A trip to Cambodia

December 10, 2008
Last Thursday Jonathan and I got on a bus heading for Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The trip took about 7 hours and it was beautiful. The countryside is very flat- mostly rice paddies. I had a hard time trying to figure out if the land was supposed to be without trees or if extensive logging had taken place. I later found out that it was logging. It was interesting to see how the houses changed once we crossed the border into Cambodia. Most houses in Vietnam are low, long, and thin. In the countryside they are usually one story with a small front. In Cambodia most of the houses were on stilts. I am thinking that houses in Vietnam started out that way because most houses in the city use the ground floor for parking motor-bikes or for store-fronts if they are on the street. The place where people live seems to begin on the second floor.

Phnom Penh is beautiful! The architecture is amazing! It is a city so many of the buildings look like cement blocks, but many others are so ornate in their decor. We stayed with our friend, Pesei and had a great time meeting some of the Free the Bears crew, who were also going to Siem Reap to do the Angkor 1/2 marathon.

We took a tour bus up to Siem Reap on Friday. It was a double-decker bus, so from our seat we could see out over the countryside. After 6 hours of riding, we finally arrived at the bus station, where we took a tuk-tuk to our hotel. Tuk-tuks are motor-bikes with a covered cart attached to the back. It is a breezy, cool, dusty way to travel around. After getting situated at our hotel, we went on walk-about. People in Cambodia are so friendly! It was a pleasure wandering around. It was also a bit challenging emotionally. The places where tourists hang out is very polished and nice. The streets that cater to tourists are lined with fancy, almost elegant, restaurants with an abundance of food, drink, shopping, and money. Along the same streets, though, are the Khmer people, many of whom have very little in the way of clothing, food, and money. Some people have been the victims of landmines and are just trying to make a living any way they can. Many people speak English and it is very easy to have wonderful conversations with people. It was fun to chat with people, hear a new and different language, and NOT be able to read the signs, since the script of the Khmer language is similar to Thai- for my unfamiliar eyes it looks like a repetition of decorative squiggles.

We spent Saturday exploring the ruins of Angkor Wat. It was absolutely breath-taking! Each temple complex is unique in design and style. Two of my favorites were Bayon, with faces looking out in every direction, and Ta Phrom, which was left in the same state that it was found: caved in rooftops, trees growing up through the walls, and stacks of tumbled structures.

The run on Sunday was fantastic. Sherri and I did our first 5k since May, and had a great time! Jonathan and Bert did the 10k and both finished with great times. Jonathan decided to do the run dressed in a gibbon costume! Free the Bears has been organizing this for the past few years: some runners dress as a Sun Bear, an elephant, a tiger, or a gaur and run the whole race. The purpose is to raise money and awareness for conserving Cambodia's wildlife. J was a gibbon, and he was a hero!

After the run we returned to Phnom Penh, where we spent a day or so exploring the sights of the city. We sat on our hotel balcony and enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the National Museum as the bats came out for their evening flight...so incredible!