenced in their language by Indian words while the Viet Minh have been influenced by their Chinese roots. In the floating fishing villages, however, I had no idea how many Vietnamese were living there, and how many were Khmer.
You are old, Father William.." A cycling trip to the port of Chong Kneas, traveling along the river, and back to Siem Reap
There are some mosques and churches
Prime Minister Hun of the Cambodian People's Party has been serving ever since 1985 as the single longest PM in the world, commanding all but 4 of the 125 seats in the assembly. He is a former Khmer Rogue member who defected, and has been charged with human rights abuses, electoral fraud, corruption, evicting thousands of villagers to sell off land to investors, and has vowed to rule until he is 74 years.
Currently Cambodia is largely an agrarian economy (90%) and one of the most corrupt countries in the world. I found today's Cambodia a very impoverished state and very similar to Indian villages in the country side. Prices were dirt cheap- for food, living, etc.
The normal currency used by default is the US dollar, and the taxi driver asked me why I wanted to exchange my dollars for Cambodian Riels: "Dollars work everywhere!" They changed from French to English as a second language a few decades ago.
It is necessary to visit places on the ground just in order to discover how diverse people really are, how different their beliefs, practices and customs, and how brutal to each other, while at the same time, understanding how really universal our fears are, caring, values, laughter, joys, happiness, pain, sorrow and suffering
The Pre-Angkor period: Not much is known about the pre-Angkor period. King Isanavarman (of Cambodia) ruled over 'Suvarnabhumi' in 633 CE. Indians have had a tradition of conquering regions rich in their gold reserves. 'Suvarnabhumi' means a 'land of gold'. So it might just be that Cambodia was colonised by Indian Kings for its gold reserves, just like the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Cambodia still ranks among its exports some minor gold and timber from its forests, and tobacco.
The next mention of Cambodia is when King Jayavarman II established the dynasty. He came and the start of the Nagara (Angor) period around 820 CE originally came from the Srivijaya (Jakarta) dynasty which ruled Indonesia. The Srivijaya dynasty conquered the Melayu kingdom (Malaya dvipa - mountainous island) because it was renowned for gold.
Fried Rice with pork and iced tea by the side. This cost me $2
The place where you buy Angkor Tickets
Another view of Angkor Wat. The next mention of Cambodia is when King Jayavarman II established the dynasty. He came and the start of the Nagara (Angor) period around 820 CE originally came from the Srivijaya (Jakarta) dynasty which ruled Indonesia. The Srivijaya dynasty conquered the Melayu kingdom (Malaya dvipa - mountainous island) because it was renowned for gold.
Jayavarman II united the Khmer people under the name "Kambuja" in 885 CE. By late 12th century, King Jayavarman VII had converted to Mahayana Buddhism and built the Bayon Temple of the Smiling Buddha.
Jayavarman II united the Khmer people under the name "Kambuja" in 885 CE. By late 12th century, King Jayavarman VII had converted to Mahayana Buddhism and built the Bayon Temple of the Smiling Buddha.
The kingdom then fell into decline by the 15th century, and Angkor Wat was abandoned as a capital. The next three centuries were the dark ages when the hill tribes of Cambodia were carried off as slaves by the rest of Cambodians, Thai and Vietnamese.
The French then colonized it in mid-1850's, and every cambodian learnt French till a few decades ago. Cambodia became independent from France in 1953. Sihanouk, the new ruler, permitted the US to use Cambodia as a base against Vietnam communist sanctuaries (publicly a different stance). He was deposed by the Khmer Rogue.
In 1978, Vietnam forces invaded Cambodia and propped up a rebel Cambodian party backed by it, and by Soviet arms.
In 1993, the monarchy was restored under King Nordom Sihanouk, but all power was in the hands of the government established after the UNTAC sponsored elections.
Phare Circus: White Gold Show
Pub Street wakes up only at 3 pm every afternoon, and every tourist is accosted by a pimp who asks if you want boom-boom. Acknowledging them even with your eyes invites an immediate follow-up. I moved on fast!
Ethnic tensions between the Khmer and the Vietnamese can be high and traceable back to history of conflict. The Khmer have been influenced in their language by Indian words while the Viet Minh have been influenced by their Chinese roots. In the floating fishing villages, however, I had no idea how many Vietnamese were living there, and how many were Khmer.
Currently Cambodia is largely an agrarian economy (90%) and one of the most corrupt countries in the world. I found today's Cambodia a very impoverished state and very similar to Indian villages in the country side. Prices were dirt cheap- for food, living, etc.
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