Cambodia - Land of Contrast

Cambodia 柬 埔 寨 – land of contrast 30 Jan – 5 Feb 2005

A land of contrast – in Siem Reap you marvel at Angkor Wat and enjoy the laid back life. One hour’s flight away in Phnom Penh, you grieve for the soul who suffered during the infamous genocide.

Siem Reap 显粒– Angkor Wat 吴哥窟

Angkor period (9th to 13th century) is probably the most prosperous time in Khmer civilization. Many magnificent monuments were built. Angkor means city, Wat temple. This close to 1000years old temple is an example of classical khmer architecture that combines Indian and Indochinese culture. The sandstone temple is built in honour of the Indian God Vishnu which is often depicted with the bird Garuda. It has 5 towers, 3 levels and it is surrounded by beautiful palm trees and a big moat. Admire the large walls with intricate carving which tells the story of Ramayana.

Besides Angkor Wat, there are many beautiful temples nearby. Southern Gate of Angkor Thom has a huge tower with 4 Buddha. Hollywood movie “Tomb Raider” was filmed at Angkor Wat, Bayon as well as Ta Prohm Temple. 54 towers (representing 54 states governed by Cambodian during Angkor period and these included part of present day Thailand, Vietnam & Laos) used to grace Bayon Temple but they are mostly ruined now. Fortunately, the mystical smiling Buddha is well preserved. At Ta Prohm Temple, look at how spong trees grow into / over the temple. Wall carvings at the pink sandstone Banteay Srey Temple are extremely intricate. Naga (snake) and Apsara (dancer) commonly decorated these temples.

Floating village at Thonle Sap Great Lake (the biggest fresh water lake in Asia – bigger than Singapore) – has all that you need – school, clinic, church, provision, restaurant – all floating on drums, bamboo, tyres!

At Angkor Silk Farm & Artisans D’Angkor, we learnt how worm weaves cocoon to hide itself before maturing as adult insect, how cocoon is made into silk thread, how silk thread is weaved into cloth. At night, we were treated to a cultural dance while having our dinner. We made friends with Chinese Cambodian salesgirls who speak fluent Mandarin.


Phnom Penh 金边 – Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, Cheong Ek Killing Field

A morning tour that set us in a very sombre mood. Toul Sleng Genocide Museum – the former Toul Sray Prey High School that turned into hell on earth – a prison and torture chamber. From 1975 to 1978, millions innocent Cambodians suffered or perished in the hands of the Khmer Rouge Regime led by Pol Pot in his quest for power and control. It was particularly heartbreaking and uneasy to walk right into the crime scene and imagine the horrific suffering as we looked at the various gadgets used for torture, photo of victims and torture scenes. We went into the tiny prison cells (some tainted with blood that dried up long ago but not forgotten) and read account of survivors and soldiers. 15km away at Cheong Ek Killing Field, skulls and clothes remnants of victims are placed in a memorial supta. As we walked in the field, we could see bits and pieces of tooth, bones in the killing pits. I could still feel the chill in my bone now while recalling the tour to write this journal. Pray that these poor souls rest in peace!

At Royal Palace, we visited the Coronation Hall, Assembly Hall, looked at the costumes and items used during King’s coronation. At National Museum, we looked at various Angkorian era statues. At Central Market, we sat on low stool to have local dessert, at Russian Market we shopped for silk cloth. We also stopped by to visit Silver Pagoda, Wat Phnom Temple and the Independent Monument (to commemorate liberation from France who ruled from 1887 to 1953). A leisurely cruise and a dinner by the Mekong River complete our tour.

Cambodia Today - mainly low rise buildings. Many cars, motorcycle taxis, tutus and bicycles lord over the road. Original or mixed ethnic Chinese Cambodian dominates the population. There are many Chinese (from China, Taiwan, Singapore) businessmen here and we could spot several shops and stores bearing name in Chinese. Cost of living is high as we understand most things are imported. US$ is freely accepted along side with Cambodian Riel. We regret there is not enough time to explore south of Cambodia, the idyllic beach resorts at Sihanoukville.

Daphne and I spent our free days sipping afternoon tea at the FCC, drinking at the bar in Raffles Hotel, chilling out by the swimming pool or having our body pampered by the masseuse. It was a great holiday well guided by Boon (in Siem Reap) and Channa (in Phnom Penh), Or Goon (thank you in Cambodian)!