The land of contrasts: the beauty of Angkor Wat and the brutality of the Khmer Rouge

…And the Guiness World Record for the biggest motorcycle load goes to…

After two weeks pedalling through Cambodia and visiting many of its tourist attractions, I think more than in any other county I’ve traversed I can conclude that it’s truly a land of contrasts. But rather than kickstart the blog with a series of touristy cliches, I’ll let the images do the talking…

 

 

Once again in Cambodia I was frustrated with my camping efforts. On my first night in the country I set up my tent amongst a lovely community of villagers and played with the children until sunset (below). Despite having permission from the entire community the police had other ideas. After hours of exasperated defiance in the dark against the local officers, I had to eventually relocate to stay within the grounds of the police station. It was extremely annoying given the friendliness of the villagers and complete safety of my campsite. Later the police were amazed by the tent poles, and hilariously even asked to have one as a souvenir!

It’s a common downside of touring SE Asia on the bike – thankfully monks gladly accomodate cycle tourists on the temple floors each evening…

In Phnom Penh I was able to visit both the S21 prison and Killing Fields, two notorious sites of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime of 1975-79. I first visited the S21, which was originally a high school but converted into prison cells and torture chambers against supposed ‘enemies of the state’ (which could include, for instance, wearing glasses or stealing a piece of fruit for your starving family). As a school teacher I was particularly moved by entire classrooms barricaded into small prison cells. I later visited ‘The Killing Fields’, where an estimated 20, 000 people met their deaths – usually by being hacked with an agricultural tool and thrown into a pit.  Babies were simply bashed against a tree trunk until their screams were silenced. It was a harrowing experience, and one that I will no doubt remember for a lifetime…

However, it was the personal stories of senseless suffering that really makes the visitor to S21 appreciate the attrocious crimes committed by Pol Pot’s government. Afterall, it was Stalin who said that ‘a single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic’.

While my Thai visa was being processed I took a three day break on the Cambodian Coast with a good cycling Dutch friend. We had cycled together in Georgia, and after six months it was fantastic to see Joris again and have him spoil me rotten with a free beachside bungalow (courtesy of the fabulous manager at Mushroom Point), island boat tour, food and cocktails. Joris is truly living the dream, working in paradise amongst a fantastic crew of friends and collegues – it took a lot to force myself not to get a job at the bar for six months. Otres Beach (along with the olive farm in Greece) has been added to the list of places to return to and live later in life. At the moment I remain  as determined as ever to raise funds and publicity for the incredible scientists researching cancer through AICR grants around the world.

After a few days back on the bike I reached the fabled city of Siem Reap. I spent an incredible day off on the bicycle exploring the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat, whose temples soon became my favourite UNESCO site of my journey. It was fantastic to wander amongst the ruins, especially on the quieter smaller temples scattered in the area hidden away from the hordes of tourists. I literally took hundreds of images, so it was tough choosing these few favourites…

It was superb – that’s all that needs to be said!

When I left Siem Reap the following day I rode through a refreshing storm. It wasn’t long until I got a terrifying shock when I was nearly struck by lightning. As I rode along on a quiet stretch of road in the middle of rice paddies I heard and saw the telegraph pole flash close by from the force of the lightening, with my vision blanketed by the quick flash surrounding me. It was a close call, but I stubbornly (and stupidly perhaps) rode on while I had momentum on the bike.

Surviving the storm, it was great to be back in the countryside witnessing local religious festivities away from the tourist hordes inside Angkor Wat…

The landscape through the flat ricefields was very scenic, especially through the long sunsets until I could reach the next Wat to kip for the night…

But when mosquitoes strike sometimes the only option is to pitch the tent, thereby sleeping in through prayers and waking to eat the mornings alms meal.

I’m now in Bangkok waiting for the arrival of my sister Chantelle, who will join me for the following two weeks on the bike to pedal southwards to the islands…