Angkor WHAT?!
So, while I was skinny-dipping in the rooftop pool of the fancy Quay hotel in Phnom Penh, I managed to convince my friend Sony to come with me to Siem Reap, as that day he took his final exam for his bachelors degree, and had never been to Angkor! Sony had the awesome idea of bringing his moto on the bus to Siem Reap, so we wouldn't be dependent on tuk tuks, and have to pay a lot.
Sony and I have been getting along famously. Rather than arguing, as people who travel together often do, we've been disagreeing on whose BRILIANT idea it was to do such and such activity, because it was SO AWESOME. :)
Angkor is better than I ever could have imagined! It's not just Angkor Wat, that's only one huge complex...there's Angkor Thom, Bayon...there are tons and TONS of little and big ruins and wats all over, each one a little different. Thanks to our independence because of the moto (okay, THAT one WAS Sony's idea), we were abe to see a lot on the short time that we had there. I won't write to much about it, because the pictures are the only thing that might give justice to the vast awesomeness (in the eral sense of the word) that is Angkor.
After Angkor, Sony invited e to spend a night at his hometown vilage in Prey Veng Province. SO after we got back to PP, we were off on the moto for a two hour ride (and a short ferry) to see his mom and dad and younger brother. They live in a wood house on stilts, a very typical Cambodian house in the countryside. Everyone sleeps on the floor of the house (they had mosquito netting, which I am SOOO thankful for...as there must've been the largest amount of bugs in one place there than anywhere I've EVER been). The cows sleep at night in a pan just below the house...dog, cat, and chicken wander around. The bathroom is outback, and unlike Nepal, there's no running water to the kitchen or bathroom, so getting water means pumping it from a well into huge buckets and carrying them. Speaking of huge buckets of water, does anynoe know why it is that we humans feel so much more vulnerable re: bugs when we're naked? That said, I learned how to shower from a bucket. People have been doing it for ever, so...now I can, too. And believe me, you can't go a day here without showering.
Sony's parents are lovely, alhtuogh his mom speaks no English at all, and though his dad speaks French and Khmer (by the way, here Khmer is pronounced "Kmai") and teaches high school Khmer, he only has a few phrases in English. Which is more than I have in Cambodian, so...Sony was good enough to act as an interpreter. His dad was generous enough to tell me what life was ike for him under the Khmer Rouge rule. It's actually very similar to what's depicted in the film "The Killing Fields". His father was imprisoned for more than 500 days. His mother was forced to work in the fields. They could not talk to one another, couldn't really even look at one another, couldn't eat anything, even if it was available...save for the small amount of rice gruel they were given. Basically, they wer starving. His dad had to [retend that he could neither read nor write...he had to feign like he didn't understand things and wasn't educated. This saved his life. He described to me allof the different ways he saw people killed, the moost graphc of which was people being hangednupside down and being hit to death on the head with a big wooden stick. In fact, I saw evidence of this at the killing fields where many of the skulls were missing pieces. I asked him how he lived through such unspeakable horros and still managed to raise such a kind, generous son. He told me all of his children were great, but that it wasn't all the parents' doing. Sony has his own mind, and has been great ever since high school. In fact, Sony and I are constantly eating at markets, and from the beginning, he advised me to keep my "small money" in a seperate pocket for beggars. I haven't seen him turn down a single beggar who has asked him for money when he's had it. Not a single one. He also wants to start an organisation to help Cambodian children, and once it's off the ground, will lok to all of his foreign friends for help.
Sony's dad was in prison with hundreds of others. Today only aruond 20 live. He has written his story down, along with 4 other people, and hopes to one day publish it as a book, with the photos of himself and 4 others inside. I told Sony when that happens he MUST translate it so I can read it.
Anyway, it was a whilwind few days, bnut absolutely stunning in every way. I can't WAIT to get the photos up, but unfortunately the comps are soooo slow. Coming soon, probably on the 10th once I'm back in Thailand.
Love to everyone, and please! Write me! Tell me whjat's happening, I lvoe to hear it, even if it's mundane stuff like my parents write when they tell me what they had for dinner. I LOVE that.
love,
sar
Here are the pictures!
http://picasaweb.google.com/leibolicious
Sony and I have been getting along famously. Rather than arguing, as people who travel together often do, we've been disagreeing on whose BRILIANT idea it was to do such and such activity, because it was SO AWESOME. :)
Angkor is better than I ever could have imagined! It's not just Angkor Wat, that's only one huge complex...there's Angkor Thom, Bayon...there are tons and TONS of little and big ruins and wats all over, each one a little different. Thanks to our independence because of the moto (okay, THAT one WAS Sony's idea), we were abe to see a lot on the short time that we had there. I won't write to much about it, because the pictures are the only thing that might give justice to the vast awesomeness (in the eral sense of the word) that is Angkor.
After Angkor, Sony invited e to spend a night at his hometown vilage in Prey Veng Province. SO after we got back to PP, we were off on the moto for a two hour ride (and a short ferry) to see his mom and dad and younger brother. They live in a wood house on stilts, a very typical Cambodian house in the countryside. Everyone sleeps on the floor of the house (they had mosquito netting, which I am SOOO thankful for...as there must've been the largest amount of bugs in one place there than anywhere I've EVER been). The cows sleep at night in a pan just below the house...dog, cat, and chicken wander around. The bathroom is outback, and unlike Nepal, there's no running water to the kitchen or bathroom, so getting water means pumping it from a well into huge buckets and carrying them. Speaking of huge buckets of water, does anynoe know why it is that we humans feel so much more vulnerable re: bugs when we're naked? That said, I learned how to shower from a bucket. People have been doing it for ever, so...now I can, too. And believe me, you can't go a day here without showering.
Sony's parents are lovely, alhtuogh his mom speaks no English at all, and though his dad speaks French and Khmer (by the way, here Khmer is pronounced "Kmai") and teaches high school Khmer, he only has a few phrases in English. Which is more than I have in Cambodian, so...Sony was good enough to act as an interpreter. His dad was generous enough to tell me what life was ike for him under the Khmer Rouge rule. It's actually very similar to what's depicted in the film "The Killing Fields". His father was imprisoned for more than 500 days. His mother was forced to work in the fields. They could not talk to one another, couldn't really even look at one another, couldn't eat anything, even if it was available...save for the small amount of rice gruel they were given. Basically, they wer starving. His dad had to [retend that he could neither read nor write...he had to feign like he didn't understand things and wasn't educated. This saved his life. He described to me allof the different ways he saw people killed, the moost graphc of which was people being hangednupside down and being hit to death on the head with a big wooden stick. In fact, I saw evidence of this at the killing fields where many of the skulls were missing pieces. I asked him how he lived through such unspeakable horros and still managed to raise such a kind, generous son. He told me all of his children were great, but that it wasn't all the parents' doing. Sony has his own mind, and has been great ever since high school. In fact, Sony and I are constantly eating at markets, and from the beginning, he advised me to keep my "small money" in a seperate pocket for beggars. I haven't seen him turn down a single beggar who has asked him for money when he's had it. Not a single one. He also wants to start an organisation to help Cambodian children, and once it's off the ground, will lok to all of his foreign friends for help.
Sony's dad was in prison with hundreds of others. Today only aruond 20 live. He has written his story down, along with 4 other people, and hopes to one day publish it as a book, with the photos of himself and 4 others inside. I told Sony when that happens he MUST translate it so I can read it.
Anyway, it was a whilwind few days, bnut absolutely stunning in every way. I can't WAIT to get the photos up, but unfortunately the comps are soooo slow. Coming soon, probably on the 10th once I'm back in Thailand.
Love to everyone, and please! Write me! Tell me whjat's happening, I lvoe to hear it, even if it's mundane stuff like my parents write when they tell me what they had for dinner. I LOVE that.
love,
sar
Here are the pictures!
http://picasaweb.google.com/leibolicious
posted by sara leib at 4:24 AM
1 Comments:
Sara, I love reading your blog and learning all about each adventure! I'm looking forward to the next one:) be safe, love u! Jayme
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