Cambodia
Cycling Between a Dark Past and a Bright Future
"Be careful in Cambodia!"
It is a very dangerous place. The people are bitter and corrupt. Scammers will try to rip you off. Hotel staff will sneak into your room and secretly exchange your dollars for fake notes. The food is overpriced. And it is not even good!
These are just a few of the warnings we’ve heard on our way towards Cambodia. Naturally, we are a little worried when we cross the Lao-Cambodian border. It turns out that Cambodia is no different to other countries we have travelled so far in terms of hospitality and safety. We meet warm-hearted people, visit impressive temples of the Khmer civilisation and learn about the country’s dark past. We soon understand that Cambodia is neither black nor white, but colourful! An article about an unjustly prejudged country.
Arid Land and Colourful City
Beyond the Laotian border lies pure Nothingness for 50 kilometres. The dilapidated, dusty road leads in a straight line through a sparsley densified withered forest. Stung Treng, the first settlement on our way, seems to be a lot bigger than any of the so-called cities in Southern Laos. Colourfully decorated shops and vegetable stalls are dotted around town. While wandering through the large market hall, we almost loose ourselves between fruit, meat, cosmetic products, fish and clothing. To our delight, the prices for local produce and accommodation are very similar to those in Laos: A dish with rice, fried meat and egg at the market costs us 10,000 Riel (approx. £2.00) and the hotel is (US)$15 a night.
Heading westwards, the arid landscape changes little. It is the last month of the dry season, so the trees and bushes are desperate for water. The sun burns relentlessly on our arms and thighs while we cycle through endless mango- and cashew plantations. It feels like there are even more children here than in Laos, who spot us and shout: BARAAAAAANG!!! (Westerner). This must be how the giraffes in the African National Parks feel, when Safaris come past and tourists scream in exitement!
Between Rubbish and Landmines
It is estimated that 4-6 million landmines are still scattered throughout Cambodia, posing a constant threat. Documents mapping their wherabouts have either not been created at all or have been destroyed, so it is difficult to determine mine-free areas.
To stay safe, we never stray too far from the main road and camp in man-made shelters, such as small huts. On a construction site not far from the road, two men are building a wooden shelter. They offer us to pitch our tent in it, as they are just about to finish work for the day. Overjoyed, we accept the offer and hand them two small bottles of water as a gift. After some smalltalk, the men call it a day and ride home on their scooters. They simply toss their empty plastic bottles on the ground next to the shelter. A completely normal behaviour in Cambodia.
Without public rubbish collection services, the people rather throw the rubbish on the floor than having to burn it themselves. After the men have gone, we stick their bottles in our bin bag. We’ll dispose of it in the morning, throwing it into a rubbish bin at a roadside shop. But let’s be perfectly honest, we do it out of principle, but it won’t change a thing. The shop owners will either burn their bin’s content in the evening, breathing in the toxic chemicals. Or maybe these very plastic bottles will end up being tossed back into nature, a kilometre further down the road. No matter what you do, it is and remains a vicious cycle.
Siem Reap and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat
After four days of dust, heat and arid wasteland, the traffic suddenly increases. We have to meander between lorries, tuktuks and motorbikes in the slow-moving traffic. This can only mean one thing: We have reached Siem Reap, the gateway-town to the historic temple complex of Angkor Wat. Once just a small village in the pristine rainforest, the town of Siem Reap has grown into one of the most important tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. We treat ourselves to a bit of luxury: a hotel with air conditioning, a swimming pool and a buffet-breakfast. With daytime temperatures peaking at 40-45° C, we barely leave our room the following day.
We can’t stay in the cool hotel room forever though: After all, the main reason for our 5-day inland journey is to visit the city of Angkor. While Angkor is the name of the ancient Khmer city, containing many settlements, monuments and temples, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Angkor Wat refers to the most famous temple complex within the city.
The next morning we leave our hotel at 4:50am, attempting to avoid the heat of the day. Although it is still dark, the streets of Siem Reap are already bustling. The locals are trying to get their business done before the 40°C mark is reached (around 9:30am).
On the way, our completely overpriced tickets ($37 each!!) are checked multiple times. We make it to Angkor Wat just in time for sunrise at 6:30am. We are not alone. Approximately 200-300 people have gathered around the man-made lake in front of the world-famous temple. Professional cameras and smartphones are set up side by side on tripods and everyone is jostling to get the best spot for a photo. Unfortunately for the amateur photographers, the sunrise today is rather unspectacular. Some must have been waiting for this moment for over two hours.
The temple complex of Angkor Wat and the surrounding Angkor region are estimated to date back to the 11th century. After major historic events with changes of power in the 19th century, the region was abandoned and the city was swallowed by the jungle. It was only later, during French colonial rule, that international researchers recognised the historical significance of Angkor and began restoration work. The temple of Angkor Wat itself was in surprisingly good condition, thanks to the extensive artificial moats that kept the rainforest at bay. After two hours in the labyrinth of courtyards, galleries, tourists and figurine reliefs, we return to our parked bicycles at 8.30am, already sweating profusely.
It is time for a hearty breakfast at the hotel. Then, during the hottest hours of the day, we relax by the pool. In the late afternoon we cycle back to Angkor. We are determined to make the most out of our expensive day-pass! Angkor Thom, once a prestigious Khmer city with various temples, canals and settlements, is huge. Although we have seen the complex on a map before, we clearly underestimated its size. Between numerous temples, towers and typical Cambodian villages, we cycle almost 50 kilometres through dense jungle and around the ancient city. By the time we get back to our hotel, it is already dark.
Despite the UNESCO World Heritage Site being impressive, I’m glad we did not buy a multi-day ticket. Sightseeing is no fun in this heat and let’s be honest: After the 10th temple, everything looks the same anyway!
Hero Rats
During brutal civil wars and subsequent conflicts in the 70s and 80s, various parties covered the country in landmines. Today, Cambodia has one of the hightest densities of landmines in the world. Demining activities are expensive and time-consuming, meaning that large parts of the country will remain contaminated for decades to come. Accidents occur regularly in rural areas and half of the victims are children. Considering this, it seems intolerable that there are still countries, including China, Russia and the USA refusing to sign the International Convention banning Anti-Personnel Mines.
The efforts of the NGO APOPO are one of the reasons why large areas of land are cleared of landmines and released for agriculture every year. The organisation makes use of the incredible sense of smell of the African Giant Pouched Rat, that detects explosives as they move over ground. At the APOPO Centre in Siem Reap, we book a guided tour and are given a demonstration of how the rats detect mines. The advantage over dogs? The so-called Hero Rats only weigh around 3 kg. The weight of a sniffer dog, on the other hand, would cause the mines to explode.
We are delighted with APOPO’s work, who apart from the obvious – ridding the land of mines – is also a major employer in the region and increases the appreciation of animals among the population. Oh and they also train their Hero-Rats to detect tuberculosis in sputum samples in West-Sahara and other African countries! You can find more information on APOPO’s website.
The Hospitality of a School Teacher
We cycle towards Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. In addition to the brutal heat, the constant headwind saps our energy. No wonder we both end up with a terrible headache in the evening after 90 kilometres. We stock up on water in a roadside shop and ask the owner for a place to camp nearby.
“How about over here?” the man suggests, pointing to a small hut right next to his shop. Surprised and very exhausted, we agree. We prefer a sleepless night next to the busy main road to ending up in a minefield. Rota, the shop owner, is an English teacher at the local secondary school, so we communicate in English quite easily. We are allowed to use the family’s bathroom: A shed at the edge of the property, cleaner than what we are used to, in a typical Asian style with a hole in the floor as a toilet and a bucket of water with a ladle as a shower.
To repay Rota’s kindness, we suggest coming to his school the next day and interacting with the students. To our surprise, the assembly begins with the students saluting the Cambodian flag in the courtyard and singing the national anthem. The discipline displayed is impressive. Everyone stands neatly in line, nobody talks. After the singing, we enter Rota’s classroom. In the unplastered, single-storey concrete building, it is already incredibly hot at 7:00am. There is no air conditioning or fan and the windows are unglazed. The 30 or so pupils, aged between 15 and 18, sit on wooden benches reminiscent of an English classroom from the 70s.
Rota seems to have quite the authority. The pupils are well behaved and eye us shyly. We briefly outline our journey on the whiteboard, then we ask the pupils questions about their favourite colour, food or dream job. Anything to get them talking and practising English really. The skill levels in the class vary greatly, and the kids don’t seem too eager to volunteer to speak. 20 minutes later, we have forced at least one sentence out of every pupil and get prepared to set off again. Not before taking a selfie of course! The kids accompany us to the gate. Now that they are no longer in the classroom, all shyness is gone and we are bombarded with questions. Way to go!
A few days later, we reach Phnom Penh. The difference between the city and the impoverished rural areas is striking: Amidst market stalls and beeping scooters, we are greeted by immaculately tarmaced roads, skyscrapers and hip cafés.
Tuol-Sleng Genocide Museum
A brief historical overview: The crisis began in the 1960s. After initial neutrality, Cambodia was dragged into the Vietnam/Laos war fuelled by proxy forces. 5 years later, after famine, the collapse of the economy and countless deaths, the Khmer Rouge gained the upper hand and proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Kampuchea. What followed was to go down in history as a bone-chilling genocide. Under the leadership of Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge tried to enforce their utopia of a socialist and completely autonomous state by force: People were chased out of the cities and forced into field labour. Intellectuals, lawyers, doctors and teachers were executed, as were potential political opponents, foreigners and religious minorities. It is estimated that 2.5 million people – 25% of the Cambodian population – died as a result of executions, malnutrition and a lack of medical care.
The Tuol-Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh is located in a building that once was a secondary school. Under the Khmer Rouge, it was converted into the S-21 high-security prison. The prisoners, most of whom did not even know why they had been arrested, had to endure cruel torture and terrible imprisonment conditions. The sober and factual descriptions of the atrocities, countless photos and the skulls of the deceased paint a gruesome picture of the ruthless regime of the time.
Where the Pepper Grows
After two months of drought, the landscape turns green as we approach the coast. Finally, the temperatures get a bit more bearable. Near Kampot, we visit the La Plantation pepper plantation and get to see with our own eyes how the exotic spice grows. We even get to try the Kampot-Pepper, allegedly one of the best varietes in the world, in a spicy pepper-tasting. In the evening we sleep on a somewhat run-down but peaceful campsite in a pavilion by the lake.
Between Kampot and Sihanoukville, the main road turns into a dusty gravel track. Dozens of lorries weighing several tonnes rumble past us. They stir up so much dust that we have to wear face masks. The people living by the roadside and running their small businesses must suffer terribly from the dust. Their simple wooden huts and the surrounding nature are covered with a greyish-brownish layer of dust. To protect their goods on display, they cover everything with plastic bags.
Of Fairytales and Nightmares
What better place to relax after exhausting weeks in the scorching heat than a dream island with palm-lined beaches? It seems like Koh Rong Island could be just the place to finish our time in Cambodia on a high note. The ferry from Sihanoukville is better described as a cargo boat that also takes about a dozen foot passengers. Before departure, we watch loaded scooters and handcarts chug up and down the pier. Crates of drinks, biscuits, fruit, fuel and even blocks of ice are loaded into the belly of the boat.
As the ferry approaches Longset Beach on Koh Rong Island, we are amazed: white sandy beaches, palm trees and crystal clear, turquoise blue water. The jetty is about 2 metres higher than the boatdeck, meaning that unloading the bikes and bags is a balancing act. The long jetty itself is 1.50 metres wide and secured with a single rope on each side dropping down a good 5 metres into the sea. While locals laden with boxes and handcarts squeeze past us, we make our best efforts to pack the bikes without dropping anything into the sea. At last, we manoeuvre the bikes off the jetty and onto the beach undamaged. Phew.
Koh Rong Island is a dream. We cycle across the island on paved roads with little traffic towards Lonely Beach in the north, 16 kilometres away. Unfortunately, what awaits us there is anything but a dream.
After a labyrinth through the gloomy rainforest at twilight, it is almost pitchblack by the time we reach the reception of the Lonely Beach Eco-Resort. Unfortunately, the small beach hut we have booked is not right by the sea. Instead, it stands side by side with a dozen other huts in the dense forest. It is a disappointment really: Finger-wide slits between the rough wooden beams offer creepy crawlies of all kinds a free pass. The mosquito net is dotted with holes, the floor is covered in gecko droppings, there is no electricity and therefore no fan. How are we supposed to sleep in the breeze-free jungle at temperatures of over 30° C?
And it doesn’t stop here. The shared bathroom, an outside area 50 metres further along, has walls but no roof. In bewilderment, I discover a small window offering good views of the toilet for somebody walking past!
When an ant trail makes its way through the mosquito net at night and crawls over our sweaty bodies, I have had enough. I just want to leave this place.
The owner of the place is understanding and we leave the next morning. In the village of Prek Svay, we find a small guesthouse with air-conditioned rooms. The best decision! Over the next few days, we explore the island, enjoy our cool bedroom and celebrate the Cambodian New Year with the locals. In exchange for dinner and a few beers, I am hired by a French restaurant owner to take photos of his dishes. Joel in particular is more than happy with this arrangement.
The Cambodian New Year on Koh Rong Island
A Waterfight and a Thunderstorm
We leave Koh Rong on the third day of the Sangkran celebrations for the Cambodian New Year. This is the time when most people visit their relatives. While the adults eat and drink, bored children and teenagers stand at the side of the road, armed with water buckets, hoses and water pistols and douse passing cars and mopeds. The ritual dousing of passers-by with water symbolises a cleansing process for the New Year. In larger towns, whole streets descend into a massive water-fight! With the current temperatures, cooling off is just what we need. The young people in this area of Cambodia are obviously not used to “barangs” on bicycles and are too polite: We literally have to beg for a bucket of water over our heads. Most kids even ask before they douse us!
That evening, we camp on a small dirt track off the main road. Just when we finish setting up the tent, a thunderstorm breaks out. It is the first rain shower since Laos. In other circumstances, we would have been happy about the cool off. But as it is, we are standing next to our tent in twilight, completely soaked, waiting for the rain to stop so we can dry off and get inside. 20 minutes later, it is still pouring down incessantly. We decide to make use of the situation and take a “shower”. While I wash my arms and legs, Joel strips off completely.
Suddenly, we hear the sound of a scooter approaching. A headlight blinds us. Bugger, somebody is heading straight in our direction! Joel grabs the yoga mat to cover his best bits and dives behind the tent out of sight. The scooter approaches and a middle-aged couple pull up next to us. They eye our tent curiously. The man dismounts and starts a conversation with me. When Joel, hunched over and covered only with a yoga mat, peaks out from behind the tent, the two of them hastily say goodbye and leave. I wonder what they were thinking?
The next day we cross the border into Thailand.
Cambodia leaves a lasting impression on us.
True, it is a traumatised country with a widening gap between rich and poor and high crime rates. But there is also another side to Cambodia. In a country with an ever-present threat from landmines, a weak economy and an unforgiving climate, the people are not giving up on building their future against all odds. The legacy of the Khmer civilisation, the fertile region around Kampot, producing the best pepper in the world, and paradisiacal islands far away from mass tourism make our visit unforgettable. Cambodia is a country with a dark past, but potentially also a bright future.
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