Perks on Earth

Having travelled with Dara for the last month, being joined by beautiful friends along the way, the time came to part in Bangkok and go our separate ways for a while. I have always wanted to travel solo, to experience a unique and exciting way to see new places. In South East Asia, a large proportion of backpackers are solo, picking up travel buddies for some of their routes. The independence of solo travel is what entices me, acting according to your own needs and wants on your own tailored schedule. These are the things I wanted to experience, and as my hankering to see Cambodia coincided with my visa expiring, the time had come to wave goodbye and head to the Cambodian border.

Saying goodbye to the boys in the early hours, I left the hostel and walked to the bus station as Bangkok entered the peculiar hours where early risers and late night party goers walked the streets together. That walk alone was enough to set my excitement firmly in place, the air of apprehension of being alone dissipating in the knowledge that in just a few hours, I would be over the border and into a country I have read about for so long. Even the bus to Siem Reap treated me to nine hours of beautiful landscapes, so starkly different to the Thai countryside despite being neighbors. My first stop on my Cambodian itinerary was the same as most people coming to Cambodia- Angor Wat. Arriving to Onedererz Hostel in Siem Reap, I was greeted by friendly faces and the comfiest bed I have yet to experience in SE Asia. The adventure felt different this time, and I was excited.

Angor Wat

Having not known much about this temple bar seeing the impressive photographs splashed across most Cambodia tourist posters, I went with a group tour from our hostel in the hopes of gaining an insight into the massive temple complex. Waking at 4am, we headed to the Tuktuks to buy our Angor passes with our amazing guide David. The early start was worth it, and despite the cloud cover, watching Angor Wat appear as the sun rose an awe inspiring experience. David told us all about Angor’s past, fluctuating under Hindu and Buddhism, but always the Holy City (the Khmer for Angor). As Siem Reap is my first stop, it was so interesting to hear David talk about Cambodias painful recent past, the Khmer Rouge. 3 million Cambodians were killed during the Rue, with the last gunshots fired in 1991. Only 31 years ago. I found it heartbreaking to imagine the experience of so many Cambodians, only a few years older than myself having experienced such violence and unrest. To be able to see Cambodia now, it makes it all the more real how welcoming the people are, delighting at foreign tourists re-entering their country and contributing to the previously broken economy.

Angor Wat itself was just amazing, as were the 3 surrounding temples we visited, so much so that I think words fall short (check out my ‘Angor in pictures’ blog!). Despite the early start and unforgiving heat, my first day in Cambodia was a truly amazing one. The next day we headed back to see the sunset, and again despite the cloud cover, Angor is just a beautiful place to witness.

Paradise hunting

Heading south on an over night bus (10 hours sharing a tiny bed with a nice Cambodian man – very squashed) I made it to the south coast at Sekouville. After island hopping in Thailand, I was eager to see their Cambodian sisters, and hearing so many amazing reports from people who had just been, I set my sights on Koh Rong Sameleom, the smaller of the islands, searching for paradise.

A very choppy ferry ride dropped us off at Saracen bay, and as we waited for our hostel longboat, we watched the paradise before us. As we sat peacefully, the man next to me said: “It’s like waiting for the bus, just at the best bus stop in the world”. At this bus stop, I could wait all day. I chose to stay at Mad Monkey, a hostel with a private bay and pier bar, sold on their bamboo dorm rooms in the jungle on the waters edge. On my trip so far, this has been the best hostel. Not only in the most beautiful location, but filled with some of the nicest people too. The days were filled with sun and sea, and the evening filled with socializing, drinking, dancing, and swimming with the plankton as they glowed beneath the dark waves.

For the next two days, I headed back to the main bay with Teresa and Zoe, newfound friends (and 10/10 girls too!), and we spent two more beautiful days enjoying the relaxed pace of life on the island. Lazy Beach, on the opposite side of the island and one of the worlds top 20 beaches, was home to much of this relaxation. The white sand and crystal waters amazed me, and reminded me of the paradise I had been picturing on my Asian adventure. On our last night, we watched the sunset paint the sky a deep orange. At last, pure contentment washed over me, paradise had been found.

After a night of a few too many cocktails and the worlds best (worst) game of pool, we left the island for a long, hot, and cramped journey to the capital Phnom Penh. Leaving Koh Rong Samloem was a little bitter sweet, but I think it’s hard to leave a place that brought me so much happiness. I doubt it will be long till I’m back.

Phnom Penh

When I roughly planned my trip, Phnom Penh was not high on my list. However, after hearing about the Khmer Rouge and it’s affects on the Cambodian nation, I felt a responsibility to visit the S21 museum and Killing fields, not a fun visit but worthwhile for sure.

I’m not sure how to write about this experience, bar that it was deeply upsetting. The fact that the genocide ended only 40 years ago is incomprehensible to me, having grown up in a nation which has known peace for both my and my parents generations. 3 million Cambodian people died. 3 million lives lost to hate, men, women, and children. The Cambodian people, so warm and welcoming, all have been affected by the genocide, reciting stories of parents, siblings, friends, loved ones, who lost their lives to the Khmer Rouge. Leaving the Killing Field, I don’t think I’ve felt as somber, overwhelmed with the burden of hearing of so much suffering.

This is important. Seeing the bones of those who lost their lives is hard, but it is important to recognize that this happened, and it cannot happen again. Hate harbors violence and we must all work individually to not became hateful, to understand humans are flawed and diverse, but we are all one. I don’t have much more to say about my last day in Cambodia, as it has been a somber end to a beautiful time. History shapes future, and the Cambodian people are the most beautiful in their dream of rebuilding their beautiful nation.

For now, goodbye to one of my favorite countries to date. When I’m back, I have a much longer list of stops to learn and experience even more of the beauty of Cambodia.