Cambodia: Kingdom of Wonder

Again, my apologies for the blog being quiet lately, I've been on the road and now have a lot of catching up to do. I feel a healthy responsibility to share what I am learning here with a greater audience, so I'd like to not fall too far behind! This post is about my experiences in Cambodia, but I'll have to back track and post out of order to cover the rest of my Thailand trip and visit to Penang after this.

I'm writing (most) of this on Thanksgiving day, at least in the time zone I am in. No cranberry sauce for me though, but I did enjoy a nice buffet dinner and Cambodian culture show with some great Rotarians.  I travelled to Siem Reap with a Rotary group from Malaysia in their 8th year of providing humanitarian aid to Cambodia.  This year focused on delivering school and medical supplies to floating villages on Lake Tonle Sap. This is the largest freshwater lake in SE Asia and is very unique for many reasons, one being that it grows and shrinks dramatically during the wet and dry seasons. With huge biodiversity, this lake provides at least 60% of Cambodians protein intake.  Cambodia relies on the river for a majority of its economy and this is threatened by the proposal of construction of huge dams in Laos to supply energy for the growing demands of the region.  

The lake is very high right now as it is just the beginning of the dry season so we took a 2 hour boat ride to reach the floating village of Mont Kla. This comprises about 200 people and it moves up to 6 times a year as the water levels change, the villages go with the flow and move about in location. We visited a floating school and then the chiefs house which serves as a medical office when The Lake Clinic (a medical boat) comes to town, which is about once every 2 weeks. It was a very humbling experience to visit the school children and witness the conditions that people live in.

Additionally, and most interesting to me, was learning about installing biosand filtration units to provide clean drinking water for the residents. They are surrounded by water, but also use it as a toilet. The biosand filters are relatively simple units which filter out 99% of the harmful bacteria if used properly and maintained. They range in price from $50-$70 USD and can be produced from all local materials. Over 7,000 have been installed in the Siem Reap province area with about 115 installed in homes on the lake and many more to come. Residents are asked to pay about $7 USD and sign a contract to receive a water filter unit. The next day we also were able to visit the production facility and laboratory where the filters are assembled and tested run through an organization called Clean Water for Cambodia (http://www.waterforcambodia.org/).   

Of course you can't come to Cambodia and not visit the temples of Angkor. We spent 2 whole days (including a beautiful sunrise and sunset) exploring some of the main temples including one of the 7 Wonders of the World…Angkor Wat; this is the world’s largest religious building.  These temples were built by a series of ‘god-kings’ with each trying to outdo the last from AD 802 to 1432.  There is a lot of history here I would be doing an injustice in trying to explain it, but hopefully the photos can inspire you to learning some more about it on your own.  One interesting fact is that this empire changed from Hinduism to Buddhism and then back to Hinduism again so the temples depict deities from both religions. 

But alas, one of the reasons these temples were abandon and left to the elements in 1432 was WATER!  The ancient Khmers (Cambodian people) mastered the cycle of nature to water their lands by building reservoirs and irrigation systems for this hydraulic city which did not naturally lie near a river or water body.  By the time Angkor Wat was completed the hydraulic system which supported agriculture had been pushed beyond its limits and was starting to silt up due to overpopulation and deforestation.  The construction of Angkor Wat was a strain on resources and eventually the society that was based there declined and the capital was moved to Phnom Penh.  The temples of Angkor were re-discovered in the early 1900s. 

Myself and two others stuck around for a few days after the Rotary group left which was great because it gave us time to enjoy sunset horseback riding through the rice paddies and pagodas outside of the city, spend more time at the temples, indulge in cheap massages (seriously, $5USD for 1 hour massage), explore the markets, and even finally test our tickle tolerance at a “fish spa.”    

This trip was a wonderful way to meet and get to know many Rotarians and friends of Rotary while learning about and taking part in service projects.  I am grateful every day for the opportunities Rotary has opened for me and I look forward to the next nine months of learning and travel ahead! 

Of course I have a million photos from this adventure, I’ll post some highlights here and try and make a slide show to post when I get back to KL soon!

<><><> 

These are actually the first elephants I've seen since my arrival in SE Asia.

<><><> 

The many faces of Bayon temple, Angkor Thom.

At least they had decent public restrooms throughout, just in case you weren't sure of proper use for this style of toilet, there was a friendly reminder.

<><><> 

Ta Prohm

<><><> 

Angkor Wat.

<><><> 

Fellow Ambassadorial Scholar (based in Singapore, from Florida) heading up the very steep stairs to the top of Angkor Wat.  These are nicely built wooden stairs that they've added, many temples only had really steep, uneven, tall, dangerous steps to climb.  Happy I get to travel while I'm young!

<><><> 

In many of the temples, almost every square inch of stone was covered with amazingly detailed designs and many walls have huge motifs of battle scenes.  Its mind blowing to think of how the construction was carried out with the limited technology they had available at the time.

View from the top.  One way tourists can see an aerial view of the temple complex is by jumping on a hot air balloon tethered to the ground for a little joy ride.  I think it could hold up to 30 people for $11 USD a pop.  They use US currency in Cambodia for the most part.  Its nice that you can get a beer for 50 cents though.

<><><> 

These figures are called Apsaras and are carved throughout the the temples.  They are considered heavenly nymphs, spirits of the clouds and waters, and are usually associated with fertility. 



Buddhist monks passing through a floating village on Lake Tonle Sap.



Andrew interacting with Cambodian school children in their floating school after we donated school supplies for 400 students.

Now they can learn geography!

We happened to be wrapping up as the lunch out arrived and the children came running out of the school and hopped on boats to paddle home for the afternoon.

Installing a new light weight biosand drinking water filter unit in a small floating home.

Floating home on Lake Tonle Sap, trying to build another next door.

Some amazing waterfalls on the River of a Thousand Lingas.

Diagram of the biosand filter system.  Pretty simple, yet you have to find the exact right type of sand and gravel and build a housing that will sustain and teach people how to care for it and use it properly.

Testing our nerves at the fish spa.  A very interesting feeling indeed, little fish going to town on your dirty feet.

Sunset horse back riding at the Happy Horse Ranch.  The guy who runs it is actually a Cambodian who lived in San Jose, CA for many many years working for the court system and is now about to collect his pension and live out live on a nice ranch back in Cambodia.

Scene from the horse ride.

Angkor Wat sunrise.

Bayon temple in the late afternoon light.

Sunset atop the temple atop Bakheng Hill.  Great shot by one of my travel companions, it was difficult to shoot over the heads of the hundreds of tourists that were sharing the experience with us.

Birthday/New Apartment

I posted some photos on Facebook about the birthday festivities, so this might be a repeat, but it was a very nice day indeed, actually, 2 days.  On Thursday I spent the whole day with my host counsellor Rotarian Kirenjit, who I happen to share the exact birthday with.  Since she was going to spend most of the actual birthday with her family, it was nice to hang out together just before.  It was a mix of business and pleasure but we enjoyed a nice lunch where I finally tried the vegetarian version of nasi lemak- a popular dish in Malaysia (actually considered the national dish) consisting of rice, cucumber slices, small fried anchovies (or your choice of soy substitute/mock meat), roasted peanuts, hard boiled egg, and a hot spicy sauce called sambal. 
Then we relaxed over a nice form of massage that is very popular here…foot reflexology.  I don’t think I’ve ever done it before and I have to admit I fell into a complete relaxed sleep only to be gently woken by the neck/shoulder/head rub portion at the end.  Not a bad way to wake up.

Friday I treated myself to some goodies like I always do on my birthday.  I met up with a friend who helped me buy a cute little netbook computer that I’ve been eyeing which is very useful for traveling and taking to the university and is considerably lighter than my 15 inch laptop.  The rest of the afternoon was spent enjoying some more pampering and then packing as we received the keys to our new apartment at 4:30 on birthday day!  Our current apartment was fine, but for several reasons it was good to find our own place and for less than I pay in Alaska, we get a pool, gym, great views of the city, and 3 minutes walking distance to the monorail station.  That’s saying a lot considering I had super cheap rent in Alaska. 

That evening some kind Rotarians and friends organized a nice birthday gathering for Kirenjit and I at a local club.  When you speak of a “club” in Malaysia, it usually refers to an old British sports club where there are activities such as squash, swimming, etc. and also different forms of lounges and restaurants.  It was a great night surrounded by new friends and of course good food, good wine, and a special delicious vegan cake.  Thanks especially to Dr. Sen, Bina, and Kirenjit for a great evening.

My new little netbook and a delicious bowl of Mac and Cheese sent from America by my wonderful parents.

Special vegan cake provided by Dr. Sen, thanks!

Birthday girls!

Gift exchange, I hope too see some of my new Malaysian friends in Alaska!

Warm birthday wishes from the wonderful Dr. Sen.

How the last few drops of wine dried in the bottom of my glass :)

New apartment!

View from my bedroom window of a beautiful Hindu temple.  I have now come to realize they chime bells at 7:30am every day for prayer, hopefully I will learn to sleep through it!

View toward the city center with Menara KL and the Petronas Towers in the distance.

Green space in the other direction.

Ipoh

A few weekends ago, Tomoko and I got up bring and early on a Sunday morning and headed to Ipoh, a town about 2 hours north of Kuala Lumpur, rich in heritage.  The main purpose of the visit was to attend a TRF (The Rotary Foundation) seminar to learn more about the overall organization and structure of funds and programs that are supported on the international level.  This is important because the Ambassadorial Scholarship program is a “TRF Program.”  It was great to meet so many new Rotary folks and more detail about everything Rotary does.

We stayed overnight in Ipoh and were hosted the president of the Rotary Club of Greentown and his lovely wife in their home.  On Monday they and fellow Rotarians arranged for us to take a heritage tour of the city.  Ipoh is know for its historical tin mining, limestone caves, food of course (even famous bean sprouts!), etc., etc.  It was supposed to be a walking tour, but the guide was so excited that he also drove us one of the many Chinese cave temples and also visited.

Later that evening we attended a wonderful Rotary Club of Greentown meeting and combined Deepavali Fellowship at one of the members homes.  I always enjoy and appreciate being invited to people’s homes and getting to experience how everyday Malaysians live.  They provided a delicious Indian food meal and everyone was dressed up in Punjabi outfits to create a festive mood, including Tomoko and I.  We both gave abbreviated versions of our presentations about our countries and culture and enjoyed fellowship with the members throughout the evening. 

It was late by the time the meeting ended so there was no train, but we had to be back for classes the next morning.  So that left the option of taking the express train back to Kuala Lumpur at 5:30am.  We made it in time, but I was very tired by the end of Tuesday night, but I stayed up long enough to enjoy a special treat from Tomoko.

 
Tomoko lived in Bolivia for 2 years as a volunteer (kind of like the Peace Corps, but from Japan).  Lately we have been craving Spanish/Mexican food and have been keeping our ears open for places around the city.  So Tuesday night she put her culinary skills to work and prepared a feast of fish tacos (although we couldn’t quite find tortillas so had to substitute some kind of roti indian pancake), including salsa, and even guacamole!  Thanks Tomoko : )







Ipoh is named for the poisonous ipoh tree (Antiaris Toxicaria) that one grew all around here.  This one stands near the center of the old part of city in front of the train station.

Birch Memorial Clock Tower, in memory of James WW Birch by his son.  He was this states first British resident who was murdered.

It turns out that Tomoko's Japanese city of Fukuoka and Ipoh are sister cities.  In the tourist museum they had a Japanese display to commemorate this, but Tomoko couldn't help but correct the kimono display as they had the mannequin wearing it incorrectly : )



A sign in the Royal Ipoh Club that reminded the gentlemen that they were Gentlemen.



Preparing satay in a back alley.

Entrance to one of the Chinese cave temples.

Inside the cave temple.



Tomoko and I in our Punjabi suits after presenting to the Rotary Club of Greentown.



The Rotarian whose home the fellowship was held at displayed some interesting yard art.  It turns out he works in the latex glove manufacturing field and these are what they use as the molds for the rubber gloves. 

Beach

Sorry for the delay in posting, last week was very busy as we secured and moved into a new apartment, celebrated with birthday festivities, and then I hoped on a plane to southern Thailand to enjoy the beaches where I am now.  We're on a week long mid-semester break at the university that coincides with a Muslim holiday.  But I’ve been staying in a beach bungalow on Phi Phi Island without internet so there is no way to be productive and I am forced to lounge on the beach all day reading novels and enjoying the snorkeling, haha, poor me : )  I’ll try and catch up with posts in the next few days about my trip to Ipoh last the weekend before last and other festivities. 

After lots of pondering of where to go, and trying to get multiple people to join me on a mini adventure, I eventually kind of gave up and just bought a ticket to Phuket, Thailand and decided I would figure it out from there.  There are so many travel options when you are based out of Kuala Lumpur because everything is so close together, that its almost torture trying to decide where to go!  Especially coming from Alaska where your options are so limited.  I thought maybe Indonesia or Vietnam at first, but finally in the end just decided to do it quick and easy and visit a highly touristic area, since I was going to be traveling on my own most of the trip and its hard to get reliable information about the flooding up north.  Is it only Bangkok?  I've heard Cambodia too?  Does that mean it can be flooding in parts of Vietnam as well?  Better to not take the chance on a rainy vacation. 

The trip has been pretty sweet so far, I'm happy to be spending the first week of my 26th year in style.  I’ve been enjoying the beach, some more beach, and then after that, a little more beach which is exactly what I was looking for.  Although it’s always hot in Kuala Lumpur, I rarely am outside relaxing and soaking in the vitamin D.  One reason is because our “old” apartment doesn’t have anywhere that you can go outside and just sit and relax, your either inside the building, or in the parking lot.  There are two balconies in the apartment, but they aren’t “open.”  They have grates across the open space and another balcony directly above so there is no sky to see.  Thankfully the new place has a pool, open to the sky, so I have hope that when I return to Alaska I won’t be the same color as when I left. 

So far I’m a few days into the trip.  There’s no point in describing anything in too much detail so I’ll try and keep it short.  I rushed to the airport after a whole strenuous day of packing and moving into the new apartment, that was after getting up at 6am on a Saturday (after how many glasses of wine on the birthday night before?) to attending a Rotary meeting, and got to the airport to discover that my flight was delayed by 3 hours.  I ate and explored around before finally giving in and just waiting at the gate to watch the flight keep getting delayed even longer.  Eventually they called us up and I thought we were getting on the plane, but really they were giving out complimentary McDonald’s burgers and bottles of water to everyone for the inconvenience.  First of all, when does an airline ever give away anything for free these days, and second, yuck!  After that the whole lobby smelled like fast food and we were still late. 

Enough complaining, I made it to Phuket eventually and caught a mini bus to Patong. I didn’t stay too long, just one whole day which was enough to explore this uber/ultra/crazy/tourist bizzaro world. But I did enjoy that you could rent a beach lounge chair with a cushion for $3 USD and have a cocktail delivered to you without having to even lift your lazy eye lids. I scooted out of there quickly the next day to Koh Phi Phi (pronounced PP) by ferry, which is also very touristy, but I opted for a more remote beach on the island with only a few bungalows and 2 restaurants. The beach is plenty big and the snorkeling quite fantastic. Two days of pure toes in the sand and book in hand. Koh Phi Phi is where the movie“The Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed. Off to another beautiful beach via water taxi…Railay Beach.

The islands here are very dramatic with beautiful limestone cliffs and vegetation.

View from my beach bungalow at high tide. 

I shared my bungalow with a few geckos, a mouse, and even a hermit crab that I saved and released back to the beach.  What more do you need besides a clean bed and a cold outdoor shower when you spend all day on the beach anyways?  For $15USD it did the trick.

Portion of Phi Phi Island.  I do miss the snow, especially reading about the crazy storm that is about to hit Alaska, but with this as an option, I'm sure I can survive one year without winter :)

Don't kiss the fish :)