Now, for those that know me I've had this strange obsession/burning desire to visit Cambodia for a couple years now. It all started when one Sunday when in high school, attending a service at my local church. The guest speaker was Clayton Butler from an organization called Agape International Missions and he shed light on something that my naive mind had no idea existed.
He talked about the horrors of child sex trafficking in Cambodia and how widespread it is not just in Cambodia itself but globally as well. My heart weeped as I listened to atrocities going on each and every day, hidden just out of plain sight but nevertheless still there.
I left that sermon feeling at once absolutely heartbroken yet passionately inspired. I knew that I wanted to educate myself and those in my community about this issue and spent years in both high school and college dedicating any papers that I could find a relevant link to to the topic. I tried unsuccessfully to organize or jump in on missions going to Cambodia only to have them fall through each and every time, leaving me devastated. But I knew that I would someday make it there, in my own time.
Flash forward to today, where I'm sitting in my newly found favorite spot in Siem Reap, the Sister Srey Cafe (owned by 2 badass Australian expats that donate a huge chunk of their profits to local charities and participate in a job training program for local Cambodian people). I'm here! And the minute I stepped foot in Siem Reap I felt a immediate admiration and awe for this place.
My first day in Siem Reap was spent doing what everyone in Siem Reap comes to do: the Temples of Angkor. I did the small loop with a girl I met at the hostel, splitting the $15 tuk-tuk ride for the day to take us around all the various temples.
Our first stop was the infamous Angkor Wat which words can't even begin to describe. It was so surreal to be standing in a spot that I had dreamt of visiting for so many years. Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world and the place is truly massive. We got there around 10:00am and it was already ridiculously hot (I now understood the appeal of the 4:30am sunrise tour...). And despite it being the "off-season" it was still mobbed with tourists. It kind of detracted from the magic that is Angkor Wat, but only slightly. ;) I mean look at it!
We spent almost an hour and a half at Angkor Wat, weaving our way in and out of the passages that used to be libraries, receiving numerous bracelets from monks infused with a blessing (for a small donation of course), and fighting our way into a line to climb up to the top level of the temple. Yes my friends, even Angkor Wat is not immune to Disneyland line syndrome. It was well worth it though as you look out over the sprawling complex of Wats in the distance. It really does leave you breathless and just in complete awe of something so old still being preserved.
We staggered our way back through the throngs of children screaming at you to buy the most random junk. Like- why would I EVER need an annoying plastic flute?! After locating our tuk tuk driver we drove over to the Temple of Bayon, a popular viewing site for the sunset. And it was really really cool- in a very different style than Angkor Wat. Loads of heads and faces carved into it which was so fun to look at. There were tons of stones and cairns lying about as well, most likely left by various visitors or monks I have no idea but I loved them!
After a lunch break we headed to our final stop for the day, Ta Prohm. It is more commonly known by another name though: The Tomb Raider Temple. Yep, this is what most people think of when they think of Angkor Wat and Cambodia: Angelina Jolie being the kickass that she is through crumbling temples overtaken by trees. And let me tell you it did not disappoint.
On our way back to Siem Reap we got caught in the rain that comes daily during this time of year but thankfully tuk tuks are very versatile contraptions and can be modified to be rainproof. Ingenious!
I spent my night walking around the surrounding area by my hostel but found the amount of street children confronting me to be really disheartening. The kids basically tell you, "I don't want money, I just want milk! You buy me milk!" and then proceed to follow you, baby in tow, and hit you if you don't give them what you want. What really happens if you buy them milk though is that they insist you don't open it and then immediately return the milk to the store, pocketing the money for whoever it is that is forcing them to beg. They will never see a drop of milk or a cent of money. It's really really sad. After talking with some local business owners (including the awesome sisters behind Sister Srey cafe) it is apparently getting much better with the help of local organizations but it's still hard to see and experience. I avoided going out at night (at least over by the touristy areas of Pub Street and the Night Market, where a majority of the street children congregate) as much as I could from that point forward.
My first full day in Cambodia drew to a close rather unfortunately as I had to go to the international clinic after noticing how red and pained my eyes were. Turns out I had conjunctivitis (fancy word for an eye infection) partially due to wearing contact lenses and more likely a direct result of all the dust and ick floating around. Thankfully I have travel insurance but it was still not the way I wanted to spend my night. Oh well, stuff happens. We move on. ;)
In an effort to be concise I have decided to split up Cambodia into 2 separate posts. So thus concludes Part One! Stay tuned for my write up on the further out temples and the rest of my time falling in love with Siem Reap and Cambodia. :)
Until next time,
Happy Travels!
-Freckles