Cultural crawl in Cambodia

I rediscovered my Hindu roots when I visited Cambodia. Hinduism is not the main religion of the country and is in fact only practiced by a minority group. However, there was a time when it was a dominant religion, with the world’s largest Hindu temple at Angkor Wat and scattered remnants of other stunning, former Hindu temples.

And for a country that withstood the terrifying reign of the Khmer Rouge and the communist regime of the Vietnamese, it lives to tell the tale with dignity. A living example of karma and accepting what fate has in store for you, something the Hindu and Buddhist antecedents of the Cambodian faith has instilled in its people.

Cambodia is a beautifully underdeveloped third world country, desperately in need of resuscitation, but, still lovely in its untouched naiveté. The people are gentle and their candour is refreshing. They have no hesitance in sharing their history, the grim and the pleasant, the violent and the peaceful, the now and the then. My five days in the country were a true crawl through culture. A walk in time, at a pace dictated by these peace-loving, forgiving people.

My lesson in Khmer life started at Phnom Penh.  I was entranced by the dichotomy of the city with it’s cycle rickshaws, the bustle of traffic, noise and commotion juxtaposed with the meditating people by the riverside, the architecture and temples and the happy hour tourist’s at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club. And I was perplexed at how effortlessly our guide went from temple visits and the stunning Grand Palace to visiting Choeung Ek, the site of atrocities of the killing fields, a place with a nimiety of memories. While I was all choked up and reeling from utter disbelief, my guide, Eng Veng, (engveng@hotmail.com)  just shrugged his shoulders and said he was not ashamed about the history of his country, something he experienced first hand. The sight of mass graves, the pile of skulls, the torture weapons can be unnerving and shakes the faith in humanity. Later, at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, we met an inmate of the infamous S-21 barracks, which was a converted school. His portrait painting abilities flattered his narcissistic tormentors and helped him get away with his life. Mute witness to the daily beatings, drowning and hangings of victims forced to sign untrue pledges, he was deadpan about his torture and now signs books about his experience and poses for pictures with tourists, in order to make a living. Stoicism personified. 

An ugly five-star hotel built across the Grand Palace, at the crossing of four rivers, mars the view from the palace and sticks out like a gash on an unlined cheek but taught me another another lesson of Cambodian acceptance. The Vietnamese owner is a friend of the current Prime Minister and hence permission was not an issue. Cambodians do not like their longest serving Prime Minister, but his corrupt practices and stuffing of the ballot boxes ensure his continuance. Stoicism is ingrained in their DNA. At Wat Phnom I saw a woman release a cage of birds: a custom at the temple where people ask for their wishes to be granted. I marvel at such faith, the same faith that helped them overcome four years of Pol Pot cruelty and come out of it seemingly unscathed. It was a time the beautiful Grand Palace was devoid of the King who had fled the country but he is also back now.

And so life goes on. Phnom Penh was a revelation in so many ways. The locals make it easy to marvel at the beauty of their religious and cultural buildings while at the same time blink away tears at inhumane behavior, imbibe the flavours of the local cuisine, relish the firm touch of their masseurs and enjoy the revelry of drinking with other tourists at the riverfront. We stayed at the Raffles, an epitome of old world charm. It is well located and the staff are efficient  and friendly.  And then, with much honking and weaving through traffic, we left the capital for Siam Reap. And were immediately transported to another era. On one level it is difficult to believe the two cities belong to the same country because of the sudden switch to a slow-paced life, the innocence of the guides compared to the savvier Phnom Penh ones and the small world charm after the big city life. On the other hand, there are many similarities; the acceptance of what fate has dealt, the relentless pursuit of tourists, the open embrace of consumerism, bureaucracy and beauty juxtaposed and the unfalteringly gentle spirit of the Khmer people. We stayed a little outside Siam Reap at the Anantara resort. There are other hotels closer to the city centre but it was nice to stay farther away and enjoy a dose of Cambodian tranquility. Most hotels offer free tuk tuk services to and from town. 

Siam Reap is a temple city and home to Angkor Wat. I was entranced from the get go; by the scale of the complex, the beautifully carved statues, the mythological stories etched on walls, the fashionable Apsara reliefs scattered all over, the Buddhist relics in a Hindu structure and everywhere the essence of Hindu culture far away from the land of its origin. It is a city witness to myriad architectural marvels, be it the giant gates to the ancient city of Angkor Thom or the crumbling splendor of the Rolous group of temples, glittering water bodies reflecting the temples they surround or tall trees holding sway over the precincts, the large table of the elephant terrace or the steep steps to temple tops.  And sometimes, as we trudged in the red mud from one temple to the next, climbed up high and gazed out at the countryside, one temple faded into the next and I began losing track of which temple I had seen and what was still to come. But my trigger happy finger could not and would not stop. A Brahma here, a Vishnu there. A Garuda sculpture over a temple entrance or a Naga balustrade. Everything was enthralling. At Ta Phroum, I wanted to capture every root taking over the temple buildings despite knowing it was deliberate tourist exploitation because of the movie, Tombraider. A matter of pride is the Indian government also helping in restoring the temple. Restoration projects abound revealing the value placed on heritage and also the understanding of the vital role tourism plays in resuscitation of the faltering Cambodian economy. In fact at times, it was difficult to tell if a structure was ancient or restored. A popular place to visit is Kbal Spean with the promised Thousand Lingas. But it proved to be underwhelming. After an exhilarating 1800 metre trek, I expected to see a river full of lingas but the description belies the truth. In reality the lingas are carved on rock faces and almost buried in the stream flowing over it. Undertake this trip only if you are fond of trekking and not for any architectural marvel.

And finally no visit to Siam Reap is complete without a visit to the famed Pub Street. Like the waterfront of Phnom Penh, this is the hub of tourist activity in the after hours.  Temple Club is apparently Brangelina’s favourite bar in town and the ‘free Apsara show’ on offer notwithstanding, I found it to be just another tourist gimmick. Sure I succumbed to the thrill of buying bargain souvenirs at the night market and gawked at the cockroaches and snakes on sale by the innovative cycle shops on the sidewalks but rather than get drowned in the pubs on this raucous street, I preferred to dine at nearby restaurants such as Olive, a testament to the French chef’s culinary skill and Aha, serving local Cambodian fare. And as I sat, satiated in my tuk tuk ride back to the hotel, my camera was still whirring trying to capture cycle rickshaw bars serving people perched on high stools, street-side food carts made out of converted tuk tuks and the unending sights and sounds of Pub street that turns this sleepy town into a party paradise.

My five-day cultural crawl in Cambodia revealed layers and depths of this South East Asian country and I left the country more enlightened, certainly humbled and in awe of the resilience of its people. A resilience honed by exposure to the tenets of Hinduism and Buddhism giving me much to ponder and a thirst for rediscovery.