Loose in Cambodia

Pure Indulgence!

kyliestephenson — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:58:00 GMT

27.2.08

This is my last day in Cambodia so I thought for the few hours I have before boarding my flight for Phnom Penh I would get myself pampered (plus the fact I had a heap of spending money left and my bags were busting at the seams!) I ventured out on the main street and walked about 200m and looked down an alley way. Much to my delight, there was a boutique spa hidden down there! I went in and was greeted with a cool towel and a cup of tea so I could peruse the menu. I chose to have a full manicure and pedicure for the entree and an hour long traditional Khmer facial for my main course.

The manicure and pedicure was good (however I applaud the poor girl who did my toe nails due to the state of my feet) but the real deal was the facial. I never get facials back home. My skin routine usually involves a wash with cleanser in the shower and a chaser of sorbolene cream so this was pure indulgence! I was scrubbed, massaged and moisturised. I was left for about 20 minutes with a clay mask on (and fell asleep). It was heaven. It was just so good to get the dust out of my pores! It was well worth the money for this treatment which was about a third of what I would’ve paid back here in Australia! After my morning of luxury it was time to go to the airport. As we took off from the runway I could see the Tonle Sap in all its glory. I felt a pang of disappointment that I was actually going home but I knew I would be back some day.

Exploring Angkor (3)

kyliestephenson — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:57:00 GMT

26.2.08

This is the last day of temple seeing. Today’s agenda consisted of travelling to Banteay Srei which was about 25 km from the main groups of temples in Angkor. This well preserved temple showcases some of the most intricate carvings of all the temples in the Angkor group. It has been said this temple was built by a woman due to its delicacy. It was made from red sandstone that can be carved into as easily as wood and is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. As we approached the walls to the temple, delightful music was being played by Khmer who have been injured by landmines. I bought a CD from them and ventured into the realms of the temple itself.

This place is spectacular for macro photography of carvings. On our way back we quickly stopped at a couple of lesser known temples called Preah Khan, Neak Pean and Ta Som. All were stunning in their own ways and a better way to see some temples without masses of other people hanging around.

Exploring Angkor (2)

kyliestephenson — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:55:00 GMT

25.2.08

In attempt to beat the crowds at one of the most popular temples of Angkor, we left at 8am to venture to Ta Prohm. It seems we should’ve left earlier since there were buses already lined up outside the grounds! No wonder this temple is the most popular and was used in Tomb Raider. It is definitely impressive. The temple has been largely left untouched by archaeologists and the star attraction would be the century-old trees almost structurally holding the temple walls up. Also commonly known as the Jungle Temple, the original design was typical of ‘flat’ Khmer architecture however it is probably the most photogenic and visually stimulating temple in the Angkor group.

Next it was on to Angkor Thom. This magnificent ruined city was the work of no other than King Jayavarman VII. Nearly 80,000 people help to maintain and entertain the palace including 615 dancers! The entrance to this lost city is called Victory Gate. This tower shows Bayon architecture with the tell-tale sign of the four faces embedded in the top. The road leading up to the gate is lined with 54 god heads on the left and 54 demon heads on the right. You can tell which ones are gods by the almond shape of their eyes and the demons by the round shape.

We walked around the grand stage of the Terrace of the Elephants. The terrace was used by King Jayavarman VII as a platform to watch his victorious army returning to the Kingdom and also other entertaining ceremonies. Around to the right of the stage you stumble on a wall of carvings and a replica statue of Yama (the God of death) – an area known as Leper King Terrace. The statue was apparently called the Leper King because of the moss that was growing on it resembled leprosy and also to align with a Khmer legend telling the story of an Angkorian King with the disease.

We approached Baphuon but could not get too close as they are restoring this temple. It was a victim of the Khmer Rouge. Many of the 300,000 pieces required for this temple have been arranged on the grounds outside the temple and has been noted as a real life jigsaw. It was apparently supposed to be fully restored at the start of 2008, however things haven’t obviously gone to plan.

Next was the Bayon. This intriguing temple showcased many towers with faces on each of the four sides. There are about 200 faces in the complex and you can’t help but feel watched. It is said that the faces resemble that of King Jayavarman VII. This influential (and often accused as egomaniacal) king used this tactic to keep an eye on his people. To me, it rewrites the definition of ‘big brother’. A little disturbing but glorious to photograph! We didn’t stay long here however since the crowds were ridiculous and my camera battery went flat.

Exploring Angkor (1)

kyliestephenson — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:53:00 GMT

24.2.08

Today is for exploring the Temples of Angkor – first stop Angkor Wat. This palace is mind-blowing! This is not only because of its sheer size but the building quality and amazing detail of the carvings in its galleries. You can imagine what it was like to live in a place like this! Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious monument and was built under the reign by King Suryavarman II in the early 12^th century. It’s almost unbelievable in the way that the builders did not have cranes or trucks to carry supplies!

Next it was onto the Roluos Group of temples – Preah Ko, Bakong and Lolei. These temples were the first that were built to last. The brick infrastructure and carvings are still majorly intact. They may not have been as spectacular as Angkor Wat, however on the upside, there were far less crowds blocking photographs. Still well worth a visit!

The middle of the day was approaching and so was the ever-increasing UV factor so we made a decision to head back to Siem Reap. I had the afternoon to myself so I explored the Old Market. This place was bustling with tourists and locals. It was a great place to pick up a few Krama and other odds and ends.

After dinner I opted for some traditional Khmer massage to work out the knots in my muscles from days of being on-the-go. The young masseuse was chatty and loved to try and communicate the English she had learnt. It definitely made the pain of the massage take a back seat as my brain was concentrating on trying to understand what she was saying! Not as relaxing as what I envisioned but it was nice to have a chat to someone since I was travelling alone.

Conquering Independence!

kyliestephenson — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:52:00 GMT

23.2.08

I met my tuk-tuk driver at 7:30am and we made our way 15km south-west to the Killing Fields. The fields were a haunting reminder of the carnage during the Khmer Rouge. Thousands of skulls were enshrined in a memorial tower and the pits remained where mass graves were excavated. The thought of what people went through here made me sick to my stomach but visiting imprinted an important piece of history into my heart.

However, some very clever children tricked me out of some money! I fell for their directions at the back of the killing fields and they distracted me by speaking fluent English. They asked me to take their photo and then hounded me for some money! I fell for their perfectly executed plan! I didn’t mind too much as they were happy to share a dollar between them and then they left me to take a very long walk back around to the car park! Locals -1 Dumb tourist – zero.

I boarded my tuk-tuk and we made our way back to the city to the Tuol Sleng Museum or also known at S21. This was a school turned into a torture headquarters for the Khmer Rouge. This graphic reminder of Khmer Rouge brutality has remained greatly unchanged from when the Vietnamese found it in the late 70s. I spent a worthwhile $6 on an English-speaking guide who showed me around this prison and told me stories of what happened in torture rooms. My most vivid memory was the blood splatters on the ceilings of torture rooms after the victims’ throats were cut.

After my extensive tour I explored the museum myself and went back to the rooms where thousands of photographs of men, women and children were posted up. Some of the prisoners had their identification numbers pinned through their skin and not their clothes.

I boarded my tuk-tuk a little depressed but glad I can take home a piece of history and a new-found appreciation of Cambodia’s people. I was picked up from my hotel at 11:30am to go to the bus station bound for Siem Reap. I ended up sitting next to Bronwyn who was from Brisbane Australia – about one hour’s drive from where I live! She was also travelling alone and we talked all trip about our adventures. We realised our flights out of Siem Reap were also the same so we agreed to catch up at the airport and exchange details then.

Siem Reap was vastly different from anywhere I had been in Cambodia. It was bustling with tourists and peppered with 5-star hotels and resorts. My guide said there are 92 hotels to choose from and about 400,000 people living in the city but the population is boosted as one million tourists visit every year! My hotel was very luxurious and was close to the action of the Old Market and Pub Street. Every type of cuisine was on offer here and every 10 metres housed a massage parlour.

I ventured out for dinner and felt very safe on the streets alone as the night was bustling with tourists. I had pizza for dinner (yes I know what you’re thinking) and met two travellers who joined me for a drink. We all went to the night market and picked up some bargains before going our own ways for a night of rest before temple exploring tomorrow.

Starting my tour!

kyliestephenson — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:50:00 GMT

22.2.08

I had to transfer from the Goldiana Hotel to the Princess Hotel to start my Intrepid tour so I grabbed a mototaxis who balanced me on the back and my huge backpack on the front!

After I checked in, I ventured down the main street and found a convenience store to fulfil my craving for chocolate! I sat on the steps out front of the store and engulfed my Cadbury fix. The weather was scorching so I made my way back to the hotel to cool down and wait for my tour guide to pick me up to show me around! A nice young lady from Intrepid Travel picked me up at 1400hrs and showed me around the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, the National Museum (again) and Phnom Wat. Phnom Wat was interesting in the fact that it was dedicated to a woman named Penh. This was where the city derived its name – Phnom Penh – Hill of Penh.

After an afternoon of sight-seeing, I was dropped back at my hotel and was free to do what I wanted for dinner. I took a tuk-tuk to a restaurant called Khmer Surin and ate a feast! I could barely walk after scoffing half their menu and grabbed a tuk-tuk home. I made an arrangement with the lovely tuk-tuk driver for a trip tomorrow to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek and the Tuol Sleng Museum. His negotiations were priceless. I asked him how much for the round trip and he replied, "What’s good for you is good for me.” So I said, “Ok. How about $5?” and he replied with a smile, “Oh no, $10 – it’s good for me and good for you!” I couldn’t help but bend to his charm and agreed. He said not to forget him tomorrow morning and handed me his business card which was a handwritten wallet size piece of paper with his contact details and “Good service, good driver”. As far as I was concerned, I was sold!

On the road again!

kyliestephenson — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:49:00 GMT

21.2.08

We went back to the eye camp briefly to say our goodbyes and drop off more medical supplies. We picked up a couple of visiting doctors and started our journey back to Phnom Penh. The trip was pretty uneventful except for the sight of a truck covered in dead chickens with a moped strapped to the roof!

We ventured to the Fred Hollows Foundation office in Phnom Penh and met with Sam Ath. I interviewed him and we all had a rest and a chat before Sophavid accompanied me in a tuk-tuk back to my hotel. I said my goodbyes and collapsed in my bed not moving from 1630 until the middle of the next morning! I was so worn out and I became familiar with one of my creature comforts again – cable TV.

Day Three at Fred Hollows Foundation eye camp

kyliestephenson — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:48:00 GMT

20.2.08

Third day of eye camp.

We first ventured into the consult room to see if the doctor was alright and I helped to make packets of pain killers for post-op patients (seeing this was the only thing I could do not knowing the language very well!) I met a young woman who came in for some treatment since she had irreversible blindness. I learnt she was a widow with two kids and no other family to help her. Her clothes were stained with dirt and haggard. She was incredibly poor but soldiered on despite her misfortune. My heart broke as I learnt they could do nothing to reverse her blindness and wished I could give one of my eyes just to make her life a little bit easier. I realised how lucky I am and how fortunate I have been in my life.

I interviewed Dr Kakada first thing before his day became too busy and we soon left to revisit Mot Suan to see how he was. Not only did we see he was recovering extremely well, we watched him help his daughter make rice noodles. The process required a high amount of manual labour. Before this, I never stopped to think how the noodles were made! There are over 4 steps to the method of making the noodles which takes them quite a few hours to make one basket full. The alarming thing was however that one basket would fetch only about US$10! It really puts getting a pay rise no matter how small back home into perspective! I also had the pleasure of interviewing his daughter!

We said our goodbyes and made our way back to Kampong Thom for an afternoon of relaxation. We all got our nails done (which cost the equivalent of 25 cents – it’s crazy considering I wouldn’t touch someone’s toe nails for a million dollars!!) and also had my hair done in dread-like braids so admittedly I didn’t have to wash it for the rest of my trip! However, I had to put up with the fact I looked like a drowned river rat! After dinner we unwound from three gruelling days of eye camp with a few beers and a spot of karaoke. It was good to let loose but I think the neighbours were sick of the dogs in the area howling to our tunes (or out-of-tunes).

Day Two at Fred Hollows Foundation eye camp

kyliestephenson — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:46:00 GMT

19.2.08

Second day of eye camp.

We heard cries of joy coming from the consult room. "I can see! I can see!" Post-op patients were sat in school chairs in lines like a classroom waiting for their turn for the doctor to unveil their new sight. This was where we met Mot Suan. Yesterday he was completely blind with cataracts in both eyes. He had been blind for over 3 years and today, he could see clearly from one eye! He was excitedly chatting to his family and friends about his miracle. He would be my case study. His reaction was out of this world. He could hardly contain his excitement! We learnt Mot Suan came from a farming family not far from the hospital. He had been struggling with blindness for so long he didn’t know what his grandchildren looked like. He couldn’t participate in the family’s duties to make rice noodles and work in the rice fields and felt like a complete burden. He said that his life was worth nothing without his eyes to see. It was mind-blowing to think about the implications of restoring his sight for himself and his family. Farming families need each and everyone working to help generate an income. Most families live on less than US$5 a day so everyone’s contribution to making money is vital. For Mot Suan, seeing again means his family will be better off and he feels he can make a hefty contribution instead of the burden he felt he was for so many years.

We drove Mot Suan home to his village where we were confronted with the problem of Mot Suan not recognising his house! He was a little distressed as we followed him around his village looking for his family. He talked to fellow villagers along the way spreading the message of his miracle sight and finally was reunited with his wife, daughter and her family. He saw his two grandchildren for the first time!

After a morning of miracles, Somin, Sophavid and I went for some lunch on the banks of the river where local women fought over who was going to cook us lunch. The food ended up being delicious but took quite a long time to come out to us. We decided next time to go for the person who offers the quickest chicken! Our leftovers were greatly appreciated by local kids who Sophavid said their parents don’t have enough food to feed them so they are forced to scavenge.

Next we embarked on a bumpy journey to the pre-Angkorian ruins of Samor Prei Kuk. We were only there for a short time but for long enough to appreciate the unique qualities of these monuments.

We had one more errand to make before we could go back to the hotel to rest. We went to Dr Kakada’s house in Kampong Thom to pick up medical supplies for tomorrow and had an unusual Khmer snack of sliced unripe mango with a fish sauce/sugar/chilli flake dipping sauce! After returning to the hotel I listened through my interviews from today and was secretly hoping my feast on unripe mango with supposed gut healing properties wouldn’t end up as a literal ‘flush out’ tomorrow!

Day One at Fred Hollows Foundation eye camp

kyliestephenson — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:43:00 GMT

18.2.08

First day of the eye camp.

I was briefed on the way to the camp that, for the entire week, Fred Hollows Foundation was supporting free surgery for eligible locals. I wasn’t sure what to expect when we arrived at Baray Santuk Referral Hospital but I immediately knew we were in for a busy time. People were crowding around the door to the consultation clinic and inside was packed like a city bus at peak hour. People were congregated in the shade around the hospital grounds waiting their turn. The Fred Hollows staff worked madly with the consult doctor giving eye tests all morning. The test consisted of an eye chart taped to the back of a chair and the patient indicating what they could see. Everyone was busy up until lunch time when the crowds started to thin out. In the four hours of consult, 262 people’s cases were assessed. Out of that staggering number, 190 of those patients were sent for surgery.

In another building patients were lining up and being prepped for surgery. The patients lined the corridor and the queue continued out the doors and onto the lawns surrounding the building. Inside, two basic eye doctors, two basic eye nurses and the anaesthetist worked through their lunch breaks performing eye surgeries into the evening. The anaesthetic bed sat in the waiting room where the doctor would prep each patient and moved them onto the surgery room like a factory assembly line. The patients would wear stained old laboratory coats over the top of their clothes and shower caps on their heads to go into surgery. Cataract blindness is the most common eye disease in Kampong Thom followed closely by ptyergiums.

Sophavid and I spoke to a lot of patients waiting for surgery but we couldn’t find an appropriate case study for my podcast. Also, the language barrier made me feel a little out of my depth at first to be of any help to the team. The entire day was a blur and by the end of it, we were all keen to go home and have a rest for the night because we all knew tomorrow would be the same.

Heading North

kyliestephenson — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 12:41:00 GMT

17.2.08

It’s time to leave Phnom Penh behind and embrace the rural provinces to the North – destination Kampong Thom. Somin and Sophavid picked me up in the Fred Hollows four-wheel-drive and we firstly went to breakfast on the outskirts of the city. The roads are still busy out this way but the majority of vehicles are either motorcycles or heavy trucks packed with as many humans that can fit. The only problem is that the roads are smaller so overtaking can be a hairy experience!

We piled back into the car to continue the journey and made various stops en route to Kampong Thom. The first was to pick up ‘lettuce flower’ to eat. This was a quick stop with exchanges made from the driver’s window (since the cars are right-hand-drive but they drive on the right-hand-side of the road –a tad confusing!) The next stop was for longer as we browsed a local market. I was then reminded of my promise to try spider and before I knew it, I was whisked back up into the car armed with a bag of deep-fried things – spiders, cicadas and other unidentified bugs.

Fresh and full from a feast of insects and arachnids (which tasted like soy sauce) we drove for another 20 km or so to reach a remote temple called Phnom Santuk. This active wat was nestled on top of a mountain with over 800 steps leading up to it. At the base of the mountain there was a rest area with bamboo huts and hammocks. We rested while Sophavid helped a local family cook us a lunch of chicken and fish. Suddenly all attention was diverted to a young man riding into the reserve on his bicycle. We invited him to have lunch with us and we later found out his name was Hans and he was from Holland. He had already ridden 4500 kilometres throughout South East Asia and would continue for another week or so en route back to Thailand. This guy was hungry. We didn’t have to worry about having left-overs with Hans on ‘Mission Feed Me’! All that riding made him a ravenous beast!

After lunch we embarked on our journey to climb up to the wat. The humidity made sure we felt every one of the 800-an- something steps! However, the climb was worth it for the view and the cheeky monkeys who followed us around at the top. In the main temple a fortune teller was predicting our futures and gave us holy water to pour over our heads. My fortune was along the lines of if I have lost something, pray to Buddha and I will find it again. I had a sudden freak out about where I had put my passport...

We returned to Kampong Thom for some dinner and then to the hotel for much needed rest and the reassurance that my passport was still where I left it.

Touchdown!

kyliestephenson — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:36:00 GMT

16.2.08

Touch down! After just over 10 hours of flying I stepped out into the warm Khmer air and was immediately confronted by a scrum of tuk tuk, moto and taxi drivers competing for my attention. Luckily my name was printed on a brightly coloured card held by a young man. As I gestured to let him know where I was and walked around the corner towards him I was greeted by two Khmer women from the Fred Hollows Foundation – Somin and Sophavid. Both spoke fluent English and once I started getting used to their accents I could understand them quite easily. I was glad I had two local guides especially when we entered the Khmer traffic! It appears that there are no consistent rules when it comes to driving in Cambodia. Cars, mototaxis, tuk tuks and pedestrians share the road in a frenzy to get from A to B in the shortest time possible. This meant zig-zagging through convoys of motorbikes and wayward busses doing 3-point turns in the middle of main roads! Chaos it seemed but accidents appeared rare. After breakfast we made our way to the Russian Market. Here was a rabbit warren of stalls with everything on offer from fresh produce to counterfeit CDs and DVDs. Bargaining is difficult but recommended so you don’t get ripped off here. It seems like a game to the locals to get a good price and they sure start them young! A Khmer boy who was no older than nine years old was selling books in a mobile stall strapped around his shoulders - kind of like the drink sellers at the football. You would think children wouldn’t be as sales orientated as the more experienced adults but how I was wrong! This sales savvy junior looked at me with his eyebrows narrowed after offering what I thought was reasonable for one of his books and he returned, “Listen miss, I don’t do cheap.” He got his sale, however, for an agreed price.

Next it was on to the National Museum where ancient Hindu and Budda archaeological treasures recovered from the country’s temples were on display. Some dated back as far as the sixth century.

After returning to the hotel for a much needed rest we all went to dinner where I was introduced to Sam Ath – the Fred Hollows Foundation country manager. Dinner conversation included what strange things I should eat on our way to Kampong Thom tomorrow.... Fried spider, anyone?