My Impressions of Cambodia

I must apologize! So many folks have been asking me about my blog, and between all my travels and moving home from Australia, I haven't had a moment to write. But I have been so thrilled with how many people have mentioned my blog - thank you to all who have been reading and following my adventures.


I last left off in Phuket, Thailand....from there, Christian and I traveled to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Many know of Cambodia from Angelina Jolie's movie Tomb Raider and her adoption of her first son, Maddox, from the country. Having never seen the movie, I learned of this interesting country from friends who'd traveled there. For those not aware of the fascinating history of Cambodia, I thought I'd provide a bit of background for you.

Angkor Wat

Cambodia is a country in Southeast Asia bordered by the Gulf of Thailand, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. It was established in 802 AD at the start of the Khmer Empire, which ruled for 600 years under what was known as the Angkorian Period. Cambodia was colonized by the French in the mid-19th century but regained independence in 1953 and became the most popular tourist destination in southeast Asia. In 1970, as a spillover from the Vietnam War, Cambodia was thrust into a bloody civil war that gave rise to the evil Khmer Rouge under the leadership of a sinister Pol Pot. 


The Khmer Rouge was a Communist party that worked to transition Cambodia to an agrarian, self-sufficient society. It forced citizens out of the urban areas and into rural work as peasants. In order to have full control, it even demolished the currency. The real evil of the empire was the genocide; in 4 short years, 2M+ Cambodians were killed, reducing Cambodia's population by 1/3. As a result, there are very few Cambodians between the ages of 30-70; everyone is either quite elderly or very young. In 1978, the Vietnamese helped to overthrow the Khmer Rouge. It wasn't until 1993 that Cambodia established its Constitution and modern form of government. Cambodia is now in the top 10 of the world's fastest growing economies, however per capita annual income remains under US$3000. After such a painful history, the country is still rebuilding and rediscovering itself. 


Now, for my impressions.....I am actually glad that I waited 6 weeks to write this blog post. Why, you ask? Well, after visiting Cambodia, I couldn't get it off my mind in the week following my trip. I couldn't quite articulate why, but I was so happy and thankful to have visited. Now, six weeks later, I actually feel the same way. Cambodia stays with you, in good ways. Despite their horrific past, the people are happy, generous, peaceful and welcoming. They are proud of their country, its resurgence and their survival. Family is of ultimate importance and life is simple and full of opportunity. Their smiles are just beautiful.


Across the main day of touring the temples and Siem Reap area, I was able to meet local villagers. One family's business is making palm sugar pastes and candies. We passed their village and stopped to watch them make the palm sugar paste. The method was to melt and stir it in a large silver bowl over open flame. They were all too happy to have me sample their candy and take a photo of them! We also passed local women fishing for their evening meal in a local rice paddy. They had open-ended baskets that they popped into the mud, then bent down to feel for trapped fish. Once fish were caught (by hand), they were placed in the little baskets on the ladies' hips. The women were very proud of their work, but were admittedly bashful with the attention we were giving them.

A village boy making palm sugar paste

Local village women fishing

The Cambodian cuisine was delicious! It is very similar to other Asian cuisines, but is surprisingly mild with little heat or spice. The "national" dish is a fish amok, which is a mild coconut curry prepared in a style similar to a souffle. Christian and I had dinner at the open-aired Sugar Palm restaurant our first night and enjoyed a lovely fish amok and $0.75 Angkor beers! Our entire bill for several large beers and about 6 dishes was...wait for it...a whopping US$14! We also had a lovely pork dish at a local eatery just outside the Angkor Wat temple for lunch the next day; on a hot day, that Angkor beer hit the spot!!

Me at the Sugar Palm with our fish amok

Me devouring the delightful pork dish at a VERY local eatery 

Christian and me enjoying our Angkor beers. Each cost about 50 cents.

I will return to visit this beautiful country and lovely people one day. In the meantime, I pledge to read as much as I can to better understand its history and do all I can to help the rebuilding. For many years, I have supported people in many regions of the world through micro-lending via a great organization called Kiva.org, and have focused my lending to Cambodians since visiting. If you have any interest in learning more, please let me know!


Next post will describe one the most incredible days of my life, which was spent visiting the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia.


Until next time...xoxo