I finished another quarter at school and I am greatly enjoying the time I have. After last quarter I felt tired and unmotivated for a long time after the quarter ended. This time around I am hoping for the exact opposite. At the moment I am basking in the springtime sunshine. It may get warmer and it may get colder but right now the sun is shining and I am enjoying it.
Here's a pretty thing. When I'm writing papers I often enjoy music with no words. I'll look for ambient music and music mixes online and I've found some things I greatly enjoy. For instance Rob Viktum's album "Progress: An audio tribute to the Cambodian people." I know nothing of Rob Viktum other than he makes hip/hoppy type music but I found the songs pleasant and interesting and I think a tribute to the Cambodian people is a great way to make an album.
Without further ado here are two songs by Rob Viktum: "4/17/1975" and "Siem Pang"
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Until next time keep your progress audio...?
eO
Showing posts with label Cambodia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cambodia. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Cambodia Review
Our time in Cambodia was unique to our travels. We did not stay in the country very long and we mainly stayed in two different cities. We did not travel very much in Cambodia but we enjoyed our experience.
Something to know about Cambodia is that its infrastructure is not quite there yet. Siem Reap is probably the most tourist friendly city due to Angkor Wat and even it is not entirely what you might expect of a place with tourists pouring through each year. Cambodia has been beaten down time and time again in the past hundred years coming to a head when the Khmer Rouge took power and systematically executed 2-3 million people. The Khmer Rouge also liquified all of the countries assets destroying its banks and industry; anything with western influence was destroyed. The country has had to completely rebuild from the ground up for the past 40 years. Considering that they lost a third of their population including most of the intellectuals, business owners, teachers, and medical professionals I think they have done a very good job. The country has seen steady growth and political stability while dealing with some very heavy trauma.
The growth that Cambodia has maintained is partly due to other countries. I believe that when the full extent of the damage of the Khmer Rouge was revealed the world collectively gasped and began to send aid. Since then Cambodia has become a hotspot for charities and NGO's. More in quantity than any other country we've visited and definitely more visibly active. I think that this has definitely given the country a much needed boost and hopefully will continue to be helpful to Cambodia.
One thing that I found interesting was the amount of cattle and land for cattle that I saw. The entire northern part of our drive through Cambodia was devoted pastures for ox and cattle. It developed further south into rice paddies but still with cattle mixed in. Although we have seen many cows and oxen in other SE Asian countries I had not seen such a concentration of them and land seemingly devoted only for them.
For us Cambodia was a quick stop but well worth it. We were almost paralyzed with the unrelenting heat but we soon learned how to deal with it better (find a spot with a breeze and don't move from 1pm to 5pm). We were also almost paralyzed by the garbage smell. Some cities were terrible to walk through when the breeze was in the wrong direction. This hasn't necessarily been uncommon in our travels though and you learn to take something clothe to breath through.
We were pleasantly surprised by the delicious food in Cambodia. We had mixed reviews from other travellers but we found it superb, especially in Siem Reap. My favorite was a pad thai type of meal but crepes substituted for noodles and a thin honey and peanut sauce instead of tamarind sauce. Also on our radar was Amok, a curry vegetable soup. Yum yum yum!
Another unexpected part of our travels in Cambodia was the history. As I described in a previous blog this was very challenging but worthwhile for us. A horrific event that should both be remembered and never repeated. As one author I briefly read wrote; "They (Cambodians) deserve better than what they have received."
Something to know about Cambodia is that its infrastructure is not quite there yet. Siem Reap is probably the most tourist friendly city due to Angkor Wat and even it is not entirely what you might expect of a place with tourists pouring through each year. Cambodia has been beaten down time and time again in the past hundred years coming to a head when the Khmer Rouge took power and systematically executed 2-3 million people. The Khmer Rouge also liquified all of the countries assets destroying its banks and industry; anything with western influence was destroyed. The country has had to completely rebuild from the ground up for the past 40 years. Considering that they lost a third of their population including most of the intellectuals, business owners, teachers, and medical professionals I think they have done a very good job. The country has seen steady growth and political stability while dealing with some very heavy trauma.
The growth that Cambodia has maintained is partly due to other countries. I believe that when the full extent of the damage of the Khmer Rouge was revealed the world collectively gasped and began to send aid. Since then Cambodia has become a hotspot for charities and NGO's. More in quantity than any other country we've visited and definitely more visibly active. I think that this has definitely given the country a much needed boost and hopefully will continue to be helpful to Cambodia.
One thing that I found interesting was the amount of cattle and land for cattle that I saw. The entire northern part of our drive through Cambodia was devoted pastures for ox and cattle. It developed further south into rice paddies but still with cattle mixed in. Although we have seen many cows and oxen in other SE Asian countries I had not seen such a concentration of them and land seemingly devoted only for them.
For us Cambodia was a quick stop but well worth it. We were almost paralyzed with the unrelenting heat but we soon learned how to deal with it better (find a spot with a breeze and don't move from 1pm to 5pm). We were also almost paralyzed by the garbage smell. Some cities were terrible to walk through when the breeze was in the wrong direction. This hasn't necessarily been uncommon in our travels though and you learn to take something clothe to breath through.
We were pleasantly surprised by the delicious food in Cambodia. We had mixed reviews from other travellers but we found it superb, especially in Siem Reap. My favorite was a pad thai type of meal but crepes substituted for noodles and a thin honey and peanut sauce instead of tamarind sauce. Also on our radar was Amok, a curry vegetable soup. Yum yum yum!
Another unexpected part of our travels in Cambodia was the history. As I described in a previous blog this was very challenging but worthwhile for us. A horrific event that should both be remembered and never repeated. As one author I briefly read wrote; "They (Cambodians) deserve better than what they have received."
Friday, April 19, 2013
Sihanoukville Routine
We have been in Sihanoukville for the past four nights with two more to stay. We have been steadily discovering some enjoyable features of this town. It has been especially enjoyable since the end of the new year celebrations and the mass exodus of vacationers and tourists. In its wake it has left a sleepy rainy season tourist town.
The beach here is beautiful but it is not exactly ideal. The presence of garbage, both physical and aromatic, lessens our desire to hang around. We have adopted a hit and run method for the beach. We go, we swim, we dry a bit, we leave. So far it has served us well. Ashely even swims with me as the water is quite warm. I even started sweating in the ocean while swimming on a particularly warm day. I imagined that it was helping me to swim faster but I am sure this function was very limited.
Our days have been spent mainly reading. There is a book shop down the way that sells photocopied and used books. If you return a book purchased from there you get fifty percent off that books price toward the next purchase. I am on my third book in three days though I have intentionally been choosing books with fewer pages. I hope to buy a larger book the day before we leave to last me until we find another book store. It is probably no consolation but I have tried to purchase books of authors who are dead as xeroxed books are not exactly supporting those that write them.
We have discovered a way to beat the heat here. We are on the third floor of our hostel which backs onto a field which extends to the beach. There is a narrow open-ended hallway for room access with balconies on either side. The sun never shines on it so it stays cool and the sea breeze is channelled and intensified in the hallway. It provides the perfect place to sit and enjoy with a view and a breeze. Today we switched from a middle room to a room facing the water. We lost a second bed but we gained another window, a view, a table and chairs, and a sea breeze. I am very excited.
In two days time we will be meeting our friends in Bangkok to start a month of travel for them. We are so very excited for this. We have been on our own for four months now and to have established friends coming will be wonderful. They are also bringing vital supplies such as dinosours, books, deodorant, and pens. I am particularly excited about the dinosours but even more excited for sharing adventures with friends.
The beach here is beautiful but it is not exactly ideal. The presence of garbage, both physical and aromatic, lessens our desire to hang around. We have adopted a hit and run method for the beach. We go, we swim, we dry a bit, we leave. So far it has served us well. Ashely even swims with me as the water is quite warm. I even started sweating in the ocean while swimming on a particularly warm day. I imagined that it was helping me to swim faster but I am sure this function was very limited.
Our days have been spent mainly reading. There is a book shop down the way that sells photocopied and used books. If you return a book purchased from there you get fifty percent off that books price toward the next purchase. I am on my third book in three days though I have intentionally been choosing books with fewer pages. I hope to buy a larger book the day before we leave to last me until we find another book store. It is probably no consolation but I have tried to purchase books of authors who are dead as xeroxed books are not exactly supporting those that write them.
We have discovered a way to beat the heat here. We are on the third floor of our hostel which backs onto a field which extends to the beach. There is a narrow open-ended hallway for room access with balconies on either side. The sun never shines on it so it stays cool and the sea breeze is channelled and intensified in the hallway. It provides the perfect place to sit and enjoy with a view and a breeze. Today we switched from a middle room to a room facing the water. We lost a second bed but we gained another window, a view, a table and chairs, and a sea breeze. I am very excited.
In two days time we will be meeting our friends in Bangkok to start a month of travel for them. We are so very excited for this. We have been on our own for four months now and to have established friends coming will be wonderful. They are also bringing vital supplies such as dinosours, books, deodorant, and pens. I am particularly excited about the dinosours but even more excited for sharing adventures with friends.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
3,000,000
It has taken me a few days to process before writing about the following. We stayed in Phnom Penh for two days after Siem Reap. Our purpose for going there was to see the Choeung Ek and Toul Sleng monuments and museums. These words meant nothing to me until I understood the modifiers that went along with them; Choeung Ek killing fields and Toul Sleng Prison genocide museum. Here lay horrors of the past that should always be remembered and never repeated. Absolute horrors.
I will leave the the history for you to research on your own, though I think it is key to understanding, and focus on what we saw at these places. Thousands went through the Toul Sleng prisons. Originally a secondary school the Khmer Rouge turned it into the most secretive of their prisons. Thousands were interrogated for information and tortured for confession of crimes against the regime. Each person was catalogued both written and photograph. Chained and starved the prisoners would be sent to Choeung Ek.
Thirty to sixty people daily from 1975-1979 and in the latter years of the Khmer Rouges power around 300 per day were sent to Choeung Ek. Here they would be unloaded from a truck, catalogued to make sure none escaped, put in a holding cell, and one by one marched out to a shallow grave and bludgeoned or hacked to their death. Hatchets, machetes, garden hoes, bamboo poles, and other devices were used to kill saving precious bullets for fighting. After the murders the guards would spread DDT on the bodies and buried them. Twenty thousand people killed at one site and there were many more killing fields set up around Cambodia.
Walking into the killing fields the area was dominated by what looked to be a temple only it was too irregular. The roof looked similar to a temple but the structure was tall and narrow comparatively. As we walked closer I realized what it was; a monument to those who died at Choeung Ek. The skulls of victims are stored within its glass sides. Each one has been cleaned and preserved. The monument is the most gruesome and the most moving thing I have ever seen. Its terrible presence was impossible to ignore. I could not keep my eyes off of it during our visit and I have wept every time I think of it since.
Roughly three million Cambodian people died between 1975 and 1979; roughly one out of every four people. Celebrities, politicians, intellectuals, teachers, and even people with glasses were targeted for execution. Countless more died due to starvation, forced labor, and disease. The brutality of the Khmer Rouge is possibly the worst in history and the events leading up before and after it are regrettable at best, murder at worst, and shameful for other countries who continued to recognize the Khmer Rouge as the legitimate government even after stories of its crimes started to surface. It is not only Cambodia but the world who needs to learn from these events.
Emotion still runs high concerning this time period. The population is still confused, angry, and grieved but their is a very strong movement for reconciliation instead of vengeance. There is a strong push to bury the victims with reverence and remember the events that took place in order to never allow it to happen again. Anger is still present but many people recognize it at a motivator for a violence that they do not want to see again.
And that is all I have to say about that.
I will leave the the history for you to research on your own, though I think it is key to understanding, and focus on what we saw at these places. Thousands went through the Toul Sleng prisons. Originally a secondary school the Khmer Rouge turned it into the most secretive of their prisons. Thousands were interrogated for information and tortured for confession of crimes against the regime. Each person was catalogued both written and photograph. Chained and starved the prisoners would be sent to Choeung Ek.
Thirty to sixty people daily from 1975-1979 and in the latter years of the Khmer Rouges power around 300 per day were sent to Choeung Ek. Here they would be unloaded from a truck, catalogued to make sure none escaped, put in a holding cell, and one by one marched out to a shallow grave and bludgeoned or hacked to their death. Hatchets, machetes, garden hoes, bamboo poles, and other devices were used to kill saving precious bullets for fighting. After the murders the guards would spread DDT on the bodies and buried them. Twenty thousand people killed at one site and there were many more killing fields set up around Cambodia.
Walking into the killing fields the area was dominated by what looked to be a temple only it was too irregular. The roof looked similar to a temple but the structure was tall and narrow comparatively. As we walked closer I realized what it was; a monument to those who died at Choeung Ek. The skulls of victims are stored within its glass sides. Each one has been cleaned and preserved. The monument is the most gruesome and the most moving thing I have ever seen. Its terrible presence was impossible to ignore. I could not keep my eyes off of it during our visit and I have wept every time I think of it since.
Roughly three million Cambodian people died between 1975 and 1979; roughly one out of every four people. Celebrities, politicians, intellectuals, teachers, and even people with glasses were targeted for execution. Countless more died due to starvation, forced labor, and disease. The brutality of the Khmer Rouge is possibly the worst in history and the events leading up before and after it are regrettable at best, murder at worst, and shameful for other countries who continued to recognize the Khmer Rouge as the legitimate government even after stories of its crimes started to surface. It is not only Cambodia but the world who needs to learn from these events.
Emotion still runs high concerning this time period. The population is still confused, angry, and grieved but their is a very strong movement for reconciliation instead of vengeance. There is a strong push to bury the victims with reverence and remember the events that took place in order to never allow it to happen again. Anger is still present but many people recognize it at a motivator for a violence that they do not want to see again.
And that is all I have to say about that.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Sihanoukville
We are approaching the rainy season in Southeast Asia and we have already had a couple magnificent examples of it. This morning is one example. The rain is coming straight down with only a little breeze from the ocean. The road in front of us is a newly formed river. Unfortunately this river is incredibly polluted with all sorts of plastic and styrofoam containers. Lighting and thunder flash and rumble as if it is an overseer shouting for the rain to work harder.
I woke up because our power was out. The fan in our room had stopped working and the temperature in our room had risen to stifling. Fortunately for us the rain has a cooling effect. We propped the door to our room open like a sail and it is effectively sending a steady rush of cool wind through our room. At the moment we are sitting at a table in a covered balcony on the third floor of our guest house. We moved guest houses yesterday because our first one was a rickety, old, and smelly place that lost power for a few minutes every fifteen minutes or so.
Sihanoukville is in southern Cambodia. It is famed for its miles of sandy beaches and proximity to an island where the movie "the beach" was filmed. Apparently locals and foreigners alike vacation here but hoards of people come in during the new year celebrations. I have grown tired of new year as everyone from bus companies to guest houses to taxi drivers uses it as a reason that we should pay more for their services. At one point I asked when this holiday was over because I was so tired of having this extra tax put on.
The town itself has a few different sections. Cambodia's largest (and maybe only) port is located here which encompasses much of the west side of town. There is a downtown located away from the beaches that stretches back into the hills with the roofs of large hotels and guesthouses speckled between the trees. The beaches are the main attraction to the town and you can find four or five of different ones within walking distance of each other. The town is very much geared towards tourists with hundreds of restaurants and guesthouses to choose from.
Our first impressions of this town were very negative. We had a lot of trouble finding a guesthouse because every one that we stopped by had raised there prices to be four or five times the amount advertised due to new year. We finally bartered one down from a ridiculous price to an unreasonable one and settled in. To go with this food prices were up from previous areas and the beach across from where we were staying had thousands of people at it; it was standing room only.
We have since found a couple spots that we feel more comfortable at and a nicer hostel for less money. This coupled with end of the new year celebrations marking the exodus of many people has helped us form a new opinion. We still don't really like it here but it will be a good place to live the beach life for a few days before we make our way back to Bangkok. There is still some exploring to do and we can rent a scooter for five dollars or less for a day.
I woke up because our power was out. The fan in our room had stopped working and the temperature in our room had risen to stifling. Fortunately for us the rain has a cooling effect. We propped the door to our room open like a sail and it is effectively sending a steady rush of cool wind through our room. At the moment we are sitting at a table in a covered balcony on the third floor of our guest house. We moved guest houses yesterday because our first one was a rickety, old, and smelly place that lost power for a few minutes every fifteen minutes or so.
Sihanoukville is in southern Cambodia. It is famed for its miles of sandy beaches and proximity to an island where the movie "the beach" was filmed. Apparently locals and foreigners alike vacation here but hoards of people come in during the new year celebrations. I have grown tired of new year as everyone from bus companies to guest houses to taxi drivers uses it as a reason that we should pay more for their services. At one point I asked when this holiday was over because I was so tired of having this extra tax put on.
The town itself has a few different sections. Cambodia's largest (and maybe only) port is located here which encompasses much of the west side of town. There is a downtown located away from the beaches that stretches back into the hills with the roofs of large hotels and guesthouses speckled between the trees. The beaches are the main attraction to the town and you can find four or five of different ones within walking distance of each other. The town is very much geared towards tourists with hundreds of restaurants and guesthouses to choose from.
Our first impressions of this town were very negative. We had a lot of trouble finding a guesthouse because every one that we stopped by had raised there prices to be four or five times the amount advertised due to new year. We finally bartered one down from a ridiculous price to an unreasonable one and settled in. To go with this food prices were up from previous areas and the beach across from where we were staying had thousands of people at it; it was standing room only.
We have since found a couple spots that we feel more comfortable at and a nicer hostel for less money. This coupled with end of the new year celebrations marking the exodus of many people has helped us form a new opinion. We still don't really like it here but it will be a good place to live the beach life for a few days before we make our way back to Bangkok. There is still some exploring to do and we can rent a scooter for five dollars or less for a day.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Photo Update
I have noticed that Erik hasn't been posting photos. If you are anything like me photos hold your attention longer than words. And if you aren't like me, then I hope you still enjoy photos. In any case, a good balance of both is generally appreciated. I do not have Erik's gift of words so I will briefly share what each photo is of.
This first photo is from our trek in Chiang Mai, Thailand (see original post here). Erik was enjoying a shower in an extremely cold waterfall.
This next photo is from Luang Prabang in Laos. I actually have nothing to say about it.
And here we have the only temple we visited in Luang Prabang. It was incredibly beautiful with intricate paintings on all the walls. We were told it is the only temple like this and that the paintings were covered up for a long while before being rediscovered in the recent past.
This photo was taken in Muang Noi, Laos. Erik was playing cards with a few girls who invited themselves over to our bungalow. The game consisted of picking an arbitrary number of cards and placing them in a pile. I think the key to the game was to giggle uncontrollably while placing said cards on the pile.
We just spent a week in Siem Reap. We meant to stay for three or four days, but we were enjoying ourselves so we decided to extend the visit. To put it simply, we found excellent food and wanted to keep eating it. We spent three days visiting the temples in the area. They were big and beautiful! We attempted to bike the first day, but only made it as far as Ankgor Wat (about five km from our hostel) before we decided that was enough exercise. It was HOT! We took a tuk tuk the next two days and it was still hot and exhausting, but we didn't have to pedal ourselves around so it was much more enjoyable. All that to show you this next photo. I sadly can't even tell you which temple this was at, they have all become a bit of a blur.
These were a couple monkeys that entertained us while we were taking a snack break at Angkor Wat.
And another temple I cannot name. It may be Pre Rup, or something of the sort. Forgive me, but we saw so many and there weren't any signs to tell us which we were at. I do remember that this one has elephant statues at each of the four corners and there were so many stairs to climb.
We saw this little lady at Ta Phrom. She was playing around the ruins while her mother swept and worked. I have been missing the presence of children in my life so I enjoyed watching her scamper around without a care in the world. She was very sweet.
And that, dear friends, is all for now.
This first photo is from our trek in Chiang Mai, Thailand (see original post here). Erik was enjoying a shower in an extremely cold waterfall.
This next photo is from Luang Prabang in Laos. I actually have nothing to say about it.
And here we have the only temple we visited in Luang Prabang. It was incredibly beautiful with intricate paintings on all the walls. We were told it is the only temple like this and that the paintings were covered up for a long while before being rediscovered in the recent past.
This photo was taken in Muang Noi, Laos. Erik was playing cards with a few girls who invited themselves over to our bungalow. The game consisted of picking an arbitrary number of cards and placing them in a pile. I think the key to the game was to giggle uncontrollably while placing said cards on the pile.
We just spent a week in Siem Reap. We meant to stay for three or four days, but we were enjoying ourselves so we decided to extend the visit. To put it simply, we found excellent food and wanted to keep eating it. We spent three days visiting the temples in the area. They were big and beautiful! We attempted to bike the first day, but only made it as far as Ankgor Wat (about five km from our hostel) before we decided that was enough exercise. It was HOT! We took a tuk tuk the next two days and it was still hot and exhausting, but we didn't have to pedal ourselves around so it was much more enjoyable. All that to show you this next photo. I sadly can't even tell you which temple this was at, they have all become a bit of a blur.
These were a couple monkeys that entertained us while we were taking a snack break at Angkor Wat.
And another temple I cannot name. It may be Pre Rup, or something of the sort. Forgive me, but we saw so many and there weren't any signs to tell us which we were at. I do remember that this one has elephant statues at each of the four corners and there were so many stairs to climb.
We saw this little lady at Ta Phrom. She was playing around the ruins while her mother swept and worked. I have been missing the presence of children in my life so I enjoyed watching her scamper around without a care in the world. She was very sweet.
And that, dear friends, is all for now.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Happy New Year!
Chinese, Laos, Khmer (Cambodia), and many other new years are being celebrated this week. At Angkor national park we saw workers erecting a stage and upon talking with a local fellow I found out that they are expecting 20,000 people at the park celebration of the new year. We seem to have a knack for attempting to travel during holidays. We will be hoping on a bus to the capital Phnom Penh just before noon today.
For the new years celebration the guesthouses on the street we are staying on got together and had a mini-celebration inviting all of their guests down to the street for music, dancing, and games. It started at 6:30 and the locals were well into their alcohol by then. I ended up having to keep a beer can in my hand at all times to ward off our guesthouse owner running to a cooler to grab me another one whenever he saw me without. This tactic worked until the locals started switching out my unopened warm beer can for a cold one. Busted.
The games we played were a giant tug-o-war, a piñata of sorts, and a variation of duck duck goose. The piñata was a weak coconut shell or something close to it that was suspended two to three brothers in the air and struck with a bamboo pole that was roughly a brother long. The first time around the shell was empty and cracked easily. The second time, unbeknownst to the person striking it, the shell was filled with some sort of liquid that splashed nearby revellers and hilariously poured out on the striker. Duck duck goose was played by the same rules you might expect except that instead of patting people's heads the person going round the circle held a tightly rolled bed sheet. The person would place the bed sheet behind the person they chose and sit down in their place. The person to the right of the chosen person with the bed sheet then had to sprint once around the circle as fast as possible because the chosen person officially had free reign to wallop them with the bed sheet until they accomplished this task. Jocularity, jocularity.
Dancing was also a fun event. Cambodian pop music was played and the locals started "fawning". Though I don't know the right spelling of the word, fawning consists of moving to a beat with the body but especially with the hands. Think voguing meets rave and you've got a bit of a picture. The dance is very mild with both men and women taking place. It is good that it is mild because anything more exuberant would cause major sweating.
A few hours into the celebration someone kicked off the tradition of powdering people. All the locals broke out what I thought was baby powder and attacked anything that moved. Soon everyone was blanketed in a thick layer of white powder. Soon after that my eyes started burning and I recognized the pungent scent of tiger balm. It took quite a while to be able to open my eyes and then the second round started. Of note in the powdering were two boys who chased each other for some time up and down the block just to lose their powder to the air rushing through their hands and the girl who ran up to me and shouted "I'm sorry" before wiping powder all over my face.
It was our second new year on our trip and both were thoroughly enjoyable.
For the new years celebration the guesthouses on the street we are staying on got together and had a mini-celebration inviting all of their guests down to the street for music, dancing, and games. It started at 6:30 and the locals were well into their alcohol by then. I ended up having to keep a beer can in my hand at all times to ward off our guesthouse owner running to a cooler to grab me another one whenever he saw me without. This tactic worked until the locals started switching out my unopened warm beer can for a cold one. Busted.
The games we played were a giant tug-o-war, a piñata of sorts, and a variation of duck duck goose. The piñata was a weak coconut shell or something close to it that was suspended two to three brothers in the air and struck with a bamboo pole that was roughly a brother long. The first time around the shell was empty and cracked easily. The second time, unbeknownst to the person striking it, the shell was filled with some sort of liquid that splashed nearby revellers and hilariously poured out on the striker. Duck duck goose was played by the same rules you might expect except that instead of patting people's heads the person going round the circle held a tightly rolled bed sheet. The person would place the bed sheet behind the person they chose and sit down in their place. The person to the right of the chosen person with the bed sheet then had to sprint once around the circle as fast as possible because the chosen person officially had free reign to wallop them with the bed sheet until they accomplished this task. Jocularity, jocularity.
Dancing was also a fun event. Cambodian pop music was played and the locals started "fawning". Though I don't know the right spelling of the word, fawning consists of moving to a beat with the body but especially with the hands. Think voguing meets rave and you've got a bit of a picture. The dance is very mild with both men and women taking place. It is good that it is mild because anything more exuberant would cause major sweating.
A few hours into the celebration someone kicked off the tradition of powdering people. All the locals broke out what I thought was baby powder and attacked anything that moved. Soon everyone was blanketed in a thick layer of white powder. Soon after that my eyes started burning and I recognized the pungent scent of tiger balm. It took quite a while to be able to open my eyes and then the second round started. Of note in the powdering were two boys who chased each other for some time up and down the block just to lose their powder to the air rushing through their hands and the girl who ran up to me and shouted "I'm sorry" before wiping powder all over my face.
It was our second new year on our trip and both were thoroughly enjoyable.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Angkor
Please keep this a secret internet but up until two days ago I had no clue regarding Angkor Wat. I blame my education as history is one of my favorite subjects to learn about. I have actually thought a lot about my education growing up and realized how narrow it was in the history department. Even my world history class only touched on Greece, Rome, European development, and how that all brought the US into the world. I now know that there are at least five other countries that have histories that don't involve bringing the US into the world... maybe six.
Angkor was a kingdom established in the 800's lasting for about 500 years. In this time it rose, strengthened, maintained, declined, and collapsed as many kingdoms do but in its wake was left numerous temples, monuments, and carvings that give us a unique look into the history of this country. The largest and perhaps the most spectacular of these temples or "wats" is Angkor Wat and it is also the last one that was build. On its walls are carvings of the battles of the age as well as epic stories and depictions of legendary characters.
Angkor was mainly built as Hindu temples but have since been taken over by buddhism. Angkor Wat for example was built to the Hindu god Vishnu but in the 12th century after the kingdom experienced turmoil a new king made buddhism the prime religion and Vishnu's images were replaced with Buddha's. Only a few decades later Hinduism made a resurgence and most of the likenesses of Buddha were defaced or destroyed replaced with Hindu images. The temples are now a mix of images of Buddhas, Vishnus, Shivas, and Shivas that were once Buddhas
What has impressed me most is the story of this king named Jayavarman VII. He built many many of these monuments and he did it at a very rapid pace. He was in power for 40 years and build over 100 monuments some being the largest constructions in the area. At the same time he launched an aggressive military campaign that conquered another people and ensured his people's reign for another hundred years or so. What was most impressive to me though was that at this time of building he also built into his society many hospitals. He made sure that despite being the most successful king and having the platform to build monuments to his greatness, his focus was on taking care of his people and essentially ensuring their place in history. I like that.
Angkor is a protected world heritage site and is undergoing extensive protective and well as reconstructive measures. Many of the sites we visited had large scaffold and green tarps in some sections and most had wooden braces holding up walls of stone. I am thankful to have seen it and to learn of it first hand.
Angkor was a kingdom established in the 800's lasting for about 500 years. In this time it rose, strengthened, maintained, declined, and collapsed as many kingdoms do but in its wake was left numerous temples, monuments, and carvings that give us a unique look into the history of this country. The largest and perhaps the most spectacular of these temples or "wats" is Angkor Wat and it is also the last one that was build. On its walls are carvings of the battles of the age as well as epic stories and depictions of legendary characters.
Angkor was mainly built as Hindu temples but have since been taken over by buddhism. Angkor Wat for example was built to the Hindu god Vishnu but in the 12th century after the kingdom experienced turmoil a new king made buddhism the prime religion and Vishnu's images were replaced with Buddha's. Only a few decades later Hinduism made a resurgence and most of the likenesses of Buddha were defaced or destroyed replaced with Hindu images. The temples are now a mix of images of Buddhas, Vishnus, Shivas, and Shivas that were once Buddhas
What has impressed me most is the story of this king named Jayavarman VII. He built many many of these monuments and he did it at a very rapid pace. He was in power for 40 years and build over 100 monuments some being the largest constructions in the area. At the same time he launched an aggressive military campaign that conquered another people and ensured his people's reign for another hundred years or so. What was most impressive to me though was that at this time of building he also built into his society many hospitals. He made sure that despite being the most successful king and having the platform to build monuments to his greatness, his focus was on taking care of his people and essentially ensuring their place in history. I like that.
Angkor is a protected world heritage site and is undergoing extensive protective and well as reconstructive measures. Many of the sites we visited had large scaffold and green tarps in some sections and most had wooden braces holding up walls of stone. I am thankful to have seen it and to learn of it first hand.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Siem Reap, Cambodia
We have been in Siem Reap, Cambodia for the past three or four days. It is warm here. There is no relief. It is hot all day long. We can function earlier in the morning but at about 10am we start feeling the heat and by 1pm it gets hard to move and our minds become dedicated to finding a spot in the shade with the possibility of a breeze. Our room has a fan but not AC and I have taken up showering in cold water and then sitting on a towel in front of the fan; it keeps me cool for about 30 minutes. So warm.
So far we are really enjoying Cambodia. The roads may be worse than Laos but I don't really know how to judge that competition. There is a haze here but it is made up from humidity rather than thick smoke. I have seen the stars at night and we've even seen blue sky once or twice. Its the little things in life I suppose. The country is obviously still developing and the current generation has experienced a very traumatic time but there are many signs of recovery. The government has been very open with other countries and has received a lot of foreign aid. It is also a hub for non-government organizations who are running everything from orphanages to hospitals to arts programs. A couple days ago Ashley and I saw a show from a group of orphaned children trained by an NGO in the circus style. Their show translated was called "Bizarre" and it dealt with an older war veteran tormented by what he had seen and his journey back to health with his family.
I have found that my formula for enjoyment in a country is based on the price of a snickers bar. I have also found that the overall happiness of a country's citizens can be based on the same formula. I suppose not just a snickers bar but snacks in general. In some countries the price of western snack food is ridiculously high because only western tourists can afford to purchase them anyway. Some of the countries we've been in put snickers bars at double the price of one meal. It is actually hard on my spirits when a snickers bar is 1/4 of my daily budget and therefor out of the question. Here in Cambodia snack prices are low. Cans of soda cost what they did when I was 10 years old, snickers are 1/30 of the daily budget, and even chips are within the reasonable range. It puts my mind at ease to know that snickery goodness remains at a reasonable rate. One day North Korea will discover the substantialicious snack and peace will be achieved. They may even be allowed to develop their own nugetular power plants... I realize I need to stop and may be craving a snickers.
Siem Reap is one of the larger cities in Cambodia. We are currently staying on one of the main streets for tourists and it has yet to be paved. Unpaved main roads always bring it home to me how undeveloped a place is. It may have cellphones, cable tv, 3G wifi, resorts and spas but if the road that it is all on is unpaved then the truth hits home. Speaking of resorts and spas we walked to the night market the other night and found out that the standard rate for a 10 minute massage is $1 and yet we still have not gone for one. It is probably because I would start sweating if someone laid even a finger on me. I suppose we will have to pay a little extra for an air conditioned massage. Life's full of tough decisions here.
So far we are really enjoying Cambodia. The roads may be worse than Laos but I don't really know how to judge that competition. There is a haze here but it is made up from humidity rather than thick smoke. I have seen the stars at night and we've even seen blue sky once or twice. Its the little things in life I suppose. The country is obviously still developing and the current generation has experienced a very traumatic time but there are many signs of recovery. The government has been very open with other countries and has received a lot of foreign aid. It is also a hub for non-government organizations who are running everything from orphanages to hospitals to arts programs. A couple days ago Ashley and I saw a show from a group of orphaned children trained by an NGO in the circus style. Their show translated was called "Bizarre" and it dealt with an older war veteran tormented by what he had seen and his journey back to health with his family.
I have found that my formula for enjoyment in a country is based on the price of a snickers bar. I have also found that the overall happiness of a country's citizens can be based on the same formula. I suppose not just a snickers bar but snacks in general. In some countries the price of western snack food is ridiculously high because only western tourists can afford to purchase them anyway. Some of the countries we've been in put snickers bars at double the price of one meal. It is actually hard on my spirits when a snickers bar is 1/4 of my daily budget and therefor out of the question. Here in Cambodia snack prices are low. Cans of soda cost what they did when I was 10 years old, snickers are 1/30 of the daily budget, and even chips are within the reasonable range. It puts my mind at ease to know that snickery goodness remains at a reasonable rate. One day North Korea will discover the substantialicious snack and peace will be achieved. They may even be allowed to develop their own nugetular power plants... I realize I need to stop and may be craving a snickers.
Siem Reap is one of the larger cities in Cambodia. We are currently staying on one of the main streets for tourists and it has yet to be paved. Unpaved main roads always bring it home to me how undeveloped a place is. It may have cellphones, cable tv, 3G wifi, resorts and spas but if the road that it is all on is unpaved then the truth hits home. Speaking of resorts and spas we walked to the night market the other night and found out that the standard rate for a 10 minute massage is $1 and yet we still have not gone for one. It is probably because I would start sweating if someone laid even a finger on me. I suppose we will have to pay a little extra for an air conditioned massage. Life's full of tough decisions here.
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