Cambodia

This summer, my two teen daughters and I spent 5 weeks traveling in Asia. Unfortunately, my husband who had just started a new job was unable to come with us. The three of us visited Hong Kong, Cambodia, and Thailand on our own.
I would like to share an experience from our stay in Cambodia that touched all of us and left a deep impression on our minds.

















We were staying at a guesthouse in Siem Reap, near the famous ruins of Angkor which we explored on rented bicycles for several days. Mobility in Cambodia is by no means comparable to the United States. Bicycles, tuk-tuks (motorcycles with a passenger cabin attached to the rear), motorbikes, and buses serve as main modes of transportation. The roads are often just dirt or gravel and hard to navigate. The small roads around the widespread historical sites of Angkor are paved however, and we had no problem at all biking the many miles of paths that connect the ancient Khmer temples. We biked right along with the locals and consequently got to experience our surroundings from a perspective that would have been less authentic had we rented a car and driver like so many other tourists. Cambodia is a poor country still recovering from the ravages of a civil war. Its people lead simple and hard lives – a fact we observed in all the places we visited. Still, the locals welcomed us with incredible warmth and friendliness. Children and adults alike waved and smiled at us wherever we went.

One day, we decided to visit the secluded village of Kompong Phluk. Bikes were not a safe option, so we took a tuk-tuk to Roluos - a village some 13 kilometers from Siem Reap. At the village, we switched to motorbikes: my daughters, Nadia and Celine, on one with a driver and me and a driver on a second motorcycle. Yes, three people on one motorbike! We saw families of five on a single motorbike! Cambodians transport seemingly impossible loads and all kinds of things from animals to furniture to kindling on their two-wheelers - motorized or not. We were quite shocked when we saw a motorbike with a wild, live hog strapped to it! The beast was at least 4 ft. long and rather wide. It was squealing off and on; we felt quite sorry for the unfortunate animal.

Anyway, we couldn't take the tuk-tuk to our destination, because the "road" was not accessible by car or tuk-tuk. It was really only a dirt path through rice fields with large holes and areas of sand too deep for driving. Needless to say, the ride was very bumpy. Luckily, our drivers were skilled and we arrived unharmed at a spot where we boarded a long tail boat that brought us to the village of Kompong Phluk on Tonle Sap (the largest freshwater lake in South-East Asia). We followed the waterways through the village that was built on stilts 6-7 meters high. At one point, we went on land and visited the village where we were instantly surrounded by a large crowd of children. They tried to talk to us with limited English and showed us around their small village. We ended up buying notebooks and pencils for the local school children who rewarded us with big smiles and invited us to their school – a rudimentary two-room building with three long wooden desks and benches the young students shared. We learned that not all children are able to attend school. Only the ones whose family can afford the cost of an education enjoy that privilege. The village people lead very simple lives. They catch fish and shrimp for income. Large families live in these one-room huts on stilts and make do with very little. I can't imagine living without the amenities (not luxuries!) of modern life, such as a bathroom, kitchen, computer, or private space. They seem happy and content, and they are certainly friendly and welcoming.

That makes you wonder, whether all we consider necessary is really essential in the pursuit of happiness? It was interesting to see how these Cambodians spend their lives on and near the water. Their school, church, temple, meeting hall, “restaurants”, and stores are all on stilts or afloat, and people bathe and wash clothes and dishes in the water of the lake. They lead a life close to nature, influenced by the water level of the lake. The Mekong, we were told, brings huge amounts of water during the rainy season in August, and the water level of the lake increases tremendously. That’s when the long, steep ladders are removed from the buildings, and the huts are directly accessed by boat. We were really amazed to see how limber the old folks among the villagers are. They effortlessly climb the ladders to the huts, or work crossed legged while sitting with straight, unsupported backs on dirt floors. I can’t imagine old people doing that in this country. I guess that’s one of the advantages of a simple hardworking life: a lean, flexible body.

For dinner that night, we felt adventurous and opted for a local appetizer of roasted crickets (salty, crunchy, buttery - actually surprisingly good!) from a street vendor and a tasty Khmer meal of local fish.

These experiences and encounters with people from different cultures and economic backgrounds always leave me with much food for thought and a sense of gratitude. The encounters lead me to question my own way of life and broaden my perspective and understanding of others. I am immensely thankful for being able to get a glimpse of other people’s lives that is so different from my own. It enriches my existence and certainly changes who I am in small ways. Through my travels, I have learned not to judge and look at another culture through the lens of my own cultural values.