Cambodia – January 16th, 2016
Today we said goodbye to our travel companions as we travel 5 hours by bus to Siem Reap – during the wet season the ship sails into the great Tonle Sap Lake, but during the dry season, the tributary from the Mekong is too low for the ship to make the crossing.
What an eye-opening week, on my last visit 10 years ago, aLthough I was aware of the tragic history of this country during the Pot Pol regime, it was glossed over my main interest was to visit the temples of Angkor Wat.
This trip visiting historic places, reading, films, and talks of it past history by our guides- how unaware we were as to the atrocities committed in this country. It went beyond genocide, it was not aimed at ant particular groups like in Europe during the Second War but at the whole of humanity itself.
Eradicating all traces of humanity education, arts, music, literature, religion, thoughts, family.
For those who survived this period by hidden who they were prior to the Khmer Rouge what a testament to the human spirit of survival.
To does who committed the crimes and my still be alive, let’s hope that Karma takes over.
As we drive through the countryside, the poverty is overwhelming compared to the cities, away from the Mekong, farmers can only harvest one crop during the rainy season – so they barely survived.
Houses turned from cement in the city, to corrugated metal on the river to palm fronds sidings in the countryside.
But the richness of this country are its people, friendly, welcoming, hospitable.
Arriving Siem Reap, the only thing I recognized was the river and part of the old market. It has changed so much in 10 years.
Our home for the next 3 nights the Victoria is a throwback to Indochine architecture with luscious green grounds – you are expecting Catherine Deneuve to be walking down its halls.
A quick walk through the bustling town and the heat got David, so we tuk-tuk it back to the hotel where a quickly book a massage.
Tomorrow it’s how many temple can you do in one day…..stay tune.
