The Essence of Humanity

We've spent about two weeks in Cambodia now and I can't help feeling that Cambodia might be my favorite country on our trip so far. You might be surprised by this, and if I am being honest I was too. We actually decided about a month ago to cut our time in Cambodia a little shorter because we weren't expecting much. But after just a few days here I realized the mistake we had made. Why the sudden change of heart? It's difficult to describe... Cambodia doesn't have the most delicious food around. It doesn't have the biggest parties, prettiest beaches, or the most number of attractions (though Angkor is definitely one of the best). Traveling here has been rough and while it is really cheap, it's not much cheaper than Laos. I think the real secret to Cambodia's success lies in the genuine friendliness and warmth in the hearts of the Khmer people, especially in light of their extremely dark past.

Most people have heard of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge: from 1975 to 1979, between 2 and 3 million people died during their brief, but terrible reign. Under the guise of restoring Cambodia to its former glory by creating a perfect Communist society, Pol Pot and his army tortured, starved, shot, and otherwise killed over a quarter of Cambodia's population in what became one of the worst genocides in modern history. Every city was evacuated, families were torn apart, anyone educated was deemed a traitor, the borders were closed, and landmines were planted everywhere to prevent fleeing. As Pol Pot's control solidified his paranoia grew, and the numbers of people dying reached epic proportions. People starved to death regularly, children were taken and conscripted into the army to become child soldiers, and hundreds of thousands of innocent people were brutally executed and dumped unceremoniously in mass graves. No one was spared of the terror that gripped the country. No family survived intact. No one outside of these borders cared... It was as close to hell on Earth as you could possibly get.

And yet, when you walk through Cambodia today, it's very difficult to imagine that such carnage happened here. It's not that people have forgotten... There are a number of people who have lost limbs to the landmines. There are memorials and museums everywhere to remind us. And, of course, no amount of time dulls the pain of family members lost nor tempers the hope that those who disappeared might one day return. But what people have done is learned to live again. Cambodia has some of the friendliest people I have ever encountered in another country. When I walk through the streets of its cities, people smile at me. They joke with me. They help me when I need it. They warm my heart and make me fall in love with them without even trying.

To me, this country represents mankind. Yes, Cambodia was home to one of the worst atrocities our kind has ever seen. Yes, for four years death was the rule and survival the aim for those who lived here. And yes, I've wondered how anyone of our race could ever be evil enough to beat a baby to death in front of its grief stricken mother.... But you know what? When I ask myself, "Do you think man is inherently good?" I still answer with a resounding yes. Because here, there was once hell on Earth. And yet here, people learned to laugh again. They learned to live again. Many even learned to forgive. Here, in the war between love and evil, love ultimately won. Our tendency to love if given the opportunity is why we are good, and no one shows it better than the Cambodians.

If you ask me, the very essence of humanity lies somewhere hidden in the resilient and absolutely breathtaking smiles of the Khmer people.

The Majesty of Angkor

Every day is an adventure. Life is full of ups and downs and you never know what might happen to you when you walk out the door. This saying is never more true than when you're traveling. Literally every single day holds new places to see, people to meet, food to eat, and things to do. The time since my last post has been no exception. We hiked a plateau to see three of the coolest waterfalls I've ever seen. We kayaked down the mighty Mekong in search of rare river dolphins that hide among its many islands (and found them!). We met Peace Corps volunteers from China and exchanged stories about the differences and similarities between our country. But even these extremely exciting stories can't quite compete with the majesty of Angkor.

Located just outside of the beautiful city of Siem Reap in Cambodia, Angkor is the name of the region that once was the seat of the mighty Khmer empire. From the 9th to the 15th century, a succession of monarchs captured and ruled over most of the area that is today Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and parts of Vietnam and southern China. The immensity of the Khmer empire was surpassed only by the magnificent temples, palaces, and other religious buildings its many rulers built right in the heart of their empire. Though many of the temples and palaces have been destroyed since then, many still remain and stand testament of this once glorious regime.

Exploring the ruins of Angkor is absolutely awe inspiring. The temples are massive, yet covered by extremely beautiful and detailed carvings. Though originally Hindu they were later converted to Buddhist temples, and as a result of this crossover the carvings are of both Buddhist and Hindu images. Smack dab in the middle of Angkor lies the famous Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world. This extraordinary structure is breathtaking at all times of the day but especially so at sunrise. With services still held occasionally inside, it radiates an aura of tranquility and power unlike anywhere else in the world.

The two days we spent exploring all the temples were wonderful. Walking through the forest, climbing to the top of temples, and touching the amazing sandstone structures... It really made me wonder what life must have been like back then. Though very quiet and calm now, it once thrived with priests, kings, and villagers, all carving a life together out of the jungle. It makes me wish more than ever that I could spend just one day living a life in the past....

The temples of the Khmer empire show the amazing things people can do when they set their mind to it, and demonstrate the immense power of the human imagination. Angkor is unlike anywhere else in the world, and this ruined capitol deserves to be at the top of every single person's bucket list.

A Jarring yet Tubetastic Few Days

While preparing for this trip, Inge and I talked to a lot of people about their experiences here. As you can imagine, everyone's opinion was different. Just about the only thing people tended to agree on was that we should definitely go. Where, for how long, and what we should do or skip was different with every person we asked. We weren't surprised by our varied advice. People like different things. Inge and I have been doing everything together this entire trip, and if you asked us about this area our advice would be just as different. But one thing that I think we definitely agree on is how glad we are we did not skip Laos. Most of the people are very friendly, the mountains in the area are breathtaking, and the very relaxing atmosphere makes you feel like nothing can go wrong.

After leaving Luang Prabang, we headed to the city of Phonsavan and its intriguing Plain of Jars. The Plain of Jars is quite simply that: a plain scattered with groups of different sized jars carved from granite. Some groups are only a dozen, while others number into the hundreds. Although most people have heard of them, no one can quite explain where they came from or why they are there. There are several theories of course. Some think they were used to store water, while others think they were used to store local rice whiskey also known as "Lao Lao". The most widely supported theory is that they were used as decomposition chambers for bodies. Once the bodies had decomposed, the remains were scooped out and given a proper burial. Whatever their use, no one can argue what a marvel it is that people could have made and transported these extremely heavy jars over 2000 years ago. Especially considering how small Lao people tend to be.

As beautiful as the area was, it had a very sobering side to it as well. Laos was heavily bombed during the Vietnam War, and although its been 40 years since that terrible time the people are STILL dealing with the aftereffects. America dropped over 2 million tons of cluster bombs on Laos during the war, 30% of which never exploded upon hitting the ground. That's 80 million bombs that never exploded and are still waiting to be set off. Over 300 people every year die from stumbling on these Unexploded Ordinances (UXOs). Thousands more lose limbs or are otherwise heavily injured. Over 50% of the victims are children. While there are several organizations working to collect and destroy these bombs, it is a monumental task. Only 1.3 million bombs have been removed in the past 15 years, leaving tens of millions more waiting to be exploded or tripped on.

Our next stop on the journey was much more relaxing. The infamous Vang Vieng is known for its beautiful scenery, cheap amenities, and hugely popular party scene. While the partying has tapered off in recent years, it's still present. Our first day there was spent tubing down the river, hanging out with newly met friends, and otherwise enjoying the festivities. It was our friend Becca's birthday, and I'm sure it won't be one that she forgets anytime soon. The next day we decided to explore the scenery, and spent a few hours hiking the area and exploring the caves and hidden lagoons everywhere.

We're currently in a brief stopover in Vientiane (capitol of Laos) while we prepare to shoot down south for our last few stops. The capitol is quite beautiful. Like almost everywhere we have been so far in Laos, it is a quiet, charming city that sits right on the river. There are signs everywhere of it's once French colonizers, but all of these things come together to give the capitol it's own unique flavor. It's one of the smallest capitols I've ever been to, but also one of the most charming.