Phabulous Phnom Penh

Arrival and Orientation
As soon as we landed in Cambodia we could tell it was a very different place. The airport was decorated with golden statues and moldings of Khmer and Buddhist motifs. It was more directed at tourists than HCMC and it smelled different. We quickly got our bags and visas with minimal calamity and headed outside. First of all, Cambodians are dark and look more Thai. Second of all, there were people hawking at us from all directions “take this tuk tuk” “take that bus” – a little bit more pushy, like in Thailand. Andrew had a driver waiting for us, so we hoped in the bus and headed to our guesthouse.

I had heard a mix of good and bad things about Cambodia and I was not sure what to expect. Some said the people were warm, others said that they seemed like their “souls were lost.” All travelers know that Cambodia has a bloody history, but few people can explain it to you clearly. I was expecting it to be like Thailand – and in some ways its was – wide streets, lots of wats and heavy curries. But it was different too, less traffic, different regulations and a different approach to tourists. We saw many different sides of Cambodia throughout our two weeks there, but all I could really say whe I left the airort on that first day was that I would find it different from what anyone could have told me.

The Golden Bridge Guesthouse (next to several other guesthouses of similar names) was pretty nice. No windows, but free laundry. We went for Khmer/Thai food for lunch – it was delicious but enormously filling – we tried local specialties including laab a spicy meat salad, fisk amok – a curried fish dish, and curries. It was such a change from Vietnamese food!

We were pretty exhausted and we had a presentation to perform for the Royal University of Phnom Penh Environmental Studies class, so we were pretty low-key all afternoon, wandering the area, preparing for our presentation, receiving an “orientation talk” from Andrew (go out in groups, lots of pickpockets), and used the internet at various cafes. Facebook worked – exciting!! Dinner was the longest ever, they freshly made all the Indian food we ordered. Talked to a kid selling books who we bought a $3 guide book off of (honestly don't ever buy a guide book in the US if you are going to south east asia – they are way cheaper and almost the same in country). He was a funny kid – also made you wonder about the status of these kids. He spoke English really well and his dad was on a motorbike outside but he was wearing tattered clothes and we saw him at all times of day so who knows if he goes to school. In Mongolia, they would chase these kids out of restaurants and such, but here people are free to wander in and out. Maybe its because in Mongolia things are in more distinct buildings because they have to keep out the cold, but in Cambodia and other SEA countries, buildings open onto the street so people are always wandering in and out.

Learning About Khmers

In the morning we went to a symposium of sorts at the Royal University Phnom Penh (RUPP). We learned about the Tonle Sap, the bounty and threats to the fisheries, sustainability and hydrology from Cambodia researchers (mostly affiliated with the University). We also had the chance to present to the 40 or so Cambodian students and the researchers about the Mekong Delta. Though we all worked on it, only Mairin, Kyle and I presented. It was a good overview and the presentation came out pretty well even though we did it on short notice. Afterwards, the Cambodian students (with pretty great English skills) asked some really interesting and insightful questions about improving the sustainability of the Mekong Delta and its environs. So it was pretty awesome to get to talk.

Lunch was an integrated affair. We sat at the school cafeteria and had amok, fried fish and Vietnamese-style vegetable soup. It was pretty good. In Cambodia (like Thailand) they eat with a fork and spoon. Took us all a while to re-learn how it use a fork. There re 40 students in the Environmental Studies program, and only 8 of them were male (seems similar to American ratios, I think). Many were in the program because they had received scholarships in the field or they had a deep love for the environment. The students wore white and blue uniforms, and still stylish though not as ostentatious as the Vietnamese as a whole. Over lunch, we talked about the difficulty of the Khmer language (36 constants, 44 vowels and 3 types of using your mouth) and the beauty of its alphabet. We were all really interested in each other’s culture and what was the same, what was different and how we like to spend our time. It is really great to hang out with students because it really gives you an on-the ground perspective of what your contemporaries are doing in foreign countries. I had so much fun at lunch!

After lunch we went to visit tuol sleng- the infamous prison of the Khmer Rouge. It was pretty intense. Though I have been exposed to lots of Holocaust memorabilia and exhibits, this was altogether a different experience for me. First, it is much more recent and much more close (I was in Cambodia and I have never been to Eastern Europe or Germany). Second, it is not my people which changes the perspective on it. I grew up knowing about the Holocaust, I am the last of a generation who are able to talk to survivors (though I never really know what to say to them about their experiences). This was new and unfamiliar and though it happened during my lifetime, I knew very little about it until I arrived at the museum.

The museum walks you through the torture rooms, the holding cells and the burial grounds of some prisoners. Though the English is pretty thorough, it was hard to get the entire story and convoluted timeline (to determine who was killing who and when). In the reign of the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, millions of people were killed and many starved to death in the ensuing chaos. A good place to read more about this is HERE The most moving part of the museum was not the 3 x 4 x 6 cells, nor the torture devices, but rather the photographs of men and women young (like 7 or 8) and old (up to 60 or above I would say) of people who went through this prison. Some were resigned, some were fearful, others were defiant. Some looked beyond the camera, seeing something of the past or the future, others seemed completely ignorant of the fate that lay before them. When the prison was liberated, only 23 o so people were found alive and only 7 bodies were found, This is out of the 10,000 or so people who passed through the prison in a ten year period.

For dinner, we explored the waterfront and tried to find the night market. We found a large wat instead and had a good time exploring the riverfront area. It is nice that here the city is not completely quiet at ten pm and that we could easily hail a tuk tuk home.

The next morning we visited a Cambodian NGO and learned about the issues and pros and cons of centralized hydropower in Cambodia. The amount that Cambodia relies on its water ways is incredible. Actually, Cambodia means that kingdom of water, something that is evident in the wet season, but not this drought of a dry season. The country is clearly looking for investment and expansion to catch up with its powerhouse neighbors, Thailand and Vietnam, but the government and big business seem (on a whole) to have very little interest in the regular people. However, it is not all corruption and bad news, it is just that there are many considerations to be made, especially on something so crucial such as the Mekong River, and that often (and this is true for all countries on the river) critical social and environmental issues are not considered.

We are lunch at an expat owned café – so many expats in PP – its crazy! Lots of internet access everywhere and comfort western food available. I went to a supermarket to buy snacks, I was soo overwhelmed. Poptarts, cptn crunch, Doritos, food I had not seen in ages! Lots of foreigners shopping there and I even saw the Chabad rabbi. It was soo exciting. After lunch we were off, on an 8 hour drive to Stung Treng to get to know the Mekong River even better!!!