Chapter Sixteen: Cambodia, arises from the ashes

Cambodia: arises from the ashes 
The moment I crossed the border into Cambodia, I knew instantly that this would become a journey into the unknown. The crossing took me 4 hours. Imagine a container style building with 3 offices in the middle of the road raped by the sun. The queue was only getting longer when they finally approved my visa and passport. From a reasonable civilized Thailand to the Wild Wild West of Cambodia, although that's how  I interpreted it. My trip into Cambodia continued to Siem Reap. Traffic is insane, during the remainder of the ride I saw the aftermath of a deadly accident. 
Arrival in Siem Reap, dust, dirt, chaos welcomes me, I love it. I think you hate or you love Siem reap, it is massively crowded, it has many pubs and roof top bars. The pleasant thing I like about it is the openness, you sit, eat and drink outside. Due to Angkor Wat it's drowned with tourists, but yeah what to expect if you see one of the most famous ruins of the world. After Machu Picchu and Thiahuanaco in Peru, Angkor Wat was number one on my most wanted list. The moment I became interested in our ancient world and all the mysteries that come with it, Angkor Wat was simply a site that I wanted see in my life. But more of that later.
I booked an extremely nice hostel, in several occasions a hostel provides a better bed and shower than some hotels do. Compare it with camping, good way to save money and to meet people. I ran into Swiss, Norwegian and American guys and we had our night in Siem reap, after that night I extended my stay for one more night to chill and recover. 
Cambodia is poor and it's the poorest country I have visited so far. But the people are extremely friendly and nice. I mentioned it before, Cambodia is dirty, they throw trash on the streets. I saw this also in Indonesia, it's all about priorities, food, electricity, health care, work are way more important than cleaning the streets. Think about cars or scooters that are environment friendly, there are none. I thought it was always a kind of weird when you see Asians with the mouth caps, after visiting several cities I'm considering one for myself. All our west European efforts mean nothing if we don't help don't change the mindset of the more than 3 billion Asian people. I'm my opinion, climate change is inevitable, don't try to fix it, but make preparations for the future. But enough of this ideological talking, fact is Cambodia rises from the ashes after the Khmer area. What I mean with rising from the ashes, is that the Khmer destroyed literally the country; all the intellectuals were killed, all the schools were closed, health care was not necessary, money was destroyed...I see many construction sites any many tourists, but Cambodia has still a long way to go, fortunately is going into the good direction. Later on I will describe my experiences at one of the more than 300 killing fields where 1 on the 4 Cambodians lost their life. 
In Siem Reap I visited the floating villages and the towns on stilts, there you see real poverty. Also visited a school of 350 children who lost their parents during a massive typhoon a couple of years ago. I bought 30 kilos of rice, one day of food. I hope it isn't a scam, but several churches were supporting this project...fingers crossed. I came there by bike, after I returned my skin was brown of of course the sun but also the dust, my white shirt was red/brownish....yep welcome to Cambodia.
Tuk Tuks are common and the ideal way to visit the temples of Angkor Wat. There are many sites and more than 1200 temples...where to start? The temples were build 900 a.c. And at some point 1 million people living in and around Angkor Wat. I will not describe all the sites I have seen, but Angkor Wat itself is massive with its artificial lake surrounding it. Most eye catching were 2 sites, the temple with the smiling faces and the temple in the middle of the the jungle, or retaken by the jungle actually. The temple with the smiling faces made a deep impression on me. They smile, but at the same time look down on you with an all knowing smile....'we know it better kid, we've seen it all before'. When you see the pictures of it...make up your own mind. One of the last sites was the complex that was retaken by the jungle...temples and the jungle in harmony. It seamed to me if the jungle picked its finest trees to grow on top, in the middle and in the temples. The Wauw-factor became one long wauw, incredible beautiful, but at the same time so peaceful....I just might have become a Buddhist on that place. Angkor Wat easily fits in the row of the great pyramids and Machu Picchu, a must see, a place never to forget.
After Siem Reap I heading to Phnom Pheng, the capital of Cambodia...and I thought I had seen insane traffic, so probably not. I added a little video that provides a nice impression, the most unlikely became likely...how on earth how they manage to move around... I still don't know. I came here to visit the killing fields, one of the more than 300 fields splintered over the country and made deep visible wounds. 25% of the population was killed in less than 4 years, Cambodians killing Cambodians without using bullets because they were to expensive. I will not describe the horrors, but one I must mention...there was a tree named the killing tree. Here babies were smashed to death with their mothers mothers watching. I definitely recommend going to the killing field and to the genocide museum S21, a former prison, a death camp, an awful place of torture, a reminder how mad people can behave. I didn't do anything after the visits.
On my way to Koh Ta Kiev, an island where illiminated plankton can be seen and the cool thing is, you can swim in it as well and play with it....along with Doctor Green Thumb.
  
Arrival in Sihanoukville, too late, missed the boat to the island, happens. Fortunately I found refuge in 'wish you were here'.....I wished I had more time for Cambodia...top notch spot with lots of crazy people. Met a guy who looks looks like two drops of water  of the bearded lad of the Hangover movies. Even when I look At him I can't stop laughing, man with 1001 faces, brilliantly funny. Crashed a couple of months ago and never left and will probably never leave.....living furniture. This place is the best so far...never heard of it, met a lady a couple of days ago and she recommended this place. A couple of days ago I thought I was now in Ho Chi Minh, but itineraries develop while I travel. Completely free to change whenever you like, tomorrow is always a new day. Still want to go Vietnam, because I have only a thirty day visa. But first back to basic.
Koh Ta Kiev, a hidden place, an almost unknown island, a white pearl. 
The sea was rough when I was in the boat to cactus, the place where i would be for a couple of days. No electricity, no wifi, no running water, but what they did have was a treehouse, a place where I could stay infinite. Terraces elevated and natural strangled with the trees, a view on a empty beach, a breeze make the leafs sing quietly, the sunset is elegant, one of the most beautiful I've seen, an extremely slow laser show, where beams of light are playing with the clouds and setting them one by on fire, red, purple, green..the whole spectrum. Hardly any people around me, Doctor green thumb was smiling, I smiled back. What a life... I slept in the dorm, lovely place on stilts where at night you here the waves destroy their selfs on the beach. 30 meters away from the treehouse, the beach is my bathroom. In the afternoon I had 4 buckets of cold water to wash the salt and sand from my skin, some bottle water for brushing the teeth. Image a riveted house, one ton of fresh rainwater from the jungle and a ton of salty sea water to flush the toilet. 
I did one scary thing, fear came back, fear of heights....Cliff Jumping. Standing on a 8 meter high cliff, looking almost at 10 meters high to the dancing water below....10 minutes later I'm still staring. One small step, one giant leap for Lucas, a leap of faith, a leap of a heartbeat of 200, a leap of...fuck it, there I'm flying, fear came over me again, hard or soft landing? Gentle landing, is this it? Back up to the cliff...should be easy the second time....the ritual started again, I stared at the sea and the friendly waves stared back at me...10 minutes later....splash.
First night, almost full moon, the night as so bright that it seems that moonlight is reflected on the white beaches, no torch is necessary, you can see the faces of everyone. Candle light from the treehouse is the only artificial light, mellow music falls down on the water carried to where we lie. The sound of the dying waves a background orchestra..still you go to bed around 2200/2300, what a place. 
Second night clouded, water is bright though, illuminated plankton....bizar, unreal, magic, fairytale like...ppfff just go by yourself to experience it. Dive into the illuminated water and play with the plankton and create your own hallucinations.
The cherry on the cake of that place were 5 little kittens, already claiming the tree as their playing ground. I forget to mention the fresh fish we ate every day, the food..sublime......I don't want to go!!! 
For the first time I had a feeling that I was rushing, I wanted to stay way longer than the  3 days I spent in Otres and on Koh Ta Kiev. My visa for Vietnam already started, but who knows I come back with a vengeance and will stay there for a proper 3 to 4 weeks. You easily can say that I fell in love with this place. I'm going to Phnom Penh again, before I'm going to Saigon. 2 hours with the long boat, six with the bus, next day another 6 hours with the bus..
Still Cambodia, what an unexpected surprise...till we meet again.