This was the first time in my 44 years that I took a vacation with both my 69 year old mother and 10 year old son. My mother had already been to Bali four times to visit me, so she was eager to go somewhere new. Since I had been to Thailand several times before, I too wanted to explore new territories. It had always been a dream of mine to see the lost city of Angkor and the surrounding kingdoms, so we jointly decided to make the trip hoping it would be the adventure of a lifetime.
Our first stop was Phnom Phen, Cambodia’s capital. Once known as ‘The Pearl of Asia’ the brownish tint in the sky was not so inviting. The city was teeming with tuk tuks (drivers of 3-wheeled motorbikes) waiting to cut each others throats for a foreign customer. We decided that with all of our bags it might be better to opt for a bit of comfort, so we chose a friendly taxi driver instead who spoke excellent English. Dust rose up around us as he drove his car at a snails pace through the city. When I asked why everyone was driving so slowly? He replied, “In Cambodia the speed limit is very slow to prevent accidents.” Aha, I thought, maybe this was the answer to the insanity of traffic and reckless driving in Bali.
The pearl had lost her luster, but I was still intrigued by the possibility that there was more to her than meets the eye. We continued past a few wats (temples) heading for the Mekong River where there were several recommended accommodations.
We finally arrived at the Bright Lotus 1 which offered clean, air-conditioned rooms with a small TV; the price was right – just US$22 a night. It was also strategically located across from the Chatomuk Mongkul Royal Palace and the National Museum of Cambodia.
The Royal Palace gives one a glimpse of Cambodian culture and the reverence paid to her royalty. This is the principal residence of their Majesties the King and Queen and the royal family. Most of the buildings on the grounds include magnificent sculptures which are characterized by many tiered roofs. There is also a pavilion of Napoleon III here which was presented to King Norodom in 1876 and reassembled. Unfortunately it is in ill-repair and it great need of renovations to restore it to its former glory. The Pagoda of the Emerald Buddha and the Silver Pagoda, however, are still quite grand.
The National Museum of Cambodia which is just next door has an excellent collection of Pre-Angkor Khmer stone sculptures through the Post Angkor period. You will definitely want to get a guide, as he or she will be able to give you more in depth historical information which is not explained in great detail on many of the museum’s displays.
Just around the corner from Bright Lotus 1, is the FCC (Foreign Correspondents Club) where there is a permanent collection of photographs of four decades of Cambodian history. This is well worth a visit. They offer a 50% discount during happy hour on all cocktails which you can enjoy in an elegant open-air setting with wonderful views of the convergence of the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers. Since the opening of the FCC in 1993, a colourful list of international clientele including journalists, movie stars and diplomats have visited.
For our last night in Phnom Penh I had arranged to get a room at Hotel Le Royal in exchange for some stories I planned to write about this legendary hotel. We had the pleasure of staying in the Landmark Suite, which was the ultimate in luxury. Gazing around the room at the exquisite Khmer antiquities and elegant draperies, it would be hard to leave such comfort.
My mother wanted to celebrate my 44th birthday at a nice restaurant, so we asked Julia, a lovely young German woman, if she could recommend somewhere in the mid-range price. She sung her praises about a fabulous Chinese restaurant overlooking the Mekong River, so after drinks at the Quay, our Tuk Tuk driver dropped us in front and we said our goodbyes to Julia. We asked to be seated upstairs, so that we could more fully enjoy the fabulous view. It felt like I would have my special birthday after all even though a bit later than planned.
We ordered a feast of sesame chicken, stir fried shrimp and other delectable treats. My son was in his glory, as one of his favorite pastimes is eating. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mom speaking softly to one of the waiters, but not soft enough, because I heard her ask him to get a birthday cake for me. A few minutes later a beautiful cake arrived and the staff cheerfully sang me happy birthday. Some of them asked for a piece of cake, which I was happy to share even though it was quite small.
Later we got the bill and were surprised to see that the cake cost $15 US. Now this price might have been fair if it was a large cake, but considering the diminutive size and that this was not the USA or another western country, it made no sense for it to cost this much. My mom politely asked the waiter why the cake was so expensive, and he said he didn’t know why, but cakes in Cambodia were very expensive. Warning bells starting going off in my head, so I interjected. “Can we please have the receipt for the cake?” I could see confusion as he paused for a moment then replied, “Just a minute, let me check.” He quickly returned saying that there wasn’t any receipt. I looked at my mom and she looked at me. Both of us knew at that moment that we were being duped big time.
“That’s ok, I’ll just go find out myself,” I said grabbing the leftover cake and container with the bakery label. The waiter panicked as he followed me downstairs saying, “Madam, please wait. I will get the manager. Madam, you can’t go to the bakery, because it’s far from here!” My blood was boiling by now as it was so obvious that they had ripped us off. I stormed across a big intersection and found a motorbike taxi to take me to the bakery. We went down a series of small dark streets and after about five minutes I found the bakery. I got off the bike trying to keep my composure and went up to a woman standing inside.
“Excuse me is this cake from your bakery?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Can you please tell me how much it costs?”
“It’s $5.”
I was shocked. I asked her for a receipt and then quickly returned to the restaurant ready to confront the manager with the proof of his dirty deed. I felt myself trembling as I ordered one of the waiters to get the manager immediately. After a few minutes of scurrying about, the manager appeared. I showed him the receipt demanding that he refund us $10. I could see that he had lost face, which was not my intention, but I felt in my heart that he was wrong to rip people off like this. He silently handed me the money and I went back downstairs to find my mother and Danil. “Sorry your birthday didn’t turn out so well, dear.” I smiled, “It’s okay. Hopefully things will go more smoothly for us in Siem Reap.”
Onward to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat
Upon arriving in Siemp Reap, it was clear that this mid-sized city was much more geared for tourists. The tree-lined roads were almost pristine and had pretty buildings. There was an overall feeling which was quietly present wherever we went, of great pride for their national heritage. The three of us instantly felt more at ease here and were looking forward to exploring Angkor Wat and her many surrounding kingdoms the next day.
As one walks up to the entrance of one of the world’s largest religious monuments, it is hard to put into the words the awesome enormity of such a structure such as Angkor Wat. Crumbling towers still regally stand amidst a beautiful lush setting. The walls inside this magnificent temple reveal skillful carvings of ancient battle scenes and disappearing bas reliefs of Asparas. If you close your eyes you might be able to imagine what life was like in the early 12th century.
There are scores of ancient cities around Angkor Wat which represent a variety of kingdoms dating as far back as the 7th century when both Isanavarman I and Bhavavarman II reigned. Some of my favourites include: Angkor Thom, Bayon and Preah Kahn which were built during the Bayon period in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. On our last day we arrived at Preah Kahn just before the sunset. All the tourists had gone back to their hotels, so we had the temple all to ourselves. My son and mother were too tired to wander around, so they waited out front while I walked through the magnificent temple dedicated to Vishnu on my own. A feel of ecstasy came over me as I realized how fortunate I was to be able to experience this alone without the usual horde of tourists. The light began to fade as the sunset cast a warm glow on the headless statue of Buddha. This was the end to a remarkable journey that I would never forget.
