Cambodia
Upon arrival in Siem Reap, Cambodia, we obtained our visas at the airport, found our guide, and were given lunches wrapped in a boxes made of woven fronds to eat on our way to the temples. We opened our boxes and found, in small compartments woven into the box, several kinds of fruit (including tiny bananas that Dr. Moran likened to eating candy bars), homemade chips, a sandwich, vegetable fritters, dessert, canned iced coffee...and, surrounded by scooters, we made our way to the temple. We ate our lunches attempting not to waste anything while driving through the lanes seeing dogs, monkeys, cattle,people cycling, working at various jobs, or lying in hammocks, and noticing that apart from spirit and plastic bags, there was little abundance to be seen anywhere.
We thought that we were going to enjoy a quiet first day after arriving because the original itinerary had said we would have lunch at the hotel, spend a quiet afternoon at the hotel (maybe enjoying free internet, air conditioning, the pool!), and then later go to see a "cultural dance" and have dinner. We quickly realized that the original itinerary had been incorrect and that lounging and laziness were not going to be a part of our itinerary. We had a long day the first (every?) day, but sitting at the hotel would have been sort of silly with so much to see---thats what we told one another.
We were fortunate and had professor GaryGriggs and liaisonsDeepika Griggs as our liaisons. Despite the heat and a few cases of illness, we were with a pretty resilient crowd. We spent days exploring Ta Prohm, Banyonvis Ta Keo, Thommanon, Chau Say, Tevoda, Elephants Terrace, Leper King Terrace, Bayon and South Gate of Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat. In the kind of heat and humidity we experienced while climbing, ducking, being mindful of the rubble and holes, (and ducking the many other tourists) it was reassuring to look over to others in the group and see other red faces dripping as much as our own. In the group we kept moving, but if we had been on our own, it would have been tempting to "take a break" in the afternoons and go swimming. The only time that our group became restless (well, that's too active a word--we were in a collective stupor after a heavy dinner following a long day) was during a the cultural dance show the first night. It was late, the fans overhead were moving but with little effect on the air, and the show was very long. The show kept going and going and going. At a table nearby, a group of German tourists had fallen asleep with their heads on the table! We chuckled, but each of us secretly wanted to follow their lead.
The temples were incredible. The fact that they have endured so many years and that the inticate carvings on their walls and the stone figures, huge and tiny ones as well, tell so many stories that we could see after all of this time was amazing. Enormous tree roots have grown over and around a number of temple structures almost becoming one with them. Small plants and grasses also sprout from the roofs and walls of the temples which is, in a way, far more interesting than if they stood in pristine condition, untouched by pieces of the universe the figures the temples were built for ruled over. Symbolism everywhere--for example, in addition to the figures, carvings, and lingas, Angkor Wat itself is built as a microcosm of the Hindu universe with the moats representing the mythical oceans, the galleries representing the mountains surrounding Mount Meru, and towers representing the mountain peaks. As Michael Freeman says, "...the experience of the ascent to the central shrine is, maybe intentionally, a fairly convincing imitation of climbing a real mountain." We had no idea we were going to be mountain climbing when we signed up to tour Angkor Wat!
At the hotel, Emma managed to wake up early one morning and FaceTime a few people for the first time on the trip. She also managed to download videos of Hollister and a few Modern Family episodes to watch on the ship. Alden stayed at the hotel for a few hours one afternoon and managed to watch the NBA AllStars game. We never made it into the pool--which looked amazing sitting just beyond where we ate breakfast everyday, but there will be other pools...or that is what we told ourselves!
Cambodia's history and the relatively recent horrors its people have endured were probably on the minds of most people throughout the trip, but the people we spoke with and saw were very welcoming and in really good spirits. The kids running around were often grinning and giggling and one afternoon as we sat in the shade of an outdoor cafe drinking cokes, chickens pecking at the ground beneath the table and ignoring the dogs running around, we watched one little boy, about 5 years old, whose mom was busy running the restaurant. He was playing with a long stick which was split in half at the top with another small stick jammed sideways into the gap. He would throw a length of rope up into the trees and then try to fish the rope off of the branch with the two sticks. He was having a great time and one by one other kids joined him and "helped" him. Pretty soon there were about five of them barefoot and giggling moving from tree to tree with the rope and stick taking turns.
As our bus made its way to the hotel in the evenings, kids would run out by the road and grin and wave as we passed. We had seen several documentaries on board the ship about the problem of children in Vietnam and Cambodia being preyed upon by men from a number of Western countries and had been told by friends who had visited both countries that this type of tourist was fairly obvious and we would see many of them. Seeing these kids laughing and welcoming us all day and into the evening while their parents worked in the background, it was really hard not to think of what we had learned was a big problem.
Between each port, we attend lectures from both professors and "inter-port lecturers", watch documentaries, and receive written information about each country we will be visiting. As a result of this information and what we have learned prior to the trip, we attempt to see the country while taking into account what we have learned. Occasionally, our guides, in answering questions, have been forced to recite what we know is fairly scripted information that doesn't always present the truth in entirety (or even partially). We make a small attempt to peel back the layers of each place that we visit, knowing that we will, in reality, only glimpse tiny fragments of what life is like for those who live there.
Cambodia will remain one of our favorite places. The people were so kind, friendly, and in good spirits. The food was delicious. The countryside is beautiful- lush and green and it can appear a bit blurred and romantic due to the humidity (and maybe signs of heat induced altered perception because our bodies and brains were about to melt?)...Cambodia is definently on the list of countries we hope to return to one day. Angkor Wat is unlike anything we have experienced and stays with you--a humbling experience.
Upon arrival in Siem Reap, Cambodia, we obtained our visas at the airport, found our guide, and were given lunches wrapped in a boxes made of woven fronds to eat on our way to the temples. We opened our boxes and found, in small compartments woven into the box, several kinds of fruit (including tiny bananas that Dr. Moran likened to eating candy bars), homemade chips, a sandwich, vegetable fritters, dessert, canned iced coffee...and, surrounded by scooters, we made our way to the temple. We ate our lunches attempting not to waste anything while driving through the lanes seeing dogs, monkeys, cattle,people cycling, working at various jobs, or lying in hammocks, and noticing that apart from spirit and plastic bags, there was little abundance to be seen anywhere.
We thought that we were going to enjoy a quiet first day after arriving because the original itinerary had said we would have lunch at the hotel, spend a quiet afternoon at the hotel (maybe enjoying free internet, air conditioning, the pool!), and then later go to see a "cultural dance" and have dinner. We quickly realized that the original itinerary had been incorrect and that lounging and laziness were not going to be a part of our itinerary. We had a long day the first (every?) day, but sitting at the hotel would have been sort of silly with so much to see---thats what we told one another.
We were fortunate and had professor GaryGriggs and liaisonsDeepika Griggs as our liaisons. Despite the heat and a few cases of illness, we were with a pretty resilient crowd. We spent days exploring Ta Prohm, Banyonvis Ta Keo, Thommanon, Chau Say, Tevoda, Elephants Terrace, Leper King Terrace, Bayon and South Gate of Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat. In the kind of heat and humidity we experienced while climbing, ducking, being mindful of the rubble and holes, (and ducking the many other tourists) it was reassuring to look over to others in the group and see other red faces dripping as much as our own. In the group we kept moving, but if we had been on our own, it would have been tempting to "take a break" in the afternoons and go swimming. The only time that our group became restless (well, that's too active a word--we were in a collective stupor after a heavy dinner following a long day) was during a the cultural dance show the first night. It was late, the fans overhead were moving but with little effect on the air, and the show was very long. The show kept going and going and going. At a table nearby, a group of German tourists had fallen asleep with their heads on the table! We chuckled, but each of us secretly wanted to follow their lead.
The temples were incredible. The fact that they have endured so many years and that the inticate carvings on their walls and the stone figures, huge and tiny ones as well, tell so many stories that we could see after all of this time was amazing. Enormous tree roots have grown over and around a number of temple structures almost becoming one with them. Small plants and grasses also sprout from the roofs and walls of the temples which is, in a way, far more interesting than if they stood in pristine condition, untouched by pieces of the universe the figures the temples were built for ruled over. Symbolism everywhere--for example, in addition to the figures, carvings, and lingas, Angkor Wat itself is built as a microcosm of the Hindu universe with the moats representing the mythical oceans, the galleries representing the mountains surrounding Mount Meru, and towers representing the mountain peaks. As Michael Freeman says, "...the experience of the ascent to the central shrine is, maybe intentionally, a fairly convincing imitation of climbing a real mountain." We had no idea we were going to be mountain climbing when we signed up to tour Angkor Wat!
At the hotel, Emma managed to wake up early one morning and FaceTime a few people for the first time on the trip. She also managed to download videos of Hollister and a few Modern Family episodes to watch on the ship. Alden stayed at the hotel for a few hours one afternoon and managed to watch the NBA AllStars game. We never made it into the pool--which looked amazing sitting just beyond where we ate breakfast everyday, but there will be other pools...or that is what we told ourselves!
Cambodia's history and the relatively recent horrors its people have endured were probably on the minds of most people throughout the trip, but the people we spoke with and saw were very welcoming and in really good spirits. The kids running around were often grinning and giggling and one afternoon as we sat in the shade of an outdoor cafe drinking cokes, chickens pecking at the ground beneath the table and ignoring the dogs running around, we watched one little boy, about 5 years old, whose mom was busy running the restaurant. He was playing with a long stick which was split in half at the top with another small stick jammed sideways into the gap. He would throw a length of rope up into the trees and then try to fish the rope off of the branch with the two sticks. He was having a great time and one by one other kids joined him and "helped" him. Pretty soon there were about five of them barefoot and giggling moving from tree to tree with the rope and stick taking turns.
As our bus made its way to the hotel in the evenings, kids would run out by the road and grin and wave as we passed. We had seen several documentaries on board the ship about the problem of children in Vietnam and Cambodia being preyed upon by men from a number of Western countries and had been told by friends who had visited both countries that this type of tourist was fairly obvious and we would see many of them. Seeing these kids laughing and welcoming us all day and into the evening while their parents worked in the background, it was really hard not to think of what we had learned was a big problem.
Between each port, we attend lectures from both professors and "inter-port lecturers", watch documentaries, and receive written information about each country we will be visiting. As a result of this information and what we have learned prior to the trip, we attempt to see the country while taking into account what we have learned. Occasionally, our guides, in answering questions, have been forced to recite what we know is fairly scripted information that doesn't always present the truth in entirety (or even partially). We make a small attempt to peel back the layers of each place that we visit, knowing that we will, in reality, only glimpse tiny fragments of what life is like for those who live there.
Cambodia will remain one of our favorite places. The people were so kind, friendly, and in good spirits. The food was delicious. The countryside is beautiful- lush and green and it can appear a bit blurred and romantic due to the humidity (and maybe signs of heat induced altered perception because our bodies and brains were about to melt?)...Cambodia is definently on the list of countries we hope to return to one day. Angkor Wat is unlike anything we have experienced and stays with you--a humbling experience.