What a week! It has recently been what the Japanese refer to as ‘Golden Week’. It is a week through April and May that includes 4 public holidays and a weekend! Hence the very apt name ‘Golden Week’. It is during this time that many choose to travel, see family or merely relax and recover after the busy start of the school year!
For my friend and I, we chose to travel … to Cambodia!
Before coming to Japan, I never considered Cambodia as a destination on my to-travel list. Yet, after spending a week in this beautiful country, I am so thankful I went.
Cambodia certainly gave me a strange first impression. As we attained our visas and passed through the immigration checkpoint (a rather tedious, yet odd procedure), we proceeded to the customs gate. However, we only found ourselves suddenly outside the airport! It seems that Siem Reap airport does not have a customs gate? A little shocked, we soon found our hotel representative and made our way into Siem Reap city.
It was their ‘dry season’ when we visited. Each day reached around 40 Celsius and was often humid. You were literally dripping by 9AM from almost doing nothing! However, the sun did allow for some stunning photography of the temples. We stayed in Siem Reap for the entire week; a hot tourist spot as I soon discovered by the amount of English spoken by the locals. Siem Reap was aptly named after the war between Cambodia and Thailand, and translates directly to ‘Thai defeat’ (‘Siem’ meaning ‘Thai’, and ‘Reap’ meaning ‘defeat’).
The Cambodian people were very friendly and often surprised me with their manners and honesty. However, when I discovered that 85% of the population were Buddhist, I believed this explained their mannerisms and principles. Cambodia has not always been a Buddhist country. It started as Hindu, became a mixture during the Angkor period, and now, a majority of the population follow the Buddhist religion.
Tuk tuks, scooter-pulling carriages, are very popular here. There are around 140,000 tuk tuks in Siem Reap alone! When walking by, my friend and I would often be asked by drivers if we needed a ride. We replied with a polite ‘no, thank you’ and would be left alone. Never were we harassed. I think this was again largely due to their Buddhist principles. Or maybe they knew we were a lost cause?
Our week began with a two-day tour of the temples. We first explored the Rolous Group – the oldest set of temples to be preserved in Cambodia. We were climbing and standing in a temple built in the 9th century! I was amazed at how well preserved these temples were. They were incredible structures, made with a combination of bricks, sandstone and lava stone. The doors were even made from a single block of stone! Trying to think of how this stone was carried to its location from the quarry was almost beyond my imagination.
Angkor Wat was beyond anything I could have expected. Its size cannot be translated through photos. Nor can its beauty. The structure really takes your breath away. The most interesting section of this temple was the stories engraved through the halls. In Angkor Wat, it spoke of the Buddhist story of creation – ‘The Turning of the Milk of Life’. The pictures were beautifully detailed to match an equally beautiful tale.
Ta Promh was my favourite temple. I felt like Indiana Jones as I explored this temple’s ruins. Of course, this was the movie site for both Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider, so my feelings were appropriate. To see how the jungle had transformed this temple was incredible. Trees grew between the temple’s structure as if the temple was almost built purposefully around them. It was a magical sight.
A great souvenir I am bringing back is the knowledge of traditional Cambodian cooking. My friend and I attended a class through our hotel, learning the foods and techniques behind Cambodian recipes. The food reminds me of a fusion between Thai and Indian food. This certainly makes sense with Cambodia receiving lots of early influence from India and neighbouring the Thailand border.
We also visited the Artisan Market, which as I discovered, was an art college for disadvantaged or disabled Cambodian people. Students major in a variety of Cambodian crafts, including silk printing, lacquer painting, wood and sandstone carving, porcelain and silver crafts. After students complete their training, they find a job that specializes in their craft with the support of the college. The college was originally funded by the French, then the EU, before being finally self-funded through the sales of Cambodian crafts in their market.
The remainder of our time was spent on what holidays should be for – RELAXING! Fortunately, our hotel’s pool was located in such a way, that by after lunch the pool was almost in complete shade. It was the perfect opportunity for us to cool off with a swim and simply doze in the sun lounges. All while being served fresh fruit and refreshing drinks. Life didn’t get much better than that!
I was rather sad to leave Cambodia. Firstly, because I had to return to work, but secondly, because it was such a friendly and beautiful country. I would recommend Siem Reap purely for the temple ruins! Definitely don’t discount Cambodia from your travel list!
