Previous chronologically: 
Cambodia
Dates Traveled: May-June 2003
(I’d also traveled here in June 1999, but that trip is without details)
Sihanoukville
From Koh Samet it was a relatively easy share truck, ferry, share truck, bus, bus, mini van, and motorcycle ride across the border and into the town of Koh Kong in Cambodia, followed the next day by a boat trip to Sihanoukville.
Sihanoukville is an area of beaches, but since it was the beginning of the rainy season in the region I didn’t get much beach time. Mostly I hung out in beach chairs under an umbrella talking to the various vendors, and rented a motorcycle one day for exploring the region and nearby fishing village, which was full of character. Getting off the bike and wandering the various piers and narrow walkways between buildings had me feeling like a superstar - a feeling I’d maintain throughout Cambodia, with all the kids continually yelling, “Hello” and waving, or wanting to touch me.
Sloooooow Train to Kampot
I chose to take the train between Sihanoukville and Kampot, and enjoyed every bit of the slow journey, which only covered about 70 miles but took 5 hours. It was great, and was certainly the adventure I’d hoped for when I opted for it over the more comfortable and quicker vehicle transport. The fun actually started the day before when I wandered into a desolate train station, the floor covered with mud and water from the latest downpour. I finally found somebody in a back office and inquired when the train would leave the following day…”Sometime between 7 and 10″. Close enough. Was there early the following morning and told by other Westerners that it was due to leave at 9 - and it actually did. The train had about 8 cars, though only one was what would be considered a passenger car. Poking my head in another of the cars revealed it to be wood-sided with no end, no floor, and someone asleep in a hammock tied to the side. The passenger car also contained hammocks tied to the sides by locals who’d arrived before me, hard benches that weren’t actually bolted to the floor, no glass for the windows, holes in the floor, and a woman cooking at one end of the car. Fantastic. It shortly became apparent why there was no need for additional passenger cars, as most people elected to ride on top of the train, running along the cars James Bond style. I simply hung out of the back doors taking pictures for most of the journey, which is where I saw the most unusual sight approaching the train from behind.
There were three different ‘carts’ - each powered by a motorcycle ingeniously rigged to run on the tracks. The wooden carts were loaded with lumber and laborers, and when the carts arrived at the back of the train and the drivers had adjusted their speed to that of the moving train, the laborers commenced transferring the lumber from the carts to the roof of the still-moving train. That alone was worth the price of admission (a dollar for the train ticket), as I’d never seen anything like it. Entertaining to say the least.
The poor state of the rails was the main reason for our lengthy journey, as when the train gained too much speed it rocked back and forth on the uneven rails. On at least three occasions we had to slow to a crawl to negotiate a curve in what should have been a straight section of track - something had moved the rails from their original position and nobody had bothered to make them straight again.
Bokor Hill
From Kampot I hooked up with two Dutch guys and we rented proper motorcycles…actually, now is the time to state that SE Asia is the land of motorcycles, with most being of the small 100 or 110 cc, automatic variety. They are used for transport and to haul anything and everything - usually filled beyond what you and I would consider a safe limit. As an example - on several occasions here in Cambodia I’ve seen 5 people on one motorcycle. I’ve also seen them loaded down with live chickens, pigs, beds….you get the picture. In Cambodia there is also the ever-present moto driver, who serves as a local taxi and believes that nobody should walk, so added to the constant greetings from children is the continuous, “Hello sir, moto?”
Anyway, the two Dutch guys and I rented proper motorcycles for the ride to Bokor Hill. The ‘road’ was mostly dirt and rocks, with mud puddles and remnants of blacktop jutting 4″ above the ground in places, making for a bone-jarring ride. During it’s heyday in the 1920’s the hotel, casino, and other buildings on top must have been something, but now the abandoned and gutted buildings make for a very eerie place to visit. Due to the multiple problems with the bikes, each of us running out of gas at least once, and one guy crashing and burning, it became a long and tiring 10 1/2 hour day.
Kep
The following day I rented a 110 cc motorcycle and simply rode down to the fishing village of Kep. Like Bokor Hill it was very popular in the 1920’s, with some abandoned villas in the area serving as testament to past glory. Now it’s a quaint fishing village.
I took a 12-passenger mini van (so naturally had 22 inside) from Kampot to the capital, Phnom Penh, where I simply relaxed for a day before catching a pickup ride north to Battambang.
Battambang
I spent the next day with a moto driver showing me some sites in the area - primarily some hilltop caves where many Cambodians met their death under the Pol Pot regime between ‘75 and ‘79. They would be led to the opening above the cave and simply pushed over the edge, to die on impact. Many bones and pieces of clothing are reminders of that grim period. Like many locals I’d met, Sokha had lost most of his family during the rule of the Khmer Rouge. His brothers, sisters, and mother were killed, so he changed his name to escape their fate. Like others that were spared, he had worked as a forced laborer for the regime, building such things as dams. A fruit vendor I’d met on the beach in Sihanoukville had her parents killed when she was 12. The reason? He was a police officer, she a teacher. Crazy times. It’s estimated that during the Khmer Rouge regime there were 1 to 2 million people (of the 7 million population) that died from starvation, disease, overwork, or execution.
I enjoyed the day with Sokha, as his English was good, and he knew much of the history of Cambodia. We spent most of the day simply cruising through rural villages, which is where we stumbled upon a cock fight in the middle of the afternoon. Unlike Bali, where small knives are attached to the legs, here the fight normally doesn’t end in death, but when one runs away or is too tired to fight back. And now you know.
Angkor
From Battambang I took a 7 hour boat ride along the river to Siem Reap. It was an enjoyable day spent observing daily life on and near the narrow river as we motored slowly along.
Siem Reap is the gateway to the temples of Angkor - the premier site in Cambodia. I’d been fortunate enough to see the temples in ‘99, and after seeing them again still believe that, of the limited sites I’ve seen around the world, I find the temples to be the most amazing. They top my list due to the number of them, their diversity, their scale, their intricate carvings, and the fact that the Khmer constructed them primarily between the 9th and 13th centuries. Pretty impressive. They’ve recently changed the rules, forbidding foreigners to rent motorcycles on their own to tour the temples (I’m sure the legion of moto drivers had something to do with that decision), so I grabbed a moto driver and headed the short distance into the complex. I opted for the 3-day, $40 pass. Definitely expensive (1-day pass is $20, 1-week pass is $60), but I do like the site. I just wish more money went back into the restoration and not into the big oil company’s pockets (and this coming from a former oil patch employee.)
The first day I did what is known as the Grand Tour, as well as checking out a few temples off the beaten path. I saw many temples, but there are three that exhibit the diversity I mentioned earlier. Bayon has many towers, and each contains carved faces staring out in the four cardinal directions. Ta Prohm is a magical place, and is the favorite temple for many visitors. Many temples have undergone, and continue to undergo, restoration and stabilization efforts by the international community. However some, such as Ta Prohm, have been allowed to remain in the state in which they were found. This provides many photographic opportunities, as there are fallen blocks of stone everywhere, and large trees that are overgrowing the ruins. The third major temple would be Angkor Wat - the one you always see in pictures. It’s pretty awe-inspiring - especially when you simply sit in an out-of-the-way spot and notice all the detail that went into its construction. There are some intricate carvings throughout the complex. As I’ve said, I saw many of the more minor temples during that day as well - each with something different to offer the observer, and each less popular than ‘the big three’, ensuring quiet moments for contemplating what the place must have been like in it’s day. Quite a bustling area. The only drawback to the experience are the vendors…”Hello sir, cold drink…postcard…food…film…battery…book…t-shirt…?”
The second day I went to what is known as the Roluos group of temples. The site contains three major temples, but in reality only one is really of any great size or interest. However, being built in the 9th century they are an indication of the developing form that the later temples would exhibit. From there we motored out to Banteay Srei, with a brief stop at a rural home while our flat tire was mended. Banteay Srei is smaller in scale, but the carvings are extremely detailed, and the red/pink color of the stone only enhanced its beauty. It’s a shame that most of the site was off-limits due to ongoing restoration.
The last day of my pass I simply rented a bicycle and rode back to Angkor Wat - spending hours simply sitting quietly away from others and taking in the atmosphere. I found it very hard at the end of the day to turn my back on the ruins and head back to Siem Reap.
Journey to Mondulkiri Region
From Siem Reap I took the bus headed towards Phnom Penh, but departed in a small crossroads town of Skuon to jump in a minivan headed to Kompong Cham. The following morning I took three different pickups and, after about 6 hours on better dirt roads than I’d expected (the roads in Cambodia are notoriously bad, though most are currently undergoing some much-needed work) found myself in Sen Monorom, the major town of the Mondulkiri province of southeastern Cambodia.
Mondulkiri
The landscape is unlike the rest of Cambodia as there are rolling green hills, scattered trees, and red dirt that covers a person after riding a motorcycle, making him look as if he’s used too much of the fake tan. Thankfully it was also much cooler, as it’s situated at 800 meters above sea level. A welcome change.
The first day I simply rented a motorcycle and explored the countryside - taking any side road/trail to see where it would lead. Following that pattern I ended up in remote villages, the Vietnam border, and unspectacular waterfalls. As there wasn’t much to do in the area I ate the cost and decided to do an elephant ride the next day from a small village in the area. I shouldn’t have. First of all, the moto driver that took me to the village hit some mud (the content of the soil makes it extremely slippery when wet) and dumped me….quite an entrance to the village. Secondly, I’d seen the landscape the previous day on the motorcycle. Last, having ridden elephants before, I knew their gate to be slow and uncomfortable for the rider. On previous trips at least I was riding on something where I could stretch my legs. This time I was cooped up in a 2′ X 3′ basket. However, I guess I must not have looked uncomfortable enough on the way out to the waterfall, as for the return trip my elephant handler shared the basket with me. In all, I spent a bit over 4 hours on the elephant, but it was actually a lot of money to be bored, uncomfortable, and dumped in the mud.
Phnom Penh
From Sen Monorom I took a pickup for the 7 hour ride back to Phnom Penh. I spent a few days wandering around and seeing the sites. Like Angkor, I’d been in Phnom Penh in ‘99 to see the major sites, but needed to see them again…they’re extremely sobering. Fifteen kilometers outside of town are the Killing Fields where the Pol Pot regime executed 17,000 people. Most were bludgeoned to death, as they didn’t want to waste money on a bullet. Bones and pieces of clothing can still be seen around many of the mass-burial graves. A glass pagoda containing more than 8000 skulls stands as a tribute to those who lost their lives.
Within Phnom Penh is the Tuol Sleng Museum. It was a high school, but under the Khmer Rouge became Security Prison 21 (S-21), where thousands were detained and tortured. During the first part of 1977, S-21 claimed an average of 100 victims a day. In ‘99 there was a large wall-sized map of Cambodia made of human skulls, but it was deemed inappropriate and removed. Still there are the black and white pictures of the victims. It drives home the atrocities when you see the young, innocent face of someone you know was killed in such a brutal fashion - and for no reason. Also still there are the stark rooms where victims were beaten. The rooms are bare except for a bedspring and some chains or restraints for the victim’s hands and feet. The floor is a checkerboard pattern of 6″ square tiles - white and red/orange. A black and white picture shows the room as it looked in the late ’70s - identical to what you see before you now, except for the lifeless body on the bed and the puddle on the floor….blood. The museum also shows exhibits on the various forms of torture utilized by the Khmer Rouge. Not a cheerful place, but something definitely worth seeing.
Phnom Penh is one of the few places where you are actually offered something different by the street touts….Moto? No. Taxi? No. Smoke? No. Girl? No. Shoot? Huh? There is a shooting range just outside of the city, so I went out there one day. I didn’t shoot, but I wanted to see the place for myself. It actually seemed to be run relatively safely. Funniest part is the menu:
| AK-47 | 30 rounds | $20 |
| M-16 | 30 rounds | $30 |
| UZI | 30 rounds | $30 |
| Hand Grenade | 1 | $20 |
| Rocket Launcher | 1 | $200 |
There were also several handgun and machine gun options. The ability to blow up a cow with the rocket launcher appears to be an urban myth - at least it isn’t a menu option. However, knowing Cambodia I’m sure it’s possible if you have the money.
I really enjoyed my time in Cambodia, as the people were very friendly, and there was much to see and do.
Leave a Comment