Cambodia: The Kingdom of Wonder

After thrilling voyages to Vietnam and Thailand, Cambodia was next on our summer tour. We had heard amazing things about Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world at 401 acres, and had daydreamed of seeing it all year. Prior to arriving, I had perused travel blogs in search of information regarding Siem Reap, the town adjacent to the monument, and had only found rather discouraging reviews with a somewhat morose depiction of the area outside of Angkor Wat. To our delight, Siem Reap was much more than what we expected, far cooler than the reviewers had let on. And in the end, I was shocked to learn something I read on the internet wasn't true! ;)

Our first full day in Cambodia brought us here to Angkor Wat, about a 20 minute tuk-tuk ride from Siem Reap. 

Built in the 12th century, Angkor Wat was originally a Hindu temple likely dedicated to a King Suryavarman II for funeral purposes.

Sometime in the 16th century, the temple slowly transcended into a Buddhist temple. Monks have tended to it for centuries since.

The temple is a symbol of the universe, the center tower of the monument a representation of a Mount Meru. This mythical peak is said to exist in the very center of the known universe. 

The Angkor Wat temple is a national symbol of Cambodia appearing on its flag and on several cans of beer I enjoyed.

A French explorer, Mouhot, wrote of the temples in the 19th century. He mistakenly placed the date of its construction around the time of Rome. Penelope, our two-year-old, on the other hand, more accurately identified the architecture as clear craftmanship of the 12th century. 

Angkor Wat reaches nearly 700 feet tall or 100 Shaquille O' Neals.

The name Angkor Wat means "Temple City," a fitting testament to its vastness. 

The temple was constructed primarily of sandstone, some 6 to 10 million blocks of it weighing over a ton each.

Andrea and I took turns climbing up a very steep staircase to the top part of the monument. The detailed work inside the complex was truly impressive. I was also impressed by how fast we climbed up the stairs. I'm not sure if the other visitors realized I was racing them. 

Nearly every wall, pillar and ceiling is carved with some exquisite design. These are called "apsaras," celestial dancers. 

Over the centuries, pilgrims have come to the temple and have payed homage to Buddha by adding new elements to the complex.

Just another day in the life exploring an ancient temple. 

 

This became a UNESCO World Heritage site in the early 1990's. Since then, the number of tourists per year have sky rocketed from mere thousands to millions. 

It costs about $40 USD for a 3-day pass and $20 for a single day to visit Angkor Wat. If you are visiting with kids, the 3-day pass is nice as it adds flexibility to your schedule. If you are a single traveler, one day is really enough to take it in before you get "templed out."

Dre chillin with some celestial dancers.

We toured the massive layout of temples on a tuk-tuk. Even the bridges we crossed were sights to behold.

After a long day of sight-seeing in Cambodia, I drink a "Cambodia".

Penelope making some new friends.

Buddies!

If you are a single traveler, I imagine it would be great fun to rent a moped and drive yourself around the site. There were several temples some 20 to 40 kilometers away that would have been fun to ride to. Though, for families, the tuk-tuk was perfect!

Pea is always happy to find the Buddha, or did the Buddha find her?

My girls at Angkor Thom, the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire.

The most famous and mesmerizing monument at Angkor Thom is the Bayon Temple.

No one is quite sure precisely who the faces represent, but many speculate them to be representative of Jayavarman, the former king of the Khmer.

A true feast for the soul.

Coconut popsicles were a welcome treat from the heat.

Some locals performing traditional dance. 

I see these macaques all over Asia. And so, I did some research and it turns out they are the most widespread primate on earth besides humans. 

Trippy lamps.

This is the restaurant/bar Angelina Jolie frequented while filming the Tomb Raider series.

We enjoyed Lara Croft's favorite drink, the "Tomb Raider". 

I attempted to drink 500 of these drinks for the free T-Shirt. I thought it would make Angelina Jolie proud of me. Why won't she love me?!!?

The Red Piano also has one of the better burgers I've had in Asia. I'm used to burgers now that either taste like meatloaf or give you raging diarrhea or both. This Red Piano burger tasted like a burger and allotted me well-rounded, solid logs of poop. Bravo!

Pub Street seemed to be a party district, but we enjoyed the care-free atmosphere, music and festivities prominent throughout the windy roads. There are some elements of poverty and cruel reality buried beneath the deceptively pleasant facade of tourism. You see it and hear it, but it blends into the scene along with everything else. Indeed, all that is human is fully represented here... and certainly the dichotomous reality of socioeconomic oppression, though here it is mostly those who have not.

We all scream for ice cream!

The face you make when you run out of ice cream.

Spiders for sale!

Then I ate a spider...it was one of the worst tasting things I have ever tried. I spat it out, apologized for my crass behavior, and thanked the man for the cultural experience. 

Penelope enjoyed the night market, and the lively atmosphere Siem Reap offers its visitors.

There were some rainstorms during our visit to Siem Reap, but we enjoyed some time inside for relaxing agendas like pedicures and massage. 

Pea couldn't decide on one color. 

My girls. 

On one rainy day, we opted to stick around town and explore the markets. Along our way, we found some local children doing backflips off a bridge into the river. 

Round two!

One of the major and unexpected highlights of our trip to Cambodia was seeing the Phare Circus. This program gives impoverished youths a chance at a better life, with greater opportunities for education and employment. 

In Penelope's 2 years of life, she has almost never sat still for more than a few minutes. She watched one hour of the Phare Circus straight without moving. Pea was completely mesmerized. 

The performances and performers vary each week, but all center around Cambodian folk tales, or historical events. The performance we watched depicted the Khmer Rouge, a very sad and fairly recent event in their history, where a highly skilled and murderous group of Guerilla fighters trained in Vietnam stormed through the country systematically killing off the educated, middle class population, ultimately creating mayhem and destruction in its wake. 

At the end of the show, we were able to meet the performers. They were very kind and humble.

Along our travels, we were told to avoid purchasing goods from children. This only encourages the locals to avoid schooling, a prominent issue since the Khmer Rouge wiped out the most educated sector of Cambodia's population.

On our second day of exploring temples, we went to Ta Prohm, another major highlight of our trip. With  long, winding roots of silk-cotton trees plunging deep within the walls of the temple, exploring this ancient site was almost like living a scene out of Indiana Jones. 

I read mixed interpretations of what exactly these trees were, but most people agree they are silk-cotton.

Tomb Raider was filmed here at Ta Prohm. Now it is known as the "Tomb Raider Temple". I renamed it again the "Daniel Temple," but the name never caught on. 

Inscriptions within the temple speak of some 80,000 workers that helped build it in 1186AD.

This Buddhist temple was originally built for the mother of King Jayavarman VII. I occasionally buy flowers for my mom, but have yet to build her a temple. But don't worry, I'm working on it. You'll have a temple ma, mark my words!

The tree made famous in "Tomb Raider." Somehow snubbed by the Oscars for best tree in a movie. 

Unfortunately, Ta Prohm has experienced numerous thefts over the years. Looters have taken many sacred stone inscriptions.

The ladies.

Getting back to our roots...of the tree.

Hidden among the temples, you will occasionally run into a child peddling various toys or knick-knacks. This daily task replaces any schooling for the child, a young life sadly buried along with the ruins.

Penelope, this kid has seen some cool stuff.

Dan the Man navigating the 39 towers of Ta Prohm.

All terrain stroller, THE BOB!

We ended up wandering in circles in an effort to leave Ta Prohm. We didn't realize quite how big the structure really was. Strangely enough, there were very similar musicians on both sides of the temple, as well as nearly identical vendors. It made for confusing times, but we eventually located our tuk-tuk driver. 

Nothing could "ruin" Pea's good time. 

The entrance to the temple, Ta Keo, dedicated to Shiva, and built around 968AD. 

Even the insects in Cambodia are neat looking.

The Hindu temple, Ta Keo, featured many steep, and someone sketchy stairs to navigate with a two year old. We decided to keep Pea behind and take turns getting to the top. 

Ta Keo features green sandstone, and apparently was never completed. Historians speculate that lightning struck the temple and efforts to finish the work halted thereafter. 

Pea consistently made new friends each time we stopped for lunch.

Sharing some snacks, giving some love.

Here is Pea navigating herself through Angkor Thom, headed for the Terrace of the Elephants.

The wide open spaces were a blessing after spending most of our year in somewhat cramped metropolises. 

The Terrace of the Elephants features 300 meters of sculptured terraces, built in the early 13th century.

From on top of the terrace, you can see a giant courtyard that ancient Khmer likely utilized for parades, concerts and religious ceremonies. 

We weren't ready to go quite yet though. We had one last order of business, the mandatory "12's" shot in front of Angkor Wat. 

Seahawks fans in Asia. 

Contrary to what some may think, I was calculating wind speed and direction. I do that from time to time.

After an amazing day sight-seeing, Pea and I enjoyed a nice dip in the pool where I attempted to correct her counting skills. At this point, she skipped 4 and went straight to 5. "1-2-3-5." After an hour straight of repeating numbers, Pea then counted "1-2-3-5-4." Close enough. 

The next day, we boarded our tuk-tuk and headed for Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. 

They had just experienced dry season, so the water was lower than usual. After rainy season, the lake swells to 10,000 sq kilometers of area. 

We rented a boat for the day and navigated the rivers to see a floating village. 

The drivers were kind enough to let Pea and I drive as well. 

I found my second calling, river boat captain.

The Tonle Sap fishing industry accounts for a large part of the Cambodian economy. Half of the fish consumed in Cambodia come from this lake. I consumed the other half. That doesn't make sense, or perhaps it makes too much sense?

The water soon became too shallow for our large riverboat, so we hopped aboard a smaller boat to guide us through the floating village. 

When travelling in Southeast Asia, you pretty much live without the luxuries of seatbelts and life vests. But don't worry, Mom, I do carry an umbrella and I religiously wear natural sunblock and bug repellent. So we are safe to a degree. But really, what is safety? It's all a matter of perspective really.

There are over 300 species of fish, several types of turtles, and one type of crocodile found within Tonle Sap...and 1 type of Penelope. 

After about a 20 minute boat ride, we had made it to Chong Khneas, the floating village. 

While winding our way through the village, we observed a town in action. From fishermen to gardeners to cooks and welders, Chong Khneas was bustling with activity.

Many people paused and smiled at us, but it was clear their activities served a purpose and were not just for the benefit of tourists.

More than 3 million people live along or within the banks of the Tonle Sap, most of which earn their living fishing or tending crops. 

This woman was trading food items. I inquired about hamburgers and Doritos, but she sadly had just run out.

We saw many large families living on meager dwellings, but all were very kind and seemed very happy.

Pea rarely lets anyone hold her, but she befriended our Tuk-Tuk driver, who was very kind to us during our week's stay. 

One of the more interesting destinations at Chong Khneas was an alligator farm/snack shop.

The alligators were difficult to capture on film, but I did get a good shot of this snake. 

Another amazing day. After each successful stop along our long, strange trip, Andrea and I would cheers to "winning!" We truly felt lucky. 

The Tonle Sap is so expansive, it almost seems like an ocean. However, the depth of the lake is only several meters. 

After so much travel, moments like these became mandatory. 

We really enjoyed meeting these welcoming and quite humorous gentlemen. They claimed their names were "Rambo" and "John Wayne." In retrospect, I don't believe they ever gave us their actual names.

One last shot of Rambo, sailing off into the sunset. 

After another fun-filled day, Andrea decided to stop at a Hammock Bar inbetween Tonle Sap and Siem Reap. 

Besides a few locals, we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

Overlooking a vast expanse of farmlands, the weary Tices enjoyed this break immensely.

During our travels, Penelope watched us take so many pictures, she decided to pretend she also had an ipad.

Had this been an actual iPad, I'm sure this would have been a great picture, Penelope.

"To winning!" 

The ride through rural Cambodia was very pleasant. After an incredible week in Siem Reap, we boarded a bus for a four hour ride to Battambang. 

Along our voyage, we stopped to Facetime with our moms in the USA. They apparently were enjoying a bottle of wine called "Bitch" together. We all got a good laugh out of this. We truly miss these wonderful women!

Battambang, the 2nd largest city in Cambodia, has the look and feel of a small town with dirt roads and a fairly sparse population. The city, once part of the Khmer Empire, eventually became part of the Kingdom of Siam, but later fell to the French during their occupancy of Southeast Asia. The town still has many French colonial buildings intact. 

Unfortunately for me, I contracted strep throat upon arriving to Battambang. However, I read online that a steady diet of raw garlic, raw honey and apple cider vinegar could kill the bacteria instantly. It worked! About 24 hours later, I was cured and was able to continue traveling. Andrea and Pea had a nice day together though the day I slept away. 

Battambang has a very artsy feel to it. 

The Khmer Empire founded Battambang in the 11th century, where it became a major rice producer. The area still has a reputation as the leading rice producer in Cambodia. 

One of many temples you pass by while strolling the streets of Battambang. 

The Buddhist monks in Cambodia seemed to avoid eye contact or speak to Andrea. 

We later learned that many of the monks have taken vows of silence or vows to not make contact with women to avoid indulging in any form of sensual pleasure.

Wasn't Pea's cup of tea, literally and figuratively. 

Pea enjoyed joining the local children for some fun and games at the park.

After rebounding from strep throat, I was once again ready for adventure. On our last day in Battambang, we hopped aboard a bamboo train for an hour long ride through the wilderness. 

These bumpy and often misaligned tracks were left from colonial days. The bamboo platform was about 3 meters squared and in Khmer, was known as a "norry".  

It's a one-way track, so if another norry is headed your way, you have to disassemble your train and hop off the tracks. Once they pass, you put it back together and get back on. 

We enjoyed cruising down the tracks at probably about 30-40 KM per hour. 

The Bamboo train stops at a station where you can purchase refreshments and touristy knick-knacks. Once again, a large group of children came touting various bracelets and toys. It is sad to see how academia has taken a backseat since the Khmer Rouge killed off Cambodia's most educated population. This was a frustrating and sad reality consistently shared by many of our hosts.

Overall, it was a fun ride. If ever in Battambang, the Bamboo Train is a must. 

Just outside of the city, there is this very large and interesting looking statue. This is Ta Dambong and the stick he holds is called the Bat Dambang. He is known as the "Guardian of the City," and is why Battambang is named what it is named. There is an interesting legend regarding Ta Dambong if you wish to learn more: http://battambangbuzz.blogspot.co.id/2011/05/city-of-lost-stick-battambang-cambodia.html

Pea found the "Laughing Buddha," Budai, in our hotel. Pea celebrates everything Buddha!

Here's Pea gearing up for the next bus for a six hour ride to Phnom Penh, the nation's capital. 

My girls finding a way to get comfortable in a cramped bus. 

Again, I felt like internet articles we read before coming gave us a minterpretation of Cambodia. I read online that Phnom Penh was dangerous and that any visitors would inevitably experience theft of some kind. Although three days in a city is hardly enough time to offer an unbiased opinion, we found the city to be quite nice and the people there equally so. The only theft we experienced on our entire trip was back in Angkor Wat where someone stole Pea's diaper bag. They made off with some diapers and rash cream, but it was hardly a worrisome event as it was essentially our own fault for leaving the bag unguarded. 

In 1372, legends tell of a woman named "Daun Penh" who fished a tree out of Tonle Sap and discovered several Buddha statues and a shrine to Vishnu. As this discovery was considered an omen, the Khmer capital was subsequently moved from Angkor to the newly named Phnom Penh.

For various reasons, the capital was abandoned for several hundred years until the French came in and started building it back up. For a time, it was known as the "Pearl of Asia". Then a man named Norodom Sihanouk, the King of Cambodia, helped fight for independence from the French in 1953. He left Cambodia after some political upheaval in the 1970's. The Khmer Rouge then came to power and reinstated him in a position of power. However, he strongly disagreed with their oppressive and destructive methods of leadership (systematically murdering hundreds of thousands of Cambodians) and he was held under house arrest for many years. After the Khmer Rouge was defeated, he again rose to leadership and once again became King of Cambodia in the 1990's, well into the 2000's. On a side note, we went to a "Killing Fields" memorial from the era of the Khmer Rouge, but it was too gruesome to share pictures of it. We do recommend visiting the Killing Fields, however, as it is an essential site in understanding Cambodia today. 

Pea and Andrea in front of the Royal Palace of Phnom Penh, walking distance from our hotel. The Royal Palace was established in 1866.

This is a pagoda on the other side of the palace.

This is the National Museum of Cambodia, the largest in the country, established in 1920.

There were some 14,000 items of Khmer history and art on display, but for Pea, feeding the fish was the major highlight. 

We wandered around the city for a full day, taking in the large open parks, and beautiful architecture. This city has a lot of character, interesting shops featuring various and unique collections, food stalls, statuettes, graffiti, temples, parks, birds, pizzas and 50 cent beers on tap. 

Call of the bird woman.

On top of our hotel was a sky pool, featuring a very nice backdrop of the city. 

Penelope posing with Marilyn. 

After several weeks in Cambodia, we were on our way back to Jakarta. Cambodia was amazing, but because of monsoon season, we were unable to visit their famous beaches and islands. Apparently, weatherwise, the best time to visit is between December and April. Looks like we will have to return!

Home, sweet home. However, when we arrived to Jakarta, we were catching the tail end of Ramadan in mid July. It was odd to see so little traffic! Tidak macet???! After several days in Jakarta, with stores closed, and few souls to see, we decided one more adventure was in store for our summer....onto Lombok and Gili!