Such a Good Day

We caught the bus and the ride back to Phnom Penh was uneventful this time, thankfully.

Dismantling the bus, however, was eventful. There were so many tuk-tuk drivers and motorcycle taxi drivers clamouring for our business that they physically grabbed on to our arms and got in our face and were outrageously persistent. It was almost scary. Needless to say, we opted to walk. As a result, finding a guesthouse was challenging. This is when backpacking has it lows- when you’re toting around way too much cargo, and dragging a heavy briefcase to boot, trying to communicate with people that you are looking for a place to sleep. Of course, as we found some, they were full, others were trying to rip us off, and all we wanted was a place to crash.

But we found a hotel, after some frustration. We’re paying a little more than we’re used to ($5 each) but it’s much nicer than some of the places we’ve been holed up in.

Cambodia is tough at times. The poverty here is glaring, and the locals have no shame in begging, sending their children out in the heat to sell things, or worse, sending their children to beg. I always have a hard time in situations like these- I want to be giving, but I can’t possibly solve all of Cambodia’s problems by giving people money. Also, travel gurus such as Lonely Planet authors discourage giving begging children money, as it just rewards their parents for exploiting their children. Still, it’s sometimes uncomfortable walking around and getting so harassed. This is the first country I’ve encountered in Asia where the locals are so persistent with selling (they will enter a restaurant and ask you to buy things like books as you’re eating- I can’t possibly be weighed down with anything more!) and begging, and sometimes it's hard to resolve my role in society.

The other problem with this is that it generally cultivates a feeling of mistrust. I feel more guarded and suspicious and unsafe in general. Normally I enjoy fraternizing with the locals in whatever way we can given the language barriers, but here I find I’m automatically suspicious, and I hate feeling that way.

Anyway, on to better topics. Kevin and I had a great day today! Actually, on a sad note, poor Meaghan was bedridden all day- I guess it was her turn to catch the flu. Fortunately we are 2 nights in the same hotel (a rarity) so she had a bed to sleep in all day. Still, it’s not fun when you’re travelling and sick...

Anyway, Kevin and I rented a couple more Baja 250’s for the day! We wanted to go to the Killing Fields, and set off with a little map. It was only 15 km away and took us about 2 hours. We got lost. Trying to communicate where you want to go, an asking where you want to go, to locals who don’t speak English is almost impossible! Every time we pulled up to someone and talked, they would giggle and shake their heads and say, in rather perfect English, “I do not speak English.”

Once again I don’t think they locals are used to seeing white people tackle their crazy traffic, and especially a girl on a bike. The stares were unbelievable. At an intersection, surrounded by 50 bikes, all I saw were eyes staring. It’s unnerving! Kevin did comment that I stuck out like a sore thumb as I'm tall to begin with, and my bike seat was extra high as well. He said I was easy to spot a mile away, like a giraffe.

I know I’m probably going on too much about the traffic here, and I certainly don’t write about this to scare the parents back home. It just floors me every time. We realized today that the only way you could turn left on a busy street was to take a sharp left, so you are in the right lane, going AGAINST traffic. Then, as soon as you can, merge into the proper lane. Its nuts! We didn’t have helmets because they just don’t wear them here- the bike rental shops don't have them. I have to admit that when I handed my bike back in, both me and the machine intact, I heaved a sigh of relief. Maybe we’re crazy to drive in these streets, but it’s been a big part of my experience here.

We finally found the Killing Fields. The roads weren’t paved and it was a bumpy, dusty ride there. Some of the dust kicked up by passing cars was outrageous, and removed all visibility. We were completely filthy by the time we arrived! There were no signs marking directions to the monument either. We did find it, bumping along on our Bajas, having a blast, sweat pouring down our heads. It’s very hot here, but I would never dare complain.

The Killing Fields. Wow. The site that marks genocide where 18,000 people (between 1975-1978) were mass killed by the Communist regime Khmer Rouge. There was a temple full of skulls of the people who had died. It sounds gruesome, and it is, but it definitely makes you think a little more about the people that died. What were their personalities like? Occupations?


Other than the skulls, there were mostly signs explaining the genocide, as well as an aquarium of bones. Some of the signs marked mass graves, while others pointed to the clothing of children who had so cruelly been killed before their time, or a tree that held a loudspeaker to magnify the sounds of those being tortured.

The whole place was ironically peaceful in a way. I felt the expected emotions: sadness, disbelief, sickened... but perplexity was perhaps the most apparent feeling I had. How on earth could human beings treat each other like this? I just don’t get it. This, as well as the Vietnam war, happened within the last 30-40 years. It’s awful what humans are capable of!

After that sobering visit, Kevin and I went off-roading. Well, we call it off-roading, but really it was a small road that locals actually use to get from point A to point B. The road might as well have been cross country ski moguls, it was that bad. We had a blast, though! We found a deserted field (the terrain here is more like the desert then the jungles, so it’s quite flat) and just let out on the throttle, while the locals gathered around to watch. It was such a good day today. We spent hours on the bikes just baking in the heat, guiltily enjoying the feeling of the wind whipping through our hair, uninhibited by helmets.

Tomorrow morning we leave for the last leg of our journey- Siam Reap, home to Angkor Watt, a site so famous it was recently a contender for one of the 7 Wonders of the World...