Hello Everyone!
I am in Cambodia!!! If you have been keeping obsessive track of my plans you know I am meant to be in Koh PhaNgan doing a ten day detox. This was made impossible, however, by the crazy severe flooding that happened in the South of Thailand. When Liz came and visited me we actually got stuck in Koh Samui for three extra days because all flights were cancelled and we were in a hotel with no electricity, running water, or food. Clearly that's all a story within itself that I won't go into detail about now. I felt bad though because Liz finally came all the way here and then we had zero beach days and we didn't even get to Phuket. But anyway, the unusual and extreme flooding caused an emergency situation where I live and also in Koh PhNgan, so it turned out I couldn't get home nor to the island. While contemplating what the hell to do with myself, my good friend Anneliese said... "You could come to Cambodia with me tomorrow!...." and the idea was planted and so the seed grew into a plan.
And now I am in Siem Reap. Today we went to Angkor Wat all day and it was amaaaazzzing. It is incredible to see these temples in the middle of the forest that were built over 1,000 years ago. As soon as we are back in Thailand i will be able to put Anneliese's photos on my computer and share them with you. I left my camera in Thailand, as Cambodia does not have the best reputation in terms of theft of expensive objects. Yesterday we took a bus here from Phnom Penh, where we had been since Sunday. Let me start with my first impressions of Cambodia.... it's CRAZY. There seem to be a million more motorbikes than in Thailand, people drive like maniacs, and the tuk tuks here and just glorified wagons hooked onto the back of motorbikes. There is chaos all around, and they use the American dollar. It's crazy to be using American money for the first time in 6 months and to have it be here in Cambodia. There are also a lot more people who speak English here... so it's about as close to home as I've been since October.
There are also adorable small children EVERYWHERE selling everything from postcards to bracelets to water; everything for $1. And they define persistence. "You buy postcards lady? One dollar... Ten for one dollar.... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10.... One dollar lady you buy them". Constant. It's really unsettling because first of all, they're clearly dirt poor and desperate. And second of all, the only English word they seem to not understand is "no". I said "No thank you!" in a pleasant tone about 574 times before I ended up with bracelets I never wanted. But it's strange to be here, because in Thailand poverty is not so in your face. Actually I've never been anywhere that poverty is so in your face. The good thing is that there seem to be heaps of really good people doing really good things here... all kinds of orphanages and things like that. Speaking of people who come to Cambodia to do good things.... today we were at Angkor Wat and there were Americans in a tour group ahead of us. There was a really pretty girl who in an instant exemplified everything that is wrong with Americans... she says to the tour guide: "Oh yeah, I know Angkor Wat, because I think this is where Angelina Jolie adopted her baby from." Yes, American, that is EXACTLY why it's important and why you should know about it. Oy vey.
But anyway, when we were in Phnom Penh we went to the Killing Fields and to the S-21 Museum, which is the former school-turned-prison where Pol Pot's people interrogated and tortured many Cambodian people. And at the Killing Fields is where they have the giant glass case with all of the skulls and other bones that they dug up from the mass graves, as well as the mass graves. The entire experience was really strange and sad and sobering. It was strange to be at a place where genocide took place. It was really spooky in a way, but I still don't think I actually fully absorbed the significance of it. It was hard to do. It is hard to imagine that in the very room you are standing someone was tortured and murdered. And that an entire country was paralyzed by the insanity of one man and his "clique". Today we had a tuk tuk driver that showed us all around Angkor Wat. At lunch he sat at our table with us and we got to talking. He told us that his father and his oldest sister were both killed by Pol Pot, and that his mother went insane and hasn't been right since. It was the saddest story I have ever heard, and there was such great sadness in his eyes. I just can't even imagine... can't even imagine putting myself in his place. And he wants so badly to go to University but he can't afford the $500 a year to go because all of his money goes to his mother and other members of his family. I wish I had $500.
I think if Cambodia has taught me anything, it has taught me how very very lucky I am. To have a family that loves me, to never have been the victim of such violence, to have money and education. It has also taught me that people who have been subjected to these hardships can still be so beautiful and kind. It's amazing. I think I should never ever again complain about anything. Anyway, tomorrow we will go to the national museum and to a Cambodian dance show, so I am very thrilled about that. I hope that you are all well and happy. I miss America but I am having the BEST time. 6 months down and 6 to go....
<3 xoxoxxoxoxoxxoxoxo
