Another Naga image at Angkor Thom

I arrived here safely on Tuesday after an early morning of traveling. I woke up at 4:30 am to catch my 6:30am flight from Vientiane in Lao to here. Sophia, the German gal I had been hanging with in Lao, was nice enough to wake up early and give me a moto ride to a tuk-tuk station so I could get to the airport. Along the empty early morning streets of Vientiane there were three other gals waiting for a tuk-tuk to the airport. Little did we know that we would end up spending the next three days together here in Siem Reap. Tamara, Lindsay and Shavan are three Irish Gals traveling together and we have had a wonderful three days touring the temples and hanging out.

Coridoors of Bayon Temple

I was sort of their guardian angel (as they put it) at the Siem Reap airport. With the influx of tourism here everything is on the dollar and the ATM’s even dispense dollars. The only way to pay for you’re visa on arrival is with US dollars. They did not have cash on them and their cards were not working. I had some extra cash and since we were all heading into town I helped them get their visas so they would not get deported! I had connected with a former Peace Corps Volunteer that served in Gabon , Africa and is now teaching here in Siem Reap. She was nice enough to let all of us stay at her massive house she literally just moved into! The kindness of strangers has been the theme of the last few days here.

Gaurdian Lion

While I had seen pictures of the Angkor Temples, and heard stores from many of you that have been here, seeing truly is believing, with the ruins of this ancient civilization. The intricate carvings on the crumbling buildings of smiling faces, images depicting ancient Hindu and Buddhist teachings, carvings flowing amongst the waterfall at Kbal Spean, and my favorite, the massive silk and cottonwood tree roots draping the ruins at Ta Phrom (Where Toom Raider was filmed) and Preah Khan. It is truly a magical place to wander and attempt to soak in! To think that the last three days I have been riding in a tuk-tuk and yesterday (by my own power with a bicycle) through 11th and 12th century civilization is incredible.

Head of God Naga image approach to Angkor Thom

Even amongst the peaceful and awe striking ruins you can sadly see tourism at its worst. Outside and sometimes inside the temples are local vendors following you along the paths selling postcards, t-shirts and any souvenir item you can think of. While I understand this has become a livelihood for them, it is a bit off putting when you are sitting trying to have lunch or just enjoy a quiet place amongst the temples and there are vendors all around relentlessly selling their items. Though, I could not resist buying postcards form the adorable children selling them. Part of me does feel like buying from them here will only encourage them to continue to not attend school, and think they can live alone by selling items to tourist, which is hard to stomach. They are smart kids though, nearly all of them know every capitol city in the world and will say, "If I know your capitol you buy from me ok?" Plus one little girl, who could not have been more then eight years old, started speaking perfect Gallic with the Irish gals when we sat down for a drink of water. It is sad to see that many of the locals here feel the only way to interact with tourist is to sell us things and it is difficult to just simply have a conversation with them beyond what they are selling. I thought I had made progress yesterday after I sat and talked with a group of vendors for nearly 20 mins. at Phrea Khan and assured them I was not going to buy anything but wanted to just talk with them, especially the kids. We had a nice conversation and the kids were asking me lots of questions about the US. I said by to them and I was nearly to the exit and one of the guys continued to follow me and ask me to buy a t-shirt! While I know a conversation with a foreigner does not put food on their table at night, it is sad that tourism has reached a point here where having a genuine interaction with some locals is nearly impossible because all they see are dollar signs, which sadly is true sometimes.

Image on wall in Bayon Temple

Regardless, I still had a wonderful three days of touring the temples and yesterday evening as I was cycling outside of the Angkor Wat complex with a storm quickly approaching the tree lined road was field with 100s of monkeys running along the path and playing with the falling leaves from the wind. Quite a magical way to depart the very spiritual complex of Angkor Wat!

We also visited the incredible Landmine Museum outside of the city on Thursday. Aki Ra was a child solider for the brutal Khmer Rouge Regime, and during those years he planted over 1,000 active landmines, that dismembered many of his country men. He is now actively working to dismantle the 1,000s of land mines and UXO’s throughout the country. He has opened this museum and school for youth to educate people about the destructive use of landmines, share his story and on-going work to dismantle every land mine and UXO in the country. The School at the museum provides quality education to nearly 30 children that would other wise never have access to it. The last five years Aki Ra has dismantled nearly 50,000 landmines and at the museum they display the land mines and UXO’s he has found, plus there are beautiful stories written by the kids that go to school there, detailing their war torn family stories and how Father Aki (as they call him) has saved their lives! It was really moving and I was nearly in tears reading about the awful nature of the land mines and then reading Aki’s story that he ends by saying:

Lindsay and I in Tuk Tuk at Temples (Irish gal)

"It is good to have this museum to educate people about the past but, I am sick of talking about the past, and want to focus on the future of building a new Cambodia for all!"

The Ottawa Treaty was established in 1997 and to date it is the most comprehensive international instrument and law for ridding the world of the use of land mines. It deals with everything from mine use, production and trade, to victim assistance, mine clearance and stockpile destruction. Since 1997, 122 countries have singed it but sadly the United States continues to refuse to sign this all important international law. Why you might ask? As I did, while I read the displays at the museum and have seen many a dismembered Cambodian all around the last few days. The US (along with Russia, India and Korea) has continued to say that the treaty does not allow for particular country concessions such as the use of land mines in the DMZ zone of North and South Korea and in other war stricken areas of the Middle East. Making the claim that the land mines placed between these countries is keeping their borders peaceful and free from violence. Surly, the continued use and production of these inhumane tools of war and violence are not necessary in this day and age and never were!

massive tree root

Unfortunately, 13 countries continue to produce (or have not forsworn the production of) antipersonnel mines, according to the ICBL’s Land mine Monitor Report of 2005. 9 of the 13 mine producers are in Asia (Burma, China, India, Nepal, North Korea, South Korea, Pakistan, Singapore, and Vietnam), one in the Middle East (Iran), two in the Americas (Cuba and United States), and one in Europe (Russia). At the same time some armed non-state actors or rebel groups still produce homemade land mines such as improvised explosive devices.

I want to encourage all of you to go to the web-site below and read up about the use of land mines here in Cambodia and read Aki Ra’s story yourself and if you are as moved as I was please write your representatives and continue to pressure our government to sign this all important treaty. You can also make online donations to Aki Ra’s efforts here in Cambodia via their web-site.

Me and Irish gals in front of Bapuon

Landmine Museum Web-Site

www.cambodialandminemuseum.org/

Tomorrow I am taking a 6 hour boat ride to a town west of Siem Reap called Battambang. The boat passes through the floating villages and is supposed to be a beautiful ride.

Hope this finds you well, sending all my love and from Cambodia!

Sherry