Cambodia Dos and Don'ts

I've been to Cambodia four times now and I am DEFINITELY not an expert but I feel like I've had enough experiences around Siem Reap to at least be knowledgeable enough to share some insight.  It is a very complex country but a fascinating one and there is a lot to learn even for those world travelers who think they've seen it all.

So take this advice  ... or not.  Part of the complexity of Cambodia is that everyone has a different opinion on what to see, how to behave and how to help.

DOs

• Buy a temple pass late in the afternoon (I believe the time is after 5pm).  You will be able to enter that evening for free and enjoy the pass on the subsequent days.  
• Getting up at dawn to see Angkor Wat is definitely worth the effort.  The crowd is a lot of fun and the people watching is just as entertaining as seeing the sun come up over the iconic building.  Get there early and rent a red chair.
• The only time to see the Bayon (the temple with the big heads) or Ta Prohm (the temple with the large trees) is either very early in the morning or last thing in the evening.  If you go during the other times, you will be swamped by large collections of Korean tourists who will take pictures of EVERYTHING.  
• Go see Preah Khan.  This is a huge overlooked temple that is one of my favorites.  If you go when it is raining, you will think that you've entered another world.  
• Buy a red wool "bracelet" from an old woman.  It will give you protection when you decide to climb up some of the steeper temples such as Ta Keo.  
• If it's your first time in Cambodia, hire a tour guide.  They will give you some insight into the fascinating history of the temples and also show you the best places to capture that great photo.  
• Drink from a fresh coconut.  Not only is it cheaper than a coke but it is much, much better for you if you're sweating your ... ahem, extremities off.  
• Go enjoy pub street.  Yes, I know, it isn't very "Cambodian" but it sure is a lot of fun and there are some good restaurants (Tigre de Papier, Molly Malone's, Grand Cafe, Khmer Kitchen, Picasso's--not all technically on pub street but close enough).  
• If you can find yourself a local to take you to a karaoke bar, it is well worth it.  These are private rooms and even bad singers can sound remarkably good.  You can have yourself a female escort for a couple of bucks an hour.  Leave with her and it will be more.  (Keep in mind, prostitution in Cambodia is illegal).  
• Go see Apsara dancing.  Intricate steady movements make this an interesting spectacle to watch.  There are a couple of free shows in town but I saw one combined with a buffet and it was a lot of fun.  
• Support the tuk-tuk drivers.  For $2 they will take you all over town.  For $10 to $15 you can have a private driver for the whole day.  
• If you want to take a picture of a monk with their very photogenic orange robes, ask them first.  They are just like regular people and will enjoy practicing their English.  
• Take your shoes off before you enter someone's home.  
• If you would like to help Cambodia, support the organizations that are well established and have a good record.  Here's one that you should help out:  The Savong Foundation.  I'm the CEO so perhaps I'm a little biased.  
• Take the side trips out to Banteay Srei (the incredible "women's temple"), Kbal Spean (with its carved river beds) and especially the sacred mountain of Phnom Kulen (the big waterfall is amazing!).
• Check your money for any rips or tears.  In Cambodia, the main currency is American dollars and they won't take a damaged bill.  No one has ever explained to me why this is so.     
• Buy yourself a local phone for about $20.  You can call your favorite tuk tuk driver to pick you up wherever you are.  

DON'Ts; 

• Don't buy trinkets from the children.  Don't even give them money.  You're just turning them into beggars and giving their parent(s) an excuse for the children NOT to go to school. 
• If a Cambodian shows up unexpectedly while you're trampling around a temple and offers some "tour guide" information, politely decline his company or else he will expect a tip when he decides he has spent enough time with you.  If a policeman does the same thing, don't be shocked; they hardly make any money and kind tourists are a good source of income.  
• Don't drink the damn tap water.  Or even brush your teeth in it unless you like EBD (explosive butt disease).  
• Don't play with the stray dogs.  They may look cute but they can also bite unexpectedly and I'll bet you a couple thousand Riel that they aren't vaccinated against rabies.  The same goes for monkeys who can harbour even more dangerous diseases.  
• Don't be rude to the vendors who are walking around trying to sell you a scarf or a carving.  They are trying to make a living and won't appreciate being barked at like a dog.  
• Don't go visit an "orphanage" just to see smiling kids and take pictures of them.  If you want to help, make sure the orphan center is legit (keep in mind that even the legit orphan centers don't always have orphans.  Many of them have parents.) and donate money directly to the organization in charge. 
• Don't let the poverty get you down.  Cambodia is a developing country and needs a lot of help but things are slowly changing for the better.   
• Don't expect that Cambodians do things the way we do.  They don't.  (This has been the hardest lesson for me to learn.)

So that's it.  I'm sure I'll think of more but I've got to go eat.  

Trip to Phnom Kulen

I've been back from Cambodia for about a week and I'm still in recovery mode.

My sleep schedule is off.  I haven't done any of my laundry.  And paying more than $10 for a dinner just seems unreasonable. 

But it's time to get a grip.  Get back in the daily routine.  Put those dirty clothes in the washer ...

Oh hell, I can do all that later.  It's my day off and I want to post some pictures of our incredible trip to Phnom Kulen. 

Phnom Kulen is the most sacred mountain in Cambodia.  It is there that Jayavarman II proclaimed himself a god king and started the Khmer dynasty.  It takes about an hour  or so to get there from Siem Reap and although the road is mostly paved, it can be quite a bumpy ride.  The main attraction is the giant waterfall although some would argue that the massive reclining Buddha is the most important reason for Cambodians to make the trip. 

We took about 25 kids from the orphanage.  With the adults, it made for quite a tight squeeze into two cars but we did it.   Everyone have seatbelts?  Sure, officer ...

After the long drive, the first stop was the bathroom.  In Cambodia, don't expect luxury.  Most of the time, you just get four walls and a hole.  No toilet paper?  No problem.  There's usually a hose. 

Here were the "facilities".  At least there was good ventilation. 

At Phnom Kulen, it is customary to buy a stack of riel (the Cambodian money) and hand out the small bills to the beggars who line the stairways.  There were children and elderly and handicapped. 

Then we made the uphill pilgrimage to the reclining Buddha.

And when we got to the top, there he was--a really big Buddha who had a very serene look on his face.  The Cambodians touched him and took their pictures and made offerings.   

  

And then it was off to the waterfall and it was a doozy.  We were coming off the rainy season so the water pounded down.  It was an incredible sight.  

Phnom Kulen is a beautiful place and if you're tired of the temple trampling, then you should make the trip.  It won't be cheap by Cambodian standards (a car, guide and entrance fees may cost over $100) but it'll be worth it. 

We played for hours; swimming, splashing, posing for pictures and generally goofing around.

I was a little worried about the little ones.  There were several times when I rescued them from flowing waters but at the end of the day, there weren't any of the casualties that I feared.  These kids were remarkably tough and even when they slipped on the rocks, there weren't any tears. 

This picture cracks me up.  We have muscle guy on one end and naked baby at the other.   

Everyone is happy showing off their stuff.  Yahoo! 

I'm the white guy.  And there's naked baby again posing on a damn pole! 

This is my buddy, Sehn otherwise known as monkey #1.  Nicest guy.  Hard to believe he is 16. 

For some odd reason, I got stuck with naked baby at one point.  He didn't really like me and was squirming to find his mother.  We were BOTH trying to find his mother.  I have no parenting skills.  Didn't she know that? 

And then it was lunch.  The adults brough along a couple of uncooked chickens, vegetables, rice and lots of cold drinks. 

Cambodians eat a lot of fish so the chicken was a special treat. 

I call it massacred chicken because the meat isn't carved; it's butchered.  I suppose they do it this way because there isn't a lot of meat and it's just easier.  Makes for more difficult eating though.  Watch them bones!   

And nothing is wasted.  Even the chicken feet. 

Chicken feet are a little rubbery but apparently still edible. 

Phnom Kulen was really an amazing trip, probably the highlight of my latest trip to Cambodia. 

But it wasn't necessarily the place, it was the people.  Cambodians are the friendliest people , kindest, most sincere people that I know and I can't wait to go back to see them.

Waking up in Cambodia

This morning I woke up in Cambodia. 

The first thing I heard was the squeaking nose from a junk collector roaming the streets.  She squeezes a little toy which makes a noise, presumably to tell people that she's there and she wants your junk.  I found out later today that a junk collector makes about $1.50 per day.  Although that is low, many people here make less than $50 per month. 

Waking up in Siem Reap, which is in the northern part of Cambodia, is like taking a cold shower and listening to rock music at full volume.  There is sensory overload and initially, it's all a little difficult to take in.  There are lots of people, lots of motorbikes, stray dogs roam the streets, nothing looks familiar and there just doesn't seem to be any order.  About anything. It's third world chaos but this is my third time here so I didn't expect anything less. 

I've already been here for two days.  TWO DAYS.  I feel like I have already settled in.  I don't mind the beggars anymore, I don't mind it when I get asked for a tuk-tuk ride every five minutes, I don't mind the noise, the pollution and the blank stares when I speak too quickly.  I love the people, the food and the feeling of being in an exotic land.  Time is passing far too quickly but here is what I've done so far ...

The first day was spent walking around.  Getting a feel for the place.  We went to the market and bought some t-shirts.  I also bought an Omega watch for $29.  The Rolex was the same price but I decided to go for the better-looking Omega.  I have my doubts that it will work in a week (or less) but the vendor was very sweet and somehow I felt like I couldn't disappoint her and pass on the sale.  Eddie was suffering after the long plane ride so we decided to get massages.  I paid $26 for an hour, which is quite expensive in this country but the amenities were excellent and the masseuse was very professional.  My friend, Savong, said that he knows where I could get a great massage for $3.  This is something I will consider.

We had lunch at the Red Piano.  The claim to fame for this restaurant is Angelina Jolie who apparently dined here during the filming of Tomb Raider and had a cocktail named after her.  The food is very cheap, very good and we got a great view of the chaotic street below from the upstairs patio. 

In the evening, we were invited to have dinner at the Seven Candles Guesthouse where we were staying.  This is the second time that we have stayed at the Seven Candles and there are some very good reasons why; the family who owns the guesthouse is absolutely incredible and it only costs $20 a night.  There is no better hospitality for that price.  When I stay at the Seven Candles, I feel like I am staying with my own family and they all remembered us from the last visit.  Welcome home.  They are that nice. 

The dinner was great.  We dined on spring rolls and Amok, which is a Cambodian fish curry.  For dessert, we ate some weird hairy fruit that had a gelatinous center.  Everything was perfect, from the cool evening air, to the conversations with the other guests to the delicious food.  And the price?  $5.  These are the reasons why I come back here. 

And today nearly killed me. 

We went to the orphanage very early because we had planned to take all the children to Phnom Kulen, which is the sacred mountain where one of the Cambodian leaders (can't remember who) proclaimed himself a god-king a couple of centuries ago.  We stuffed about twenty kids into two SUVs.  In our car alone, there were 14 people, including three very young children who were either asleep, crying or climbing all over the car.  And I mean it when I say they were climbing ALL over the car.  The trip took about an hour.  When we got there, Savong took Eddie and I up to see the famous reclining Buddha and we deposited lotus flowers and incense at a shrine.  Then it was off to the waterfalls. 

There is no way that they would allow children of these ages anywhere near these waterfalls.  The water was downright treacherous and if the water wasn't passable, then they had flimsy narrow boards to help you cross.  All I could think about was one of the kids (some of whom were only 3 or 4 years old) either getting washed away and drowning in the sacred waters or else breaking a leg and requiring surgery in a provincial hospital (That's scary.  You just have to take my word for it).  The kids threw caution to the wind and leaped over big wet rocks and played in the swirling pools.  Of course, they jumped on me, splashed me, wanted me to carry them across the really dangerous parts and generally threatened my life with their antics as well as theirs.  For lunch, we had a huge feast consisting of hacked up chickens, fried livers, rice, dried bananas and plenty of soda.  And then there was more swimming, more photo taking and more taunting fate by scrambling over big wet boulders.  The ride home was uneventful but slow.  Quite a few people were trying to sleep but the road was so rough that anyone who did fall asleep ran the risk of whacking their head on the window while the driver slipped into a pothole. 

And now it's now.  It's warm outside but comfortable.  I'm dang hungry and look forward to going to one of the better restaurants in town which is just down the street.  I didn't sleep very well last night but I'm wide awake.  I wish I didn't have to sleep. 

Tomorrow, we teach English at the orphanage.  This could be interesting.  The kids love to play with us but listening to us in a classroom could be a whole other ballgame.  Savong told us to be ready for 8am.  He didn't give us any other choice.

And so, for now, I'll sign off.

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I've got Cambodia on my mind

Yes, I have decided to do it twice in one year. 

No, I'm not talking about balancing my checkbook.  I'm talking about taking another trip to Cambodia! 

I leave this Sunday on the red eye.  Technically speaking, I'm doing two red eyes back-to-back because I leave on Sunday night and I arrive on Tuesday night.  This is one helluva long trip and I'm not looking forward to it but at least Korean Airlines has a good in-flight entertainment service.  And their flight attendants are very attractive and helpful.  Those are definite pluses when you are cramped into a stiff chair for a gazillion hours. 

On the agenda:  

The main reason for my travel is to meet with Savong to discuss the recent birth of The Savong Foundation.  This is a non-profit organization (with the 501c3 status pending) that will benefit the Savong School, the Savong Orphan Center and the surrounding community of the Bakong district of northern Cambodia.  We will discuss the various projects and see what directions we wish them to take.  The push right now is to come up with ways to make money for the Foundation so that it can accomplish everything that we dream about.  I am very excited to be a part of this charity and you can keep an eye on the updates on The Savong Foundation facebook page. 

Besides the business stuff, I'll spend a lot of time with kids at the orphan center and hopefully I'll get a chance to see what's happening at the school.  I'm sure that I'll be exploring the temples that I didn't get to see last time and for the first time, I hope to travel to Phnom Kulen which is the sacred Cambodian mountain known for its waterfalls.  

I will be staying at the Seven Candles Guesthouse which is the best accommodation I know for $20 a night.  I am very excited to see Ponheary Ly again who is the Big Mama of the house and was recently awarded the title of a CNN hero for her work with schoolchildren.  The guesthouse is very centrally located and you really do feel as if you are part of the big family when you're there.  I highly recommend it if you ever decide to take the trip to Siem Reap. 

And of course, I'll try to see sunrise at Angkor Wat.  And I'll visit the markets.  And I'll walk down Pub Street in Siem Reap and hope to see a show at the Temple Bar this time around.  I may even try a fish foot massage for $3 which includes a coke or a beer.   Yes, I am a tourist at heart and I love to take pictures. 

This is a good time to visit Cambodia for the weather; it will be cooler with less (wishful thinking here) rain.  The weather has GOT to be better than it was in April which felt like I was running through hell wearing a fur coat.  If it does rain, it doesn't tend to last and scrubs everything clean (including the sweat-soaked tourists). 

It's a little tricky to post updates due to the exhaustion factor (I tend to go until I drop when I'm on vacation) but I'll do my best at letting you know that I'm still alive. 

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