What a combination of forces at work here. A dusty, tragically, devastatingly poor town filled with luxurious 5 star resorts and hotels juxtoposed against the very grand and oppulent temples, including the very impressive Angkor Wat.(Although Angkor Thom was my favorite - picture to the left.) I've been gone from there over a day now and I'm still having a hard time registering it all.
Cambodia, having only fairly recently ended its civil war and opened its doors up to capitalism and tourism, has made Siem Reap the country's primary tourist attraction, due to its close proximity to the many temples. And it is understandable, these sites are truly beautiful, stunning. Amazingly grand, in fact. But the poverty of those who live there and the town itself is so overwhelming that it is impossible to see one aspect of the country's ancient history without taking into account it's more modern history and its present day realities.
We were given a tour of life on Tonle Sap Lake, which was probably the worst poverty I've seen. Indescribable. Sure, the government has "cleaned" up areas along the canal, moving people away from their homes on these canals to locations far away their visitors eyeline. But it can't change the realities here - not too fast anyway.
We were only there two days and so getting a real feel for the community and the people was limited. Our guide, our least favorite of all of the ones we had (well, mine anyway), was fairly cynical and seemed to have some disdain for the poor people in his community. I do understand his point of view - he wants better for his community, his city, his country. And doesn't believe the "professional beggars" help themselves or the country. But, unfortunately, his was the only real local view we got.
We stayed in one of those super duper luxe hotels (hotel de la paix - which truly was an awesome hotel) and the staff was so very accomodating, almost to the point that it made me uncomfortable. That reverence is certainly is part of their culture, but they also seem to just be so incredibly grateful for the tourism and the money it brings in. Needless to say, we didn't get much in the way of conversation about the Khmer regime. It seems to be something they're more comfortable not thinking about, letting alone speaking about with foreigners. But again, the short time we were there didn't let itself to digging any deeper, finding out how the country really is mending.... And after taking in all of the many details & facts of culture, history, food, etc. from everywhere else I'd been, especially in asia, my mind sort of shut down - almost as if there was no more room to absorb it all.
I can't say I'd rush back here. But I am certainly glad I went. Just feel like I now have a lot more questions now than before I even came. Which ultimately means, a return may be in the cards...
