An ancient visit

Buddhism is Cambodia's main religion, and monks are revered in this society.

Sculptors hard at work.

thestar.com.my
Sunday February 24, 2008

BY EDMUND WONG

THIS Chinese New Year was the first that I'd ever spent away from home. I have a part time job as a tour leader. The Chinese New Year period is peak season for holidays, so I have to leave my family behind as duty calls.

I was pleasantly surprised that my assignment this time was to Cambodia, a country I have always wanted to go to.

The Gory Past

Our first stop was in Cambodia's capital Phnom Pehn. Most of the tour members look forward to a day of relaxing sight seeing and lots of photo taking. That remains true until we stepped into Tuol Sleng Museum.

It used to be a high school, but was was converted into Security Prison 21 when the Khmer Rouge came into power in 1975.

Better known as S-21, this was hell to thousands of Cambodians who were tortured and killed for being accused of disloyalty to Pol Pot, The Khmer Rouge Leader.

Today, S-21 has been converted into a museum and its horrid past immortalised in the exhibits. As I walked through the door of each torture chamber, I couldn’t help but imagine people screaming and wailing for help as they were tortured.

One of the most interesting exhibits in the prison was the barbed wire holding cells, which were designed to stop the prisoners from committing suicide.

S-21 is not a pleasant place to visit at all as time has still not erased its aura of doom. Some Cambodians avoid visiting this museum because it evokes painful memories of the cruel regime.

Tantalizing Your Taste Buds

Cambodia is known for its rare and exotic food. The sidewalks are filled with stalls selling baskets full of black, odd looking things. Upon closer inspection, I realise that they were crunchy insects, ranging from spiders to cicadas.

Yes, I tried three of these snacks - the fried grasshoppers, skinned baby frogs and the ever-famous hairy tarantulas.

Although they didn’t taste half as bad as I expected them to be, they were nowhere near anything I have ever tasted before. I did tease a girl saying that they do taste like chicken!

Adventure seekers may try the duck foetus which was cooked while the egg is a few days’ old, preventing feathers to start growing on the forming duck. It is believed to improve virility but that is not a good enough reason for me to try it.

Angkor What?

It would be virtually a sin not to pay a visit to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap as it is one of the New Seven Wonders of the world. At Siem Reap, visit the famous Angkor Wat, as well as Angkor Thom, Bayon temple and Ta Prohm.

Each of these temples has its own unique architectural design and history.

It can take days to visit all the temples and shrines in Angkor Wat thoroughly as there is a lot to see and explore. The intricate carving just amazes every visitor, and the thought of thousands of artisans and labourers behind every stone and pebble just take your breath away. A visit there would not be complete if one does not climb up the dusty and windy roads of Phnom Bakheng to see the magnificent sunset.

Today, visitors flood in from every corner of the world and you would see streams of people going in and out of the temple. It's tough to get a picture of the temples in their serene setting. It gets tougher with the hordes charging in and snapping every spot they could get their hands on especially in Ta Prohm where Angelina Jolie shot Tomb raider.

Do keep in mind Angkor has no tarred road to keep it in its most original form. When you travel in Angkor Wat, you might inhale a big load of dust by the end of the day. But it's worth it because you get to experience the splendours of an ancient civilisation.

Roaming In Town

After saying goodbyes to all my tour mates at the Siem Reap International Airport, unfortunately (or fortunately) I had to stay back another day due to the unavailability of air tickets. I hired a motorcyclist taxi driver, Path to bring me around town. I listed a few modern Wats (pagoda in Khmer) to visit, as well as the famous Tonle Sap Lake and the floating village of Chong Kneas.

However, I was not prepared to face the extreme poverty I encountered. Children as young as four-year-old were out begging visitors.

A child actually climbed into my boat selling bananas but what shocked me most was that she managed to climb in and out at ease even though the lake is deep with strong ripples hitting from every direction. Then, a child sitting in a small basin rowed up to me begging for money. A single tilt would set it upside down but such are the lives of the little ones there.

Befriending A Monk

I spent my last afternoon in Siem Reap visiting a few modern pagodas which are not as famous as Angkor Wat. While I was at Wat Dam Nak, I met an English speaking monk, Pheakdei who teaches English in the monastery. He told me tales of how the shrine was once the kings' resting place when they visit Angkor Wat from Phnom Penh. Even though it is now converted into a temple, the beautiful carvings on the window panes tells the famous tale of Ramayana.


Cambodia's rich heritage has not only attracted tourists, but also unscrupulous thiefs. Two window panes at the pagoda were stolen and illegally sold to collectors.

Before leaving, he did tell me how happy he was to be able to speak to a foreign visitor to sharpen his English. But in my heart, I thought the pleasure was all mine.