January_10

Some final thoughts on Cambodia and Vietnam:

Having completed our travels to these countries we want to spend some time reflecting on our experience. We want to see what we have learned and compare our experiences across cultures and societies.

Cambodia:
This has been the most difficult place for us thus far. Although, this is not a particularly difficult place for the seasonsed traveler. It was our first exposure to wide spread poverty. Most travelers we have talked with seem to use India as a measuring stick for experiencing widespread poverty
(they also use it as a measuring stick for its beauty as well). I am certain that Cambodia does not challenge the poverty realm as much as India, but it is still very poor nonetheless. I believe it is of the 10 poorest countries in the world. This is where we had to mature as travelers. We had to learn how to deal with people pulling at us because we represent wealth. And we are wealthy compared to most people in the world. We were confronted with the reality that we can not help everyone therefore it is ok to say no. But since we value our interaction with people, we found it very difficult to do this, let alone ignore the beggars. Again, from the stories we have heard, Cambodia is tame with this regard, say as compared to India. Having been in constant war, it was also our first exposure to the lack of conviences of the modern world. Most roads and streets where partially paved, dirt and dust abouds everywhere and the people live in small shacks. And yet, the people smile and greet you with "Hello". The sight of us means that life is improving

It's main resources right now are Angkor Wat and the tradegy of Pol Pot and the "Killing Fields". Angkor Wat was simply astounding. We bought a three day pass, of which we only spent two days at the temple, and wish we would have spent a week (you may recall the bicycle incident with the police...if not check back in the November journal). Ankgor is really is conglomeration of temples from about 900AD to maybe 1200AD (my best guess). We explored about 15 temples and this maybe 50% of what is there. Every temple we came upon was instantly our favorite. They were all so unique from the last that if we get back, we will spend much more time.

What we did not like was what tourism is doing to Siem Reap (the nearest city) and the temples. Our take is this. Since the area is relatively new to mass tourism, in the early stages it attracted people with money. It took money to get there, due to very little infastructure and these people where paying to be the first to see the ruins (not literally the first). They were willing to pay what ever it took to get there. As more backpackers arrive, they are viewed by the locals as more "Big Men"(people with money) just like the rest. The costs are thus out of proportion for the rest of SE Asia. A three day pass to the temples costs $40US. To early travelers this was nothing for a once in a life time experience. To backpackers this is several days of living expenses. And like our Danish friend Martin said, it only cost US$2 to see the pyramids. Add to that $5US for a moto driver, and more if you want to visit the further out temples, and you get the sense your being taken advantage of. But you want to see the beauty so you pay. It feels as if the system is reaching a breaking point. When we refused to pay our moto driver $15 (for temples "far away") each for another day of temples and rented a bike, we were picked up by the police because "it was against the law" ....today. Nearly every person in our group that arrived together bucked the system in one way or another. Our incident was not targeted at us, but turned out to be to fine the people who rented the bikes to us. It was just another shake down from the corrupt police. It is good to go to these places to be reminded of how good our lives are back home. We left there not being bitter but happy to have experienced life as it is for the people of Cambodia.

The police is another issue. In Thailand the Tourist Police are there to help the tourist and deal with tourist complaints and such. In Cambodia, the Toursit Police are there to make sure the tourists do not step out of line.

The killing fields was a tremedously emotional experience. For Jennifer it was almost the first time she had learned about this peice of world history. And she wondered how this could have happened and she had not known. Not to mention that it occurred in her life time. Millions of people were extinguished and tortured in the vacuum left open by the fighting in Vietnam. Regimes in the region were backed by the west and the east and Pol Pot took over the Khmer Rouge and used it to enact his twisted notion of socialism. The killing field itself brough us a breath away from 10,000 unearthed skulls and in contact with bones on the foot path of those who were assasinated in unthinkable ways. The portion we walked was surrounded by fields that have been left untouched and still cover more lost souls. It literally brought us to tears.

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