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.