8. Cambodia – surprisingly different

After almost 5 weeks traversing Laos from north to south, we are in a better position to articulate the differences between the Vietnamese and Lao. With Cambodia, however we see a striking difference right from the outset. With our border hassles behind us, we started the 65 km leg to the first town of note, Stung Treng. As feared, the ‘paved’ road was primarily dirt and the dust was relentless. We arrived tired, dusty and, after that intro, concerned about the road ahead. In the past 65 km we didn’t see a single guesthouse, restaurant or village of any note. Maybe, we thought, it is just that lonely stretch of road to the border. The next day we did 85 km and once again, not a single guesthouse and just a few of the most basic restaurants. In Laos or Vietnam, we would have seen +/- 8 guesthouses and +/- 20 restaurants. Other than our concern about being stranded without a place to stay at the end of a long day, we struggle to understand this new social geography. For reasons unknown, it appears Cambodian society is more urbanized, which is counter intuitive because agriculture is the mainstay of their economy. The rural villages we saw were relatively few, small in size, poor and underdeveloped, at least in this stretch of the north we’ve traversed. As we left the Mekong valley, heading west, we saw many large farms, yet the only visible housing is small, humble, wood huts often without electricity, which are unlikely to be the homes of the farm owners.

Cambodia is one of the poorer countries of Southeast Asia, more or less, on par with Laos and Myanmar. The economy is growing quickly what with low labour costs, a pro-business/investment climate and a reasonably ‘stable’ government, but endemic corruption and human rights issues may slow that growth. The country has been ruled by the same wily autocrat, Hun Sen, since 1985. He stepped down this year, but surprise-surprise, his son is now the Prime Minister. Though in theory, a constitutional monarchy, it has become a de facto, one-party state ruled by a dictator. Of course, none of the above has any bearing on our perceptions of the country nor is it necessarily a predictor of what the future holds.

Though we might be completely off the mark, we feel that Cambodia’s traumatic past has influenced many aspects of how the country is developing. Under the Khmer Rouge, Buddhism was severely repressed. Temples were destroyed, monks were forced to disrobe and dissent meant death. Though Buddhism is once again the official religion and, I believe, most Cambodians would call themselves Buddhist, the practice seems subdued in comparison with Laos. They estimate that only 10% of the artistic community survived the KR. Muslims were targeted as were both Vietnamese and Chinese Cambodians, plus intellectuals of any stripe. In general, we see less adherence to tradition and a rapidly modernizing society. In stark contrast to Vietnam and Laos, English is quite widely spoken. The US dollar and the Cambodian Riel are interchangeable. Chopsticks are being supplanted (???). Of course, EVERYONE is glued to their smartphone!

The images below are examples of the highly detailed, bas-relief sculptures that, at one time, literally covered the walls of most of the temples. Only a small fraction remain but still, a wonder to behold.

Andrew was a 15 year old boy when he fled the KR with his family and ended up in Khao-I-Dang. Many of his extended family died at the hands of the KR but Andrew eventually made it to the United States where he built a life for himself and family (we also met his lovely Malay wife). In the intervening 40 years, Andrew has returned to Cambodia only once for his Mother’s funeral and this, his second time, was his first true vacation in the country of his birth. He was obviously emotional as he told his tale and it’s evident he still carry’s with him the trauma from that time. For Claire, returning to Cambodia for the first time after 43 years and meeting Andrew brought back a lot of vivid memories. She was as equally moved at meeting Andrew as he was of her.

The images below show the level of detailing on some raised walkways. The size, depth and quality of these bas-reliefs was outstanding. The handrails were typically a long serpent with a 7-headed naga at the ends.

The above images are the walls forming the inside and outside of a parallel walled, maze-like structure. The walls were only 1 m apart and maybe 60 m in total length. The carvings were intricate, unique, in remarkable condition and told a complex story. The why and wherefore of this was beyond us and the Internet isn’t helping. Doing the guided tour thing just isn’t our style. We prefer absorbing the experience on our own time and inclination, but the downside is we leave with many unanswered questions.

As I review our pictures of Angkor, I regret they don’t convey adequately the grandeur of the place. I guess you’ll just have to go yourselves. From Siem Reap we decided to head to Battambang, the 3rd largest city and famous as the center of rice production for the country. We also opted to go by boat to get a feel for Tonle Sap and it’s many floating villages. The Tonle Sap is the largest lake in Southeast Asia and more than quadruples in size each rainy season, flooding a vast area. It is considered one of the most productive and diverse ecosystems in the world – sounds like it’s worth a look see! We got an early start and pedalled the 13 km to the wharf, found our boat, got our bikes on the roof, then chose optimal seats as far from the engine as possible. Before long the other passengers, maybe 20 or so, French and German tourists, piled in and we headed off.