Travel: The Kingdom of Cambodia 2008

*Some photos may be graphic to some*

My first impressions of Cambodia were shocking and disbelief. I spent a few years as a child growing up in the Philippines and have seen adverse poverty. But even that didn’t prepare me for Cambodia.

I made my way from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh on a bus through rural countryside. As we passed small shanty towns and stopped for water and bathrooms breaks, droves of children would surround us trying to sell their trinkets and snacks like fried grasshoppers and tarantulas. Some children were emaciated, half clothed, begging for anything. Other children were on the ground eating off the floor. I hadn’t seen anything like this before and I actually paused and hesitated to take photos.

After a few more hours on the bus and the unpaved roads of Cambodia, we arrived at Phnom Penh. There we had a local tour guide, Boun Yeoung. Intelligent, witty, funny and politically savvy, we knew we had a great leader. Boun was a natural at his job. He started educating us about Cambodia’s hellish history, the bloody struggles and pride and strenghth of its people. From that instant, my paradigm shifted, and instantly knew I had to document this once in a lifetime experience. Most Cambdian’s are young as a result of the genocide under the Pol Pot regime. However, despite their cruel history, there was a optimistic spirit and genuine hapiness for life that made me love this country. Here’s to the Kingdom of Cambodia and to the spirit and strength of its people. -Brian

Phnom Penh
Built in 1917-1920. This distinctive red-rust building holds over 5,000 objects including Angkorian statues and other artifacts.

"Always look both ways while crossing the street," is a phrase most of us were told by our parents growing up. Here, a young Cambodian boy patiently waits for a gap in traffic before crossing. I watched this boy wait for at least 5 minutes before he found a slim gap to cross.

December 2008 will be my most memorable Christmas. My day was spent at Tuol Sleng, the genocide museum, formerly known as Khmer Rouge S-21 Prison.

Formerly a high school, it was transformed into a terror institution of interrogation, torture and eventually led to the killing fields where thousands of people were viciously butchered and murdered. The Khmer Rouge (KR) detained anybody suspected of opposing the Pol Pot regime here between 1975 and 1979.

Unimagineable attrocities occured at this former high school that led to one of the most tragic genocides in history.

The second part of Christmas day 2008 was visiting Chouen Ek Memorial, a monument made up of 8,000 human skulls, which marks the site of the infamous Killing Fields. It’s hard to imagine that such a beautiful scene is also where the Cambodian genocide occurred. The unearthed depressions are grave sites where thousands of bodies were discovered.

It’s hard to compare this memorial to others similar sites that have memorialized crimes against humanity. I’ve seen the Holocaust Museum in DC, the Hiroshima Museum in Hiroshima, the Vietnam Museum in Saigon, and these killing fields in Phnom Penh. This is the most graphic, real, disturbing and tangible site I’ve experienced. And is a reminder of our race’s capability of being wicked, heartless and evil. Definitely, one of the most memorable and eye-opening experiences I’ve had.

Can anyone help me ID this bridge in Cambodia? I don’t remember the name. The only thing I remember is that is an example of the engineering and craftsmanship of the Khmer people. Traffic on the bridge was relegated to bikes and pedestrians to help preserve the bridge.

Celebrating Christmas dinner at a local man’s house. I’m assuming the kids were putting powder on their faces to look more “white” like Santa.

My adopted family!

Traditional Cambodian dancers. I was in a dimly lit room which made it hard to take a photo. After several tries, this was one of the best that turned out.

Ta Prohm, a spectacular and beautiful ruin of the Khmer temples. Most notable about these ruins is that it has not been fully restored and left as the jungle has slowly reclaimed it.

A delicate small temple around 25km from Siem Reap. It was built by Jayavarman V and finished in AD968. The complex comprises several buildings, and features some fine carvings in pink sandstone.

Regarded as the supreme masterpiece of Khmer architecture, Angkor Wat is an impressive pyramid temple built by Suryavarman II between 1113 and 1150. Surrounded by a moat 570 feet wide and about four miles long, the mass of bas-relief carving is of the highest quality and the most beautifully exectuted in Angkor.

Next time you’re in Siem Reap, stop by Dr. Fish. Ever had a foot fish massage? This was cool. You put your feet into a pool of fish and they instantly start eating all the dead skin off your foot. After a few minutes in the pool, your feet feel silky smooth! They need this in the US, it would be the next big thing!

Another favorite, the hammock bars!

The Food!

Why do I look the most excited! On the menu tonight, traditional Cambodian cuisine!

The special for the night: Tarantulas!

Even the girls liked it!

Hissing Cockroaches anyone? It’s not bad, seriously!

The always popular balut and Angkor Beer!

Tagged: 5byseven, 5byseven.com, Adventure, Ankor, Asia, Brian Catacutan, Cambodia, Khmer, The Kingdom of Cambodia, Travel, www.5byseven.com

---