CAMBODIA- PHNOM PENH

There were a lot of firsts for me in Cambodia: first time going on a propeller airplane (twice), first time getting a fish massage, and the first time waking up for the sunrise over Angkor Wat. The Kingdom of Cambodia was less intense than Ho Chi Minh City and a lot calmer. Average temperature for the day was around 100 degrees Fahrenheit and the fact that we had to wear clothing that covered our shoulders and knees to a lot of the sacred spots did not help. The trip overview: HCM City to Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, Siem Reap back to HCM City. The details:

Since I signed up to go on the overnight Cambodia trip in December, unaware that my parents would spontaneously decide to fly to Southeast Asia, I was assigned to one of the two non-parent trips. Similarly, since my parents spontaneously flew to Southeast Asia at the last minute, they too were not put on the parent trip but on my trip. Jeff and Belinda were the only two parents on my trip that consisted of fifty college kids. Needless to say, they loved it. Needless to say, I loved it.

The capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Like the Xian/Beijing trip, the Cambodia trip was packed with places to go and temples to see. We landed at the airport and immediately set off to see the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. The exterior landscape was gorgeous as was the interior architecture. A lot of the buildings required that we take off our shoes and walk barefoot inside the sacred rooms. Being barefoot in the Silver Pagoda meant that if we stepped off the rug we were able to feel the silver tiles on the floor. In 100 degree weather we were given way too much time to explore the grounds and as a result Mom and I spent a lot of time sitting under whatever shade we could find or consuming ice cream from the ice cream vendor. I had my first encounter with Cambodian children here with their families and kids are just as cute in Cambodia as they are in Japan, China, and Viet Nam. Another first at this site was constant encounters with beggars. The sidewalks were packed with handicapped men and women, children trying to sell something or another, and mothers with babies begging for money to feed her child. It was especially difficult when you boarded the bus and were sitting at the windows and the beggars were still communicating to you outside the bus.

Post historical sites we were scheduled to go on a sunset boat cruise on the Mekong River. We were rewarded with a surprise trip to a fast food restaurant since the sun would not be setting for another hour and a half. Happy and full of chicken nuggets we made our way to the sunset boat cruise. The walkway next to the Mekong was packed with Cambodians enjoying their Sunday evenings, dancing, and playing games. In a way it reminded me of the Santa Monica Pier and sidewalk on the PCH. The boat was a two story riverboat and it was wonderful to just sit and enjoy the water and scenery. We were able to buy beer for one dollar and Jeff Pop, being the man he is, obviously bought beer for every kid on the boat. Go Dad. The boat took us to the other side of the river and we were able to see some of the river houses- small, broken down houses that when viewed together best resembled a slum. Contrastingly there were huge, well-kept houses in very close proximity to the river slums. The wealth disparity was so enormous on this random spot of the Mekong River in Cambodia it made me wonder what I would experience in India.

After our romantic, sunset river cruise, we visited Cambodia’s Hope Children Orphanage. This was the second orphanage I had ever visited and it contrasted greatly with the orphanage in China. Here the kids literally attacked us and led us by hand around the orphanage. I was accompanied by two young girls (one was six and one was eight). They showed me their room and the different levels of the orphanage. The orphanage in China consisted of many buildings and was very spread out- in a way it was a campus of its own. The Cambodian orphanage consisted of two main buildings that were each several stories tall. The middle courtyard was home to the basketball/soccer/volleyball area and playground. Once again I was unable to verbally communicate with the kids but it did not matter. We went on the swings, played hand games, group games, and I gave lots of piggy back rides. One of the stranger things for me was being in an orphanage with my own parents. I almost felt like I should call them Jeff and Belinda instead of Mom and Dad. Even though I’ve interacted with these children I still do not think I can fully grasp how hard their lives are and what they go through each day.

It was finally dinner time at a local Khmer restaurant. Each time I sat down at a table that had a preordered meal I always felt a little anxious- am I going to like the food, please let there be anything but seafood, etc. Luckily the Cambodian meal was delicious and I especially enjoyed this rice cake dish with a special peanut sauce. My parents were also pleasantly surprised and it was decided by the Pop fam that late night food would not be required. Jenny and I had been set on going to Nagaworld, the giant casino in Phnom Penh that is apparently illegal for Cambodian citizens to go to. Unfortunately by the time we were checked into the hotel I was exhausted and still had the slowly dying dream of a. staying up to watch USA – Canada gold medal ice hockey game at 3 AM and b. finding a place where I could watch said game. I obviously ended asleep in my bed.

We were on the bus by 7 AM the following morning and on our way to Choeung Ek which is best known site of the many Killing Fields. The Khmer Rouge regime was responsible for killing millions of people, tens of thousands of whom were killed at the site we were visiting. The victims were targeted because they were educated. The idea of going beyond the tree and destroying the roots was applied and all of the innocent children, spouses, and relatives were murdered as well. I had been to a Holocaust concentration camp in Germany before and had been inside a gas chamber and thought that was the worst thing I would ever see but the sight of these pits and the trees that children’s skulls were smashed against was just as gruesome. In addition to seeing the Killing Fields that still had human bones seeping out of the ground, we went to Tuol Sleng prison which was where many of the victims were held before being taken away to the Killing Fields. It was a very intense morning, though I did happen to find my Cambodian Flag!

Lunch was at this random restaurant in Phnom Penh near the giant market. My parents and I ate quickly and went to the market only to last there for about ten minutes. The market was an actual market with meat and produce. The whole thing was tented like a circus, very stuffy, and did not have anything that we wanted to purchase. We then made our way to a seven story shopping mall. The fourth floor was dedicated to electronics and there were numerous “DVD” stores. Every English DVD cost $1.50 and if you bought ten you earned the right to a free one. I went crazy. For a grand total of $48.50 my family now owned: Avatar, Invictus, True Blood (seasons 1 and 2- season 2 doesn’t come out in the US until June), the entire Sex and the City Series, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, the Blind Side, Slumdog Millionaire, Sherlock Holmes, 17 Again, etc, etc. It was INSANE. Luckily the majority of my DVDs seem to be working and I apparently I could have had the store test out each DVD I was buying before hand to make sure they worked. It’s kind of cool because the DVD cases are not in English. Post shopping adventure it was time to go to the airport to catch our flight to Siem Reap.