Cambodia

Cambodia - the country of Angkor Wat, beautiful beaches, deserted islands, vast highlands, and the splendid capital of Phnom Penh. Unfortunately it is also the country of street beggers, limbless land mine victims, UXO (unexploded ordinance) areas in almost every province, relentless beach hawkers, pickpocketers, six year old thieves, child sex tourism, sexual slavery, extreme poverty, and a legacy of genocide so horrific it's almost unbelievable. A week in this country has both thickened my skin and softened my heart as I have faced each of these realities. I'm torn between anger and compassion, between the desire to help and the realization that in most cases I cannot.

Every day 40 people in the world are killed or maimed by land mines. As one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, Cambodia's countryside is littered with land mines planted during the war. Ordinary children, rice farmers, and travellers fall victim to the carelessness with which these mines were placed and to the neglect of the responsible parties to clean up their murderous mess.

From 1975-1979 a man named Pol Pot led the government of the Khmer Rouge that was responsible for killing millions of Cambodian citizens (experts put the number anywhere between one and three million). To learn more about this horrific event in history Philip and I travelled to Cheong Ek, the "killing fields," outside of Phnom Penh. Large craters in the fields mark the site of mass graves used to hastily dispose of the victims' bodies; their contents now rest on dozens of glass shelves in a large pagoda built as a tribute to those who perished on those grounds. If you haven't ever heard of any of this, it's probably not just an oversight on the part of your history teacher. Both America and Britain backed this genocidal dictator as they were afraid that the advancing North Vietnamese Army would precipitate the spread of communism in SE Asia. Outraged by the killing of their own civilians by Pol Pot in south Vietnam, the Vietnamese did eventually bring down Pol Pot and are now seen as heros, while America is seen as...well you can probably guess how they feel.

The incredible temples of Angkor Wat reveal the legacy of a powerful ancient kingdom; their tall towers area perfect getaway for reflection and a relaxing look at the surrounding countryside. However, as soon as you step outside their outer gates you are met by children carrying postcards, t-shirts, and books, shouting to you about their cold drinks and lunch options. These hawkers are often children between the ages of five and eight who (in most cases) have been forced by their parents to tout these objects instead of going to school because tourists are more likely to buy from cute little kids. Not wanting to contribute to this form of child labor, we tried to only buy from older women. However, to get postcards we finally did aproach some of the children. Their abilities to understand any language that Philip and I tried to use to secretly discuss prices was amazing, but their haughty attitudes, high-pitched yelling, willingness to undercut each other on prices, and whining complaints when we would not buy from all of them made me quite uneasy, and we decided to just walk away. Apparently "you can't look and not buy" in Cambodia and the young girls ran after us threatening us with physical violence and cursing with extremely forceful, degrading English. My stunned reaction was somewhere between rage and pity. Threat of the police means nothing to these girls, so before losing our tempers we walked quickly over a bridge and away from their continued cursings.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia hundreds of locals roam up and down the beach carrying books, postcards, trays of fruit, bracelets, jewelry, shrimp, baguettes, scarves, paintings, oils for massages, string for hair tweezing, manicure supplies, and anything else they think a tourist might be talked into buying. If the relentless interruptions from our reading weren't enough, the theft of our bag by four boys (age six to ten) was enough to make me never want to even acknowledge these sellers again. Ignoring their questions and requests seems rude, but when "no thank you" is only met with more questions and outrage at your disregard for their handiwork, what do you do? (Note: we eventually regained all of our property except for our cash, no thanks to the police of the city who will only help you if you file a report and pay $20 for it - outrageous)

Cambodia is a third-world nation still recovering from horrific, tragic past events. Looking past all the logistical frustrations of traveling in this nation, I have loved the time we spent here, the stories I have heard, and the things I have seen. It's not a piece of cake to travel like Thailand, but it's incredibly rewarding and receives a high recommendation from me. Just make sure that when you come you bring some thick skin and an open mind.