Cambodia

Cambodia has been the first part of my journey that has not revolved entirely around climbing.  I went on a whim and this is the first time traveling I've been traveling completely alone.  I went knowing nothing.  I didn't know about the history, the food, the culture or even the name of the Khmer people.

That being said, I instantly had mixed feeling and doubts upon entering the country.  The name Scambodia stands for a reason.  I had been told that within the first day of entering the country I would be scammed.  I took that as a grain of sand.  I've had my wits with me after a few months of traveling, right? Within the first five minutes of crossing the border I had gotten scammed for a sim card by a seemingly nice shop owner selling  a $1 card for $8.

Unless willing to barter with every single price, you will be ripped off in this country.  Entering parks, buying bus tickets, food, souvenirs, name it; you will be scammed.  Without knowing the actual local prices it can make travel frustrating and many travelers are turned off by this hustle.

I can assume this culture has developed because of the countries rough past and the high rates of poverty.  An estimated 13% of the country lives below the poverty line.  This might seem like a high number, but pretty good to the 50% rate the country experienced in just 2004.

During my past months of traveling South East Asia I have experienced a fair bit of poverty but not the drastic divide that I've seen here.  Siam Reap & Phnom Penh are the main places for tourism here. I was shocked to see the divide between the slums and upscale tourist centers.  My home, New Haven, CT, has a pretty serious wealth gap, but it's nothing in comparison.  Within a couple blocks you can go from a very ritzy resort laden area to a slum.  The impoverished begging children are the only look into whats happening right next door. 

That being said, Cambodia also has some spectacular sights that are certainly worth experiencing. I've never had such mixed emotions while traveling.  I went through some of the highest highs and the lowest lows while traveling here, and I am not alone.  Many travelers experience the same vibe. Cambodia is a place that is developing rapidly.  With the extreme corruption, population & tourist booms, it will be interesting to see where the country lands itself in the near future. 

First Stop, Siam Reap

This was our overpacked tuk-tuk that we took from the bus station to the hostel. I met Gigi and Georgia on the bus ride from Thailand.  They are an awesome couple that I ended up staying with until the end of my stay in Phnom Penh. 

Tuk-tuk's are the main way to travel short distances.  They are inexpensive and less wild when compared to their equivalent in Thailand. 

A local lotus farm we visited on the outskirts of the city.  The root can be eaten and is commonly used in soup.  Mild but tasty.  It was nice seeing them again after having them so often in both Hong Kong & China.   

These bungalows are used to picnic by locals.  A whole family can fit under its roof and food and food can be ordered next door.

Temples of Angkor

The main attraction in Siam Reap is Angkor Wat.  Built in the early 12th century, Angkor Wat still stands as the largest religious monument in the world.  Theres a reason why this remains as one of the most popular tourist centers in SOE.  The temples offer some spectacular views & architecture.

The common thing to do it visit Angkor Wat for Sunrise.  This a the view seen early in the morning. This is the biggest attraction in the area and the first of many temples to see.

Hannah inside Angkor Wat.

Another view of one of the many rooms inside Angkor Wat.  These were once pools filled with fresh water.

Some people are able to spend days visiting each temple.  I felt content after the four we had visited, but each temple does have its own unique feel and story.

Some of the ruins are in rough shape, but there are many restoration projects in place.

Gigi checking the Lonely Planet!

The other side of the temple.  By sunrise the area is filled with hoards of tourists selfieing away.

Battambang

Unless trying to find work or party, a couple days is more than enough time to spend in the Siam Reap.  We decided to take a bus to Battambang to hopefully escape the tourist trap. 

Battambang is a smaller city that has a couple touristic elements, but for the most part the city offers a lot of authentic culture and cuisine.  It was a breath of fresh air and a great time to relax.

Bamboo Train

On our first day in town we decided to take a tuk-tuk to the bamboo train.  This tourist attraction brings you on a 30 minute ride on a railway.  The "train" consists of a bamboo pallet with a motor attached to it.  The cart moves along a decrepit railway in a straight shot on flat ground.  No hills, turns, or sights to seen here.  This ride is fast, rough, and some of the most fun that I've had in Cambodia.

Village at the end of the tracks.

There is only one railway here so every time a cart is coming the opposite direction one of the carts need to be disassembled in order to let the other pass. Luckily, all the carts consist of is a a bamboo pallet and a couple axils.

Free Cycling Tour

I came across Free Cycling Tour on Trip Advisor while looking at things to do in the area.  It said it was free besides the bike rental.  Hard to believe considering Cambodias reputation with scams, but the reviews were high and the business seemed legit.  The tour lasted all afternoon and there were no hidden fees.

The tours are given by local college students looking to practice their english.  The tour was excellent.  We had the opportunity to visit one of the local rice wine distilleries, visit our guides home, talk to a family that has survived the Khmer Rouge Regime, visit a small village restaurant, and ride though a local fishing village.

Our small tour group heading towards the Distillery!

The rice wine distillery.  The drink of choice for the older locals here.  They make the rice wines in different proofs and later on infuse the wine with fruits and spices to make the final product.

Drunk pigs.  These pigs are fed the leftover fermented rice from the distillery. The rice still has a high alcohol content and these pigs are kept drunk.

The local restaurant we visited in the afternoon.  Very tasty food that reminded me of Vietnam.  From the left; fish cakes wrapped in banana leaves,  grilled eggs, and bbq chicken.

Small fishing village with kids playing.  I wish I had the opportunity to take more pictures through this village.  It was one of the most authentic experiences i've been to so far in Asia.

Bat Caves

Another popular attraction to Battambang is the Bat Caves. Our tuk-tuk driver took us to the base of a cave at sundown.  At nearly the same time every day millions of bats leave the cave for feeding.  

This constant flow of bats doesn't stop for over an hour.  From a distance the sea of bats can be seen flowing around the entire coastline.  The bats leave to a local lake at night for feeding and return with the same fashion early in the morning.

This is one of the only elevated areas in the region.  For the most part Cambodia is extremely flat.

Gigi, Georgia and I on top of the caves.

Phnom Penh

The main reason to visit Phnom Penh is for transportation and to visit the S21 Prison and Killing Fields.  The Capital City does not have much else to offer for travelers.  Housing and transportation can be expensive and there is simply not much to see.  The city is also notorious for petty theft and robberies.  I only spent two days in the city and Georgia had her bag aggressively ripped off of her by men on a motorbike.  Numerous locals had warned us of the dangers and suggested to never bring valuables while walking the streets.

I enjoyed my two days in the city but that was enough for me.  It's worth having a quick visit to see the chaos.

Seems Legit 

My first experience with cock fighting happened right on the open streets.  This bird owner was proud to display his trophy animal for me.

I believe this man was a training his birds for an upcoming fight.  He would tape their talons to prevent injury and have them fight one another for a bit before switching out birds.

Another man proud of his cock.

These underpowered and overworked tuk-tuk's have problems overheating during the day on the hot blacktop. The water jugs on the sides of the scooters act as radiators that flow water over the motor as an added cooler.

Food

I haven't heard it mentioned by others, but I have been psyched about the Khmer cuisine.  Local dishes can be bought for cheap and are usually delicious.  It's tough to beat Thai food but Cambodia sure puts up a fair fight.  The cuisine has a wide range of options unlike many other countries I have visited so far.  I feel as though the food has influences from Vietnam, Thailand and even China. Maybe I'm biased because of how much I have been missing my Chinese food.  

Chinese noodle soup and authentic fried dumplings, chili vinegar and all.  I am still really surprised how much Chinese influence Battambang had in their cuisine.  I'm not complaining the food was fantastic. 

Romdeng, one of the top rated restaurants in the city.  This restaurant offers a variety of experimental cuisine.  The dish pictured is a red tree ant soup.  If you look closely, all of the darker specks are tree ants.  The only difficult part is to take the first sip.  It's delicious from that point on.  Whether the ants add anything to the dish I don't know but I'd certainly have the dish again.

White rice, bbq pork, duck egg, papaya salad, soup and an iced tea.  This restaurant outside of my hostel sold this breakfast for just $1.00.  The bbq pork on white rice is almost identical to classic Cantonese dishes.

Koh Rong, Otres Village & Free Flow Fire Festival

I wish that I had more photos that could explain my experience in both Koh Rong and Otres.  I first went to visit the Free Flow Festival in Koh Rong, an island off the shore of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The island has been rapidly developed within the past 5-10 years.  The island has a strange vibe to say the least.  It's now a small strip full of restaurants, bars and entertainment for the large groups of young travelers looking to party and relax.  During the day people relax and enjoy the white sand beaches with crystal clear water and during the night the party begins.

The Free Flow Festival brought a different demographic of people to the island.  The island usually attracts predominantly western beach and party seekers, but this week was different.  The fire spinning and arts festival brought a large group of vagabonds looking to share their talents through spinning, dance, massage, music and meditation.  I spent the week relaxing around the slack line and joining a variety of the different workshops.  A great experience to meet people from around the world and share like mindsets.

The pier coming off the ferry.

Early on during one of the final nights at at the festival.  People here partied hard.  The psy trance was loud and the psychedelic drugs were abundant.  People were often up till the early hours of the morning spinning and dancing.  The closing party of the festival had one of the most intense dance parties I've ever seen.  The strange mix between the club goers coming down from the town and the spun festival goers made for an awesome night.

A poi workshop during the day.

Crystal clear water surrounds the island.  This photo is taken off from a boat tour around the island.  For 10$ the tour brings a long tail boat full of people snorkeling, fishing, barbecuing and plankton swimming around the island.

View from Long Beach.  The most pristine beach I've ever seen.

Otres

After the Free Flow Festival came to a close there were a lot of people seeking more.  We headed back to mainland where a short tuk tuk can be taken to Otres Village.  I knew that there was another festival taking place during this time and figured I would go see what Otres had to offer.  

Otres is broken up into more or less three sections; Otres 1, Otres 2, and the Village, where I ended up.  I stayed at Hacienda.  A surprisingly nice homestead of bungalows and dorm rooms ($3.00 a night).  Its even possible to stay in a free dorm as long as food and drink is purchased from the restaurant.  The food is quality as well.  

Hacienda also offers a totally different demographic when compared to the rest of the village.  A crew of old sailors and travelers that like what Otres has to offer without the hippies.

The community here is bizarre to say the least.  Many people that stay here get stuck and the others have been coming back for years. Work is abundant, the living is cheap and the party never stops. Otres is the the largest coagulation of debauchery I have ever seen in a single area, and this is coming from someone who spent my past 7 summers traveling music festivals.  Loud electronic psytrance and substances of every variety keep the party alive.  During my time here I questioned whether half of the people eat or sleep.

It seems like a place like this would fall apart but it hasn't, and its growing.  It's an easy place for western people to put up shop.  It's one of the few places in SOE where it's legal to own a business and visa's can be extended indefinitely. Western owned bungalows, restaurants and assorted shops are everywhere and they somehow manage to function.

It's a place thats too bizarre to be left unseen and I myself will return.  

The Hacienda bar scene.  One of the few places with an older seen and good music.

Ross and his pet praying mantis.

Kerfuffle.  Every Wednesday a 10am-10pm jungle rave takes place.  For many people here this is what the week revolves around.  Kerfuffle leads to an after party which leads to an afterparty.   Before anyone realized, a week has passed and another Kerfuffle begins.  This photo was taken right before closing at 10am and the dance floor is still going strong.

Tuk Tuk ride back to the village!

S-21 Prison and The Killing Field

Before I entered the country, I knew little of its history.  Cambodia has had a rough history and effects can still be seen everywhere.  It's important to know the history in order to understand the current culture.

From 1975-1979 the Cambodian Genocide was carried out Pol Pot's regime, the Khmer Rouge. Within these years it is estimated that 1.5-3 million people were killed.  Pol Pot's dream was to create a socialist system that brought people back to their farming roots.  When his system was implemented people were relocated from cities to collective farms.

Anyone who refused to move, intellectuals, ethnic people, artists and religious followers were all killed.  Little to no evidence was needed and simply wearing a pair of glasses could lead to death.

During his reign 25% of Cambodias population had been killed.

S-21 Prison

The S-21 prison is located in Phnom Penh.  When the genocide started this school was transformed into a torture and execution center.  Today it stands as Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.  The museum offerers an audio tour that explains all aspects of the regime; what the prison was used for, how Pol Pot's regime came to power, how the regime fell, and the lasting effects of the genocide.  This is one of the 150 execution centers in the country.

View from outside of the prison.

The prison is completely covered in barbed wire.  Security was tight here, rather than to keep the prisoners from escape, this barbed wire was placed to stop suicide attempts.

One of the many interrogation and torture rooms located in building 1.  The prisoners here were interrogated and tortured until they had gave forced confessions.  Out of the 17,000 people that entered this prison, only 8 are known to have survived.  

When the regime fled the prison, they executed the remaining prisoners.  In each interrogation room the photo of the victim is placed as evidence.

Child soldiers of the regime carrying M16 rifles.

Some of the most shocking information about the genocide.  Many of the leaders are still on trial although they have documented confessions.  Pol Pot died in house arrest in 1998 after living a virtually free life.  This gives some insight into Cambodia's politics and where they still stand.

Small wooden holding cells.

Killing Fields

The Killing Field in Phnom Penh is one of many 20,000 mass grave sites around the country.  People were often lied to and brought to locations under the impression they were going to be given another chance.  This would mean almost certain death.  Pol Pots philosophy was to execute an entire family in order to prevent people from coming back for revenge.

This Buddhist stupa serves as a monument for the victims.  If you look closely you can see the tower of 5000 skulls and bones from the victims.  Nearly all of them have been noticeably smashed.

Bones and clothing can sometimes be seen coming through the ground while walking around the fields.

 Killing Cave

The killing cave in Battambang is another location where the Khmer Rouge would execute prisoners.

A Buddhist hell temple.  These temples are built to signify Naraka, a Buddhist underworld or hell.

Skulls found in the cave.  I have mixed opinions of the display of skulls and the morality of it, although it is a Buddhist temple.