Siem Reap Part 1- Discovering Angkor Wat

The north western city of Siem Reap has had its fair share of battles throughout the years.
Now it is a popular tourist spot, as it is home to the famous Angkor Wat, a city in itself of impressive and well preserved magnificent Temples.
After a day of wandering around the the cities 'Old Market' Center, which largely caters for tourists, I decided I was going to do a one day cycling tour of the temples. Many tourists like to hire a tuk tuk for the day. It's not possible to walk the site, it's simply too big. The temples can be quite far apart. It was not the idea of cycling over 35km in the 33 degree heat that made me decide to do the cycling option. I had met an elderly couple ( over 60 at least) who had spent three days cycling to all the temples. It was the stubborn voice in my head that said if they can do it, then so can I. That plus I figured I might need it after lazing on beaches and in Hammocks for the last week.
I decided to book with a tour group rather than doing it solo, mainly because I liked the idea of having a guide who would explain the history of the temples. I went with Grasshopper Tours, who I really can't recommend enough. There was about 19 of us in the group, it was a good combination of families and younger people. Nearly all American and expats living in Vietnam. It was Tet (New Year) in Vietnam, and so a public holiday. Although not as heavily celebrated as Tet, it was still Chinese New Year in Cambodia, and of course China, meaning floods of Chinese tourists in Angkor Wat.
To visit the temples, you can buy a day, 3 day, week or month pass. Two days would be perfect I think, but they are clever enough not to sell this. Khmers get free entry all year around. A one day ticket costs 20 dollars, a three day 40. They get milllions of visitors a year, but shockingly the money does not go to the Cambodian government. They sold the site to a private company, and I can only imagine the profit this company is making.
We visited Angkor Wat first, which is the main attraction. I've seen a couple of temples since arriving to Asia, but I can't imagine ever seeing anything that will compare to Angkor War. It's enormous, and nothing short of splendid. The structure still stands as it was when it was first built in 1113-52. Made entirely of stone, it's many walls are decorated with engravings. It was built by Suryavaram who built the temple in devotion to the Hindu deity Vishnu. Subsequent Buddhist kings removed the Vishnu statues to replace them with the Buddist statues which remain today.


Next we cycled off road along the massive surrounding wall of Angkor Thom, to the temple itself. Along the way we stopped at one of the four small corner temples, built to guard the larger temples inside the walls. Angkor Thom's is a fortress inside of which are many beautiful temples, the main one being Bayon.
In some ways I preferred Bayon to Angkor Wat. Inside this temple and large rocks carved with the face of Avalokiteshvara on each of the rocks four sides. It's got many hidden rooms and compartments to nose around.

After we went for a well earned lunch at one of the many outdoor restaurants which can be found a couple of meters from any temple. The food was amazing, and I had what was probably the best Amok I had in Cambodia. Amok is the Cambodia's most famous local dish. It is a type of coconut curry, and was definitely my favourite of the Khmer foods. Mostly food in Cambodia lacks any real spiciness, which I've decided is what makes Asian food so good.

After lunch we went to our final temple of the day, Ta Prohm. This is also now known as 'the Tomb Raider Temple' as it was one of the locations used during filming of Tomb Raider. Our tour guide told us a story of how he once met Angelina Jolie while filming was going on. She came into the souvenir shop he was working in. He asked was it her and she said yes. He said she bought lots of things and with admiration told us didn't haggle for anything. He said people don't believe him because he didn't get a photo with her. I decided to believe him!
This temple has large and beautiful trees growing right through it, the stones mixed with the tree roots. Sometimes then trees strength wins over the temple and you can see where walls have crumbled to give way to the tree. The entanglement of the two are what make this temple special, and beautiful.

After we began our hour long cycle back to the office, during which we did our fair share of off road mountain biking. There were many more temples at the site that I hadn't, and would love to have seen. I debated returning during my stay and spending another day cycling the temples but somehow it just didn't happen.
That night I met the Americans for some well earned cocktails.

Kep and Kampot, Cambodia

I'd heard many a horror story about the buses in Cambodia, overbookings, drivers falling asleep, break downs etc, so I did expect the worst. There are two or three excellent companies (Mekong Express, VIP bus), but after that the quality varies widely, although the price remains as high. On my first bus trip I had the misfortune of having to take one of the lesser quality buses.
After much thought on which part of Cambodia's coast I would visit. A popular spot among backpackers is Sihanoukville, from which you can get to several islands. I however had my heart set on Rabbit Island, which can be reached from the heavily french influenced village of Kep.
The bus trip from Phnom Penh was four hours. The bus was old and dirty but manageable. Then disaster struck, as the bus began to shake and creek until it came to a halt. The driver and his companion got out, and eventually all the passengers followed, to watch the driver and his friend look into the engine at the back of the bus, as they scratched their heads and laughed for about a half an hour, in the 30 plus midday heat. Eventually one of them took out a knife, cut something that resembled a bike tire tube and pulled it out of the engine. He then told us all to get back on the bus. It started, and drove... but there was no air conditioning. Now, I don't want to sound like a whining first world country westerner, but my god, it was hell. The windows didn't open, which meant the only slight form of fresh air, in a bus crammed full of people, in the searing heat, was from the door, which the driver had decided to leave open as some sort of compensation. It did very little, and after 5 minutes, every inch of me was soaked in sweat, and no amount of fanning could stop it. It was actually cooler outside in the sun that in the bus. Then, to add insult to injury, to drown out the sound of people complaining, and babies crying, the driver then decided to blare Cambodian pop music as loud as possible. I don't know if you know any Cambodian pop music, but it resembles a karaoke style backing track with a screeching srill cat like singer wailing over it. It was a long two hours.

Kep does not see many backpackers, caters mainly to french tourists, couples, and young families. So, I was a little out of place, but I had booked myself one night in a luxurious bungalow resort in the hills, complete with pool, and beautiful sea view. I was even more delighted to hear that they had overbooked and were putting me in a deluxe bungalow. It was my first private room since getting to Asia, having slept only in dorms up to this point. Personal space is a precious luxury to a backpacker, and so is a swimming pool. I spent the afternoon beside the pool, swimming, reading and sunbathing. In the evening I wandered into the village to have a crab dinner, which Kep is renowned for.
The next morning I got the boat to Rabbit Island. Rabbit Island is a tiny island, no roads, no cars, no bikes even. It is so called because apparently it is shaped, like a rabbit. The morning boats take tourists to stay either a day, or as long as they like. Several of the islander families have set up bamboo huts on the beach which they rent out at 5 to 10 dollars. You can't prebook these, and just have to show up and hope a good bungalow is available when you arrive. I got a nice one for 5 dollars. They're all on stilts, have little porches with a hammock. Inside is just a double bed, mosquito net, one plug socket and one light. No fans or Air Con here. Also, the bath room was an outhouse, which was a little scary (mostly because of the biting ants) as it was a bit of a walk from the hut in the night. The island only has power for four hours a day, between 6pm and 10pm, which is supplied by generator. The families also have open restaurants on the beach, where you can get basic, but delicious sea food for between 1-6 dollars. Paradise.
I stayed on the island for two nights, and could easily have stayed longer. No Internet, no TV, no news, nothing. Just reading, eating, sunbathing, writing, and swimming. Also, the most beautiful sunsets I think I have ever seen. On the last night, I woke up to a storm, despite the glorious weather since my arrival. Thunder, lightning pouring rain and high winds, I was convinced the thatched roof was going to be ripped off. I got up to check for leaks in the dark,expected to find my backpack in a puddle, but the little house held up perfectly, and not an inch of my cabin was wet. The next morning remainance of the storm could be seen on the beach, and the locals were out with there brushes sweeping it away.

After a boat back to shore, I hoped on a bus to Kampot, a town just 45 mins from Kep. It was a small town, with little to do, but I had booked an amazing 'hostel' called Ganesha, a couple of miles from town in the countryside. The surroundings were beautiful, with a little pond, palm trees, and it was beside the river. I had another bamboo hut, much bigger, and on much higher stilts, it towered above the trees. It had a front and back door, with two porches, one facing east and one west, so you could watch the sun rise and sunset. The place was run by two Swedish ladies, who were so friendly and helpful. They offered a boat cruise along the river to see the sunset which I did on my first night, and it really was beautiful. It was also a great way to meet others in the hostel.
They offered free bicycles to the people staying, and on my second day I cycled into town. The bike friendly route was a red dirt road which intersected many little villages along the way. Every five minutes, you would get a kid waving and shouting hello at you from the side of the road. Cambodians are by far, the friendliest people I've met anywhere.
There was very little to see or do in Kampot, just walk around the village, shops and chill out in cafes. Mostly because of my amazing accommodation though I really enjoyed my time in Kampot. Next stop would be Siem Reap, home to the amazing Angkor Temples!

Phnom Penh- Part Two. Learning about the Khmer Rouge

Some of the main tourist attractions in Phnom Penh are centered around the tragically recent history of the Khmer Rouge and their horrific genocide. I didn't know a great deal about it before coming to Cambodia, so here's a quick history lesson.
 The Khmer Rouge came into power in Cambodia in 1975 after years of Civil War. They were a Communist party, leaning on the side of Maoism. Their leader was the infamous Pol Pot. Within days of coming into power, they evacuated all of the cities, and marched the people to 'base' camps throughout rural Cambodia. Many of the Khmer Rouge and their soldiers came from impoverished rural backgrounds. They were attracted to the promise of equality for all, and that they would be brought out of there poverty. The city people or 'new people' as they would become known were forced to work in these rural camps, as were the native rural people or 'base people' although they were treated more fairly, as a reward for having been loyal to the traditional ways of life of the Khmer. The Khmer Rouge, under Pol Pot and his governments orders, began mass killings of anyone who was considered a threat to the Khmer Rouges rule or that was not 100% native Khmer. These killings were often carried out in secret, with the targets being told they were moving camp, when in fact, they were being taken to one of the many notorious Killing Fields. Anyone with a heritage outside of Khmer was killed, tourists were killed, anyone who worked for the previous government, anyone that was suspected to be a spy (often these suspicions were completely unfounded), anyone that was seen as too educated, all teachers, professors, doctors, nurses, even anyone that wore glasses.
The conditions in the work camps were horrific, with people being forced to work 12 plus hours a day and only given a bowl of water based rice soup to live on. Starvation killed many, particularly the young, but disease also spread rapidly, and with no real doctors or nurses or medication there was little chance of survival.

The Khmer Rouge preached about equality but little of it existed during their rule. If you refused to join the Khmer Rouge army, you were branded a traitor and were killed. If you were in this army, and refused to carry out an order, such as executing 'traitors' at the Killing Fields, you too would be killed.
The rice that the people slaved to farm was mostly exported to China for money for weapons. Pol Pot was paranoid of being attacked and had a deep hatred for the neighbouring Vietnamese, so his army began random assaults along the border of Vietnam. Children were taken as teens into training camps to learn how to use weapons. They were brainwashed into hating the Vietnamese and were told that the Vietnamese were invading to take them as slaves and take the Cambodian land. Vietnam did attack in 1979 but it was to liberate the people of Cambodia from the cruel Khmer Rouge regime. It is estimated that a quarter of the population were killed, three million people. But whats even harder to believe is that the world didn't truly understand what was going on in Cambodia, they had closed there boarders to all foreigners. After 1979 it did soon become apparent that something terrible had gone on, but the Khmer Rouge still held their seat in the UN. Because an alternative government had not been set up, they were still recognised by the outside world as the Cambodias leader, and were even given money by the UN and held a seat in the new Cambodian Government. Years of civil war and political strife continued well into the 90's when finally completely free of the Khmer Rouge. Whats worse is that only one Khmer Rouge official has been prosecuted, and that only happened last year. Pol Pot, lived a long and happy life, dying of natural causes, and never had to face up or pay for the absolute terror he inflicted on his own people.

So, one day in Phnom Penh we decided to visit the S21 prison and 'The Killing Fields' in one day. The prison was once a primary school but the Khmer Rouge turned it into a place of terror. It became a prison, first just for political prisoners and then for anyone accused of betraying the Khmer Rouge. Very often people were accused for no reason, even women and children. They were brought to the prison and tortured until they confessed. They were then either killed on site, but more often put in a van and brought to one of the killing fields. Every prisoner was photographed and documented. In the prison now, rooms are left as they were, some big with a single metal bed. Some are tiny, maybe 7 by 5 feet, with no light. When the prison was discovered by the Vietnamese soldiers in 1979, only 7 survivors were found. Freshly killed prisoners were found in many of the rooms and today in each of these rooms, there is a photograph of how they were found. Other rooms are filled with thousands of photographs taken by the Khmer Rouge of the prisoners. It was a very somber place, and little reminders of its school origin made it all the more eerie. It was done tastefully and the museums approach was one that it serves as a reminder to future generations that we should never let this happen again.

I'm glad to say the same approach was taken with the Killing Fields. It always feels a bit strange visiting such places as a tourist. I can say I have no regrets about going, and it was done very well and respectfully. You are given an audio tour which brings you around the field, which was unnervingly beautiful and serene. There is a lake at its center, with trees and flowers surrounding it. Surrounding this though were huge craters with cracking earth. In these huge pits mass graves were found. The gases from these corpses forced the earth open revealing them underneath, and this was how the killing fields were discovered, after the Khmer Rouge had fled. During the tour you're given heart breaking accounts of what went on at the site. Thousands and thousands of bodies and bones were found here. So many that although they tried to excavate as many as they could, there are still many more underfoot as you walk around. Every now and again you will see a bit of old cloth under the surface, from the clothes of those killed. Even worse, you might come across a bone. There are even more under the lake, where an excavation couldn't take place. While we were there, villagers were bathing in this lake.
Probably the hardest part of the tour was the 'Killing Tree'. Bits of skull, brain and blood were found on the tree when the site was first discovered.They didn't know why until a mass grave was discovered beside the tree, in which were thousands of naked woman (most raped before being killed) and their children and babies. The tree was used to smash the babies and young children off, and then they were thrown into the pit. Many of the victims at this site were killed in prolonged, agonizing ways, because bullets were too expensive to waste on them. This method however, seems particularly brutal. These children were killed because one or both of it's parents was accused of being a traitor. Pol Pot believed it better to exterminate a whole family so there was no one left to seek revenge.

It was an interested, but heartbreaking day. It was difficult to see and hear of all the recent atrocities that went on so recently, but I'm glad I did it. To ignore it, would gain nothing, and I'm sure Cambodia have had enough of the world ignoring its problems.

Phnom Penh Part one- The Kings death in The Kingdom of Cambodia

Because I spent longer in Vietnam than anticipated I decided to skip Laos and head straight for Cambodia. I'd been told by several people that flights in Asia were pretty cheap so thought it would be fairly easy to fly from Hanoi into Cambodia. Turned out Cambodia seems to be exception when it comes to cheap flights, and at €180 one way it was just too much for me to part with. It was however just €30 to fly back to where I started in HCMC where I could get a nice bus across the border for $12.It was an incredibly easy and painless crossing, we got water and cake, and the bus lady took our passports and forms, got our visas at the border all we had to do was walk up to the official and get our stamps. It was all very official and high tec, we even got our finger prints and photos taking. No messing or corruption.

Cambodian roads were instantly quieter than Vietnamese ones, and the motorbike is still the favored vehicle. The people looked different, with much darker skin and wider flatter noses. Thanks to the Khemer Rouge and they're genocide (more on that later) anybody that didn't look totally Khmer was wiped out. The countywide was beautiful and green and probably because there are less people, there was less litter. There is absolutely no regard for littering in Asia from what I can see. You will often see beautiful fields and countryside and lakes strewn with rubbish. Its sad to see, but especially because the country people don't seem to understand the effects this will have on the very environment they live in.
On the drive to Phnom Penh our bus boarded a ferry to cross the massive Mekong River. The ferry is only in operation in the last two decades and must have made such a huge difference to the peole living around the river. On the way over on the ferry, I heard a tapping at my window. I looked out to see a boy of about 7 who had climbed between the side of our bus and the side of the truck right beside us in order to reach my window. He was trying to open in, was filthy, in ragged clothes, and was pointing to his mouth in a gesture of wanting food. It was pretty heartbreaking and as it was my first real encounter with child begging in Asia, pretty shocking. I didn't know what to do for a moment, and then remembered the 'free snacks'the bus company had provided for us when we boarded our bus. I found the sugary doughnut and gave it to him. He looked surprised, but otherwise his expression didn't change. He took it eagerly and made his way down, and onto another window. I then noticed there were children at other windows. A guy opposite me had drawn his curtains and was holding his window shut to a small girl of about 5. Maybe he didn't have anything to give her... right?
Child begging seems to be pretty common here, some are down right scary, others just too sad. Some are trying to sell goods, with pushy mothers watching from a distance. Some try the 'milk scam', where they ask for milk, bring you to a nearby shop where they often have an arrangement, where the milk is often overpriced (I once heard someone being quoted $25 in such a situation) and apparently after the milk has been sold, the child can return the milk and get the money, with the shop taking a commision. I've met travellers who have tried to bring such children to different shops other than the ones the child suggests, and the child usually refuses. Its hard to distinguish in such situations, so unless I have something I can give on me already, I say no, which can be pretty hard.

As we came into Phnom Penh, I got chatting to two english guys, who informed me we were arriving just in time for the Kings funeral. This would continue for a week and for the entirity of my stay. It was both interesting and inconvient in equal measures. Many roads were closed to vehicles, and sometimes to pedestrians too. The irritating thing was, there would be pedestrians on either side of such road closures, and you could always get to your desired street by taking a longer route around, thus deeming the closure irrelivant. Sometimes, they would let you through a particular road closure, and 10 minutes later, at the same road closure, they wouldn't, and you'd have to walk a block or two around to get through. I completely failed to see the logic, or understand it. This would be  a theme for a great many things in Cambodian society. It was something I would just have to come to accept. Things often didn't make sense, seemed badly organised, everything is late or not how it is promised or seemed. These are all things that I can easily forgive and get over though because every other aspect of Cambodia, and its people is fantastic. I was instantly overcome by how friendly and kind its people are. I've been to a few countries in my time, and I have to say, Khmers are one of the friendliest I've come across. Its an easy place to relax and feel at ease. Everyone seems to want to help you, or just say hello.

We got to the city late in the day, so after checking in to the most random Hostel of all time with the English guys, there wasn't much else to do. The hostel could have been amazing, with a swimming pool, and the biggest single bunk beds I've ever seen, but the staff were something else. It seems that there are often 4 or 5 people in business' in Cambodia to do the job of one person. We saw 4 people changing a bed. 1 actually changed the bed, while 3 watched. In this hostel, they also didnt seem to have a clue who was occupying any of the beds in the Dorm, and just kept bringing people in after the dorm was full. I also saw some shameless flirting between to staff members that had come in to fix a shower that wasn't working. They didn't seem to notice that there were two of us in the room (although they definitely knew we were) It was pretty awkward to say the least!
Phnom Penh, like the rest of Cambodia, is damn hot. Its "cool"dry season at the moment, but its 32 degrees, and humid. Hot dry season, is even hotter, and I can't even imagine what thats like. Despite the heat I spent alot of time walking around the city, mostly watching the goings on for the kings funeral, and getting a glimse at the wonderful buildings, such as the Palace and Temples. Because of the funeral, these sites were closed to the public, but it was still pretty interesting to see crowds of people dressed in white and black (the colours for mourning) praying in the streets, or queuing to pay their respects. The king actually died in October, but they were waiting until they had all the necessary preperations for his funeral ready before going ahead with it. A temporary monument was built beside the palace were they laid his body for the week of his funeral. There were 'parades'with eleborate golden floats to mourn his death. Flags were put up everywhere at half mast, as well as his photograph everywhere you looked. At night at 8pm there was a fantastic fire work display down by the river. Speakers were put up all over the city, and a sad, eerie chanting/praying was played over them throughout the day. Other than that, no music was allowed, or alcohol, although this rule didn't seem to apply to hostels.

I was curious about what happened to the king during the Khmer Rouge regime, and I have to say, his position on them seems a little suspect. He was both with, and against them at different times in his career/life. All the same, it seems like he was a well loved king, and it did seem kind of special to be there for part of his funeral at least.

You can read more on this curious king here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norodom_Sihanouk

Hanoi and Halong Bay

Hanoi is the capital of the north and I expected it to be much like Ho Chi Minh City. I was happy to find it much prettier and easier to navigate with narrower roads for easier crossing. Along the way people kept telling me how cold it was up there, but being Irish, I found that 16 degrees a perfectly normal temperature. At the heart of Hanoi is a large lake, adding to its beauty. Everywhere decorations were being put up for Tet, which is the Vietnamese new year, which this year was falling on the 9th of February. Although it might have been interesting to see, I planned to be well out of the city by then. I'd been told that everything shuts down for the week and it becomes hard to get around. It's there biggest celebration.

While Hanoi I visited a couple of museums, the first being the Hanoi Prison. It had been around for centuries, first used by colonist French to inhabit misbehaving Vietnamese in horrid tiny conditions. Then during the war, used to inhabit American soldiers. The museum boasts of its fair treatment of the soldiers, letting them celebrate Christmas and how the soldiers called it the 'Hanoi Hilton' cause it was almost like a hotel. We were shown videos of smiling Americans having a great time. A quick google search however would reveal a different side to the story, where inhabitance were tortured and forced to sign anti america declarations.

We also visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, but thanks to bizarre and awkward opening hours didn't actually get to the Mausoleum part. We did however get to go to the most bizarre museum I've ever been in, which was the Ho Chi Minh museum. It was a strange conceptual place where it seemed that they were trying to bring the audience into his head, illustrating his thoughts and ideas through post modern installations. Bizarre. And to add to the bizarreness I had a couple of different groups of young adults want to get there photograph taken with me. I can only guess because of my white skin and blonde hair. I politely declined.

While at Hanoi I also did an overnight trip to Halong Bay, although it was entirely the wrong time of year for it. The morning we left it was lashing rain in Hanoi, but during the three hour bus trip to the coast it stopped, but remained misty and cloud. It's a world heritage site and in the bay are more than 2000 islands of limestone mountains. Although it was pretty cold it wasn't so misty that we couldn't see anything, it was pretty cool to see these beautiful islands appear out of the mist.

We'd booked our trip through our hostel, it was the 'Castaway Tour' trip and was more expensive than most. Had it been sunny it probably would have been worth the money, as your brought to the hostels private beach on one of the islands where we stayed the night. Because it was so cold the only thing to do was drink, which was basically what we'd been doing the whole time on the boat too! It was good fun and there was a good and very interesting mix of people. My least favourite were possibly the 14 Irish nurses who had been singing our national anthem and randomly speaking in Irish for no reason whatsoever. Being around them was worse than being in Coppers. Another interesting character was a guy with I Love Cork scribbled on his arm, but was infact English. I never saw him wearing a top, just shorts, and it was cold. He had an invisible dog who's name he'd call randomly and run after. He also liked to show you where he wet himself a bit and I heard he had lots of photo in his phone of his and friends penis' dressed up as different characters.
Mostly people were more normal and just good craic. Drinking went on long into the night,drunken deep long conversations were had on the beach.

The next morning I said a sad goodbye to Louk and Karola who were going to Capa as me the Aussies and Rob got the boat back very early to Halong and then the bus to Hanoi. Hangovers all round!

A quick stop in Hue

We happened to arrive at an Aussie run backpackers the day before Australia day, so it was madness all around. Louk, Rob and Karola had all made it on there scooters and by the sounds of things they'd had an amazing time too. We took a walk by the river that night taking in what was another impressively large and busy city. You only need a quick stop on Hue to take in the impressive Citadel at the heart of the city. Hue is a former capital of Vietnam, back in the 1800s. The walls and gates to the citadel are impressive and it is a world heritage, but once your inside the gates it was surprisingly disappointing and empty. Unfortunately during the Vietnam war the Viet Cong seized the Citadel and used it as one of its bases. This resulted in it being bombed by the Americans and only 10 of the original 160 sites inside survived. A large reconstruction project has began where they hope to recreate the buildings originally found on the site. It will be completed in 2015 and I would be curious to see the results. besides that the grounds within the walls of the city are beautiful and lovely to walk or bike around.

Next we were all on our way to the northernly city of Hanoi, and my last real stop in Vietnam!