Cambodia – Final thoughts
Thursday, July 6th, 2006And so it came to pass that I should leave Cambodia, after a whirlwind month in every corner of the country. It actually doesn’t feel like I’ve spent a month here, despite it being much, much smaller than some of my old haunts like India and China.
So – what to say about a country that has been through what can only be described as hell on earth, and still somehow managed to come out the other side with dignity and smiles? I can’t think of anything that won’t sound patronising, so I’ll simply state my admiration for the lovely, lovely Khmer people. They are delighted to welcome visitors to the country, and proud to show it off – and rightly so; it’s a country rich with treasures.
I’ve had several lows and many highs during my month here. My stupid self-inflicted injury actually scuppered a few plans, and shook my confidence about getting on a bike again for a while. I realise now that this meant I didn’t get the best out of places like Battambang – apparently, the best way to see it is to get out on a motorbike into the countryside. Still, I did what I had to do at the time to keep sane with a gammy leg, miles from the nearest decent medical care. So, no regrets on that front.
Another low – but only because it could never be classed as a high – was visiting the old Khmer Rouge Killing Fields and S-21 Prison in Phnom Penh. The images haunt me to this day, so I can only start to imagine what hellish nightmares the people who survived, and who lost loved ones, are living with even now. It’s made me so very determined to do my bit, to add my name to the list of those who will not sit in silence while such brutality remains in the world. After visiting the Landmine museum in Siem Reap, my determination was further strengthened. Despite the majority of countries signing a declaration to stop the use and production of landmines, several big hitters (to name and shame – the USA, China, Russia – I’m looking at you) still produce these vile, cowardly weapons to this day. Again, I’d urge you to please click the like on the right for the Aki Ra Landmine Museum, read a bit more background, see if there’s anything you can do.
But to dwell on the lows would be to do a major disservice to this fabulous country. In Angkor Wat, they have a stunning, truly mind blowing temple, which deservedly draws people from all over the globe. I’d add it to any list of things you absolutely must see before you shuffle off this mortal coil. And not just Angkor, but other temples nearby – Bayon, Ta Phrom – all beautiful and wonderfully unique. Phnom Penh is a great city to visit, as well. Mainly because it still feels very much a ‘real’ city, where people live and work and play and shop and eat. It’s not geared up for tourists much, but mainly for the inhabitants – which, of course, is exactly as it should be. Other highlights include fun at the seaside, the gorgeous old riverside town of Kampot – including Bokor Hill Station which I would make a mandatory second stop for everyone after Angkor – my trek on the elephant in the faux-Welsh countryside of Mondulkiri, and, my personal highlight, finding true nirvana in a bungalow in Kep.
Cambodia is so very underdeveloped compared to many other places, even in Asia – I think, infrastructrue wise, it’s closest to India (and possibly my continuing love affair with that country explains why I fell for Cambodia so) – but it surely can’t be long before the developers go to town. And it really has a choice – to give into the corruption that is sadly starting to show in the upper echelons of the government and throughout public figures; to become some kind of Costa Del Cambodia; or, to do the people and the places true justice, and to become an ancient yet modern and forward-thinking country that it has the potential to. And God, I hope it’s the last.
Suzanne