My too short stay in Cambodia -

When I got out of the Phnom Penh airport I felt far, far away from Bali. Oh, this is Cambodia I wondered?

I had to go to the cafe across from the airport to await the mini bus that would take me six hours later to Sihanoukville. I was going there for a meditation and yoga retreat and to experience my first fasting.

The plane was late and my luggage was in another carousel that the number announced. After a short night of sleep and a very long day of travel, my legendary patience was somewhat eroded.

To greet me, there was this big, dusty and chaotic road with absolutely no charm. And this young man working at the cafe did not understand a single word of what I was asking him whether the bus had already passed.

The bus arrived an hour late because of the traffic. On the way to Sihanoukville I was watching the countryside roll. Despite the darkness I could feel that the country was still suffering from past atrocities including genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge.

It was not love at first sight … but love came slowly just before I left.

The joy of fasting, meditating and practising yoga

My first week in Cambodia was spent at the Vagabond Temple, a meditation and yoga center run by an Israeli couple. We were about twenty people inspired and inspiring coming from everywhere including the Philippines, South Africa, Australia, Germany, Switzerland and the United States. A group of men and women between their twenties and fifties with very different profiles.

In our great diversity, we were all here for the same reason. To find our inner peace. To heal. To release. To be serene. The energy of the group was amazing!

We were about seven girls doing the coconut water fast to enhance our digestive system.

Even though I was already convinced of the benefits of fasting, I was impressed to see how the body can live with no food and to see the immense sense of well-being after just one week. I was glowing!

By drinking only coconut water, my body had the energy to do the classes of yoga and meditation each offered twice daily. Of course, there were some ups and downs, slight headaches, moments of fatigue and of emotions, but in general, like my colleagues, I did not feel the need to eat or to sleep more. The rest of the group was amazed to see us that radiant!

Fasting has taught us several things. Our mind was clearer, our sense of smell finer and foods were tastier when we started to eat again. Fasting also reminded us to be attentive to our hunger. When eating, to question ourselves why we are doing it? Is it by hunger? Because we have nothing to do? Because it’s supposedly time to eat? We won’t have time to eat later? To fill an emotion? When hunger strikes, assess your level of hunger on a scale of 1 to 10. Eat only if it’s above 7. Your digestive system will thank you.

Siem Reap and the Angkor temples
Any tourist who goes to Cambodia for the first time must make a stop to Siem Reap to visit the famous ruins of Angkor.

It is in the late 9th century that the Khmer civilization moved the capital to Angkor. The golden age of this civilization lasted about six centuries. Several hundred temples were built with impressive hydraulic operating systems.

Among the most famous temples, there is Angkor Wat built in the 12th century in honor of the Hindu god Vishnu. The temple was designed to represent the mythical Mount Meru. About 50,000 people have worked during 35 years to build it! It is considered the largest religious building in the world. Angkor Wat appears today on the national flag of Cambodia and on the banknotes. In 1992, the site was placed on the World Heritage list by Unesco.

Ta Prohm is another famous temple known for its ancient trees whose huge roots are growing through the cement. At the time, nearly 80,000 people were working in this temple. This is where the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was filmed.

The Bayon temple was the last one to be built. It is surrounded by 216 huge serene and smiling faces. Some say that the face represents the king of the time, others say it’s the bodhisattva of compassion which represents the state of enlightenment.

My feelings about the Angkor ruins are a bit mixed. The most famous temple, Angkor Wat, was not the one I preferred. The “must-see” sunrise over this temple was not as spectacular as advertised. To see hundreds of crowded tourists waiting impatiently to take their picture removed all the charm of the moment.

I preferred by far wandering in tuk tuk in the vastness of all Angkor, looking at the century trees, the Bayon and the smaller temples.

About 2 million people visit Angkor each year. Many start to worry, so am I, if the site will survive the invasion of mass tourism.

Phnom Penh
I must admit that I was not very excited about my three days in this unloved capital of Southeast Asia. At the end, Phnom Penh was a surprise. It has been a rich stop where I learned a lot about the history of the country.

My best memory is the night I went for a cruise on the Mekong. One of the hotel employees offered to come with me.

After the cruise, we walked towards the great Independence Square Park where we sat in the grass near the huge illuminated panel with the picture of the King. There was a nice atmosphere with families, couples and monks. I was amazed to see how the monks were solicited. Either by tourists asking them to take a picture or by locals offering them something to drink.

It is in this beautiful setting that my friend told me more about the terrible past of his country. Cambodia was hit by several wars including the Indochina War followed by the US War as it is called here (Vietnam War). I learned that Cambodia was bombed during 14 months by the US to prevent the Vietnamese troops to establish their bases here in this neighboring territory. These bombings were kept secret. According to historians, there were more bombs that were launched during the American War then during World War II.

Shortly after the end of the war, the Cambodian monarchy was abolished and not so long after the regime of the Khmer Rouge followed. In a few days only, the Khmer Rouge completely emptied the city of Phnom Penh to get people to work on collective farms. Schools were closed, religion was forbidden, and people were separated from their families. The objective of the regime led by Pol Pot was to become self-sufficient and to “go back to the year 0”. The borders with Thailand and Vietnam were closed. Nobody knew what was going on in the country.

People were arrested on false charges and imprisoned. In just three years, 3 million people were killed. This is one out of four people. The genocide ended in 1979 and it was not until 1997 that Pol Put was arrested and placed under house arrest. He died the following year.

I visited the site of the killing fields where the Khmer Rouge had assassinated innocents with machetes and other tools since bullets were too expensive according to them. One of their slogan was: “Better to kill an innocent by mistake than saving an enemy”. The visit is made with an extremely well narrated audio guide.

Another important historical site is the prison S-21(Genocide Museum). This complex was a former high school converted into a secret prison and interrogative center by the Khmer Rouge . On the boards, you can still read the instructions to prisoners written in Khmer and in French (the country has been under the French protectorate for a century). Two important sites to understand the history and honour the memory of millions of victims. Both visits were meaningful moments that deeply touched me.

I told my friend about my visits and he informed me that this part of their history was not yet taught in school but they learned about it from their parents and grandparents. It is still a very sensitive subject. People in Phnom Penh say that their capital would probably be way more developed, and richer if these events had not taken place.

On a more positive note, here’s a quick summary of what caught my attention during my too short stay in Cambodia.

What I immediately liked

How easy it is to get a cold coconut water. Coconuts are beautifully cut and stored in a cooler along the road (unlike many other countries where coconuts stay under the sun)

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On almost every corner of the streets you can buy fresh papaya, pineapple or bananas. They can easily cut them nicely for you (so you can eat them in the tuk tuk while on the road). There’s also a lot of places to get a fruit juice or smoothie.

The way they use hammocks everywhere. Women at the market are lying in their hammock awaiting customers, tuk tuk drivers put one up at the rear seat so they can take a nap when they don’t have clients and so on.

Tuk tuk! They are so convenient. The easiest way to see the city while staying fresh…and to learn about the city. Make sure to get familiar with the prices and always ask the driver how much for the ride before. Negotiate
The serenity that emanates from monks dressed in their maroon robe
The local vibe still very authentic with lots of street food stalls

Many innovative and healthy restaurants

The social vocation of several companies. Restaurants employ students to train them to becoming skilled and productive workers. The Phare circus was given the same mission by training disadvantaged youth. And a coffee place, Daughter’s of Cambodia, provides on-the-job training for trafficking victims of the sex industry.

What surprised me

The use of the local currency (riel) and the american dollar. The two currencies are used everywhere. You can pay in riels and receive your change in US and vice versa.
English is more limited than I would have expected

Cambodia has taught me not to pass judgment too quickly. First impression can sometimes be incomplete. I thought people were cold but I soon realized that language was a barrier. You get a smile by smiling, right?!. I ended up to love that red dust and all the features above that make this country truly authentic.