Sacred caves and the sadness that is Cambodia
Trip Start
Jan 26, 2010
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Trip End
Jun 08, 2011
Kampot, Cambodia
Monday, April 26, 2010
I decided to go to Bokor hill station. A french town abandoned after the Khmer rouge take over. I went to the bus station and asked around for an English speaking moto driver. Soon I found Sarin, a charasmatic Khmer who was more than happy to take me. The ride their as usual was stunning. But when I got their I was greeted by disappointment. The police post informed me that no one could pass due to blasting from the road construction. I offered to hike, but again no. Then I offered some cash and again, no. So I admitted defeat and Sarin suggested that we go to a Cave with a 1100 year old Hindi temple built inside.
We were off again, winding our why through rice paddies, a Muslim village, through the temple gates and up to a steep krast formation. Upon arrival he told me before I went into the cave we had to climb up to the lookout. It was a gorgeous view, a flat stretch of fields went for miles and miles until interrupted on the skyline by the Bokor Mountains. At the bottom a Young Khmer greeted me and offered me a tour. I accepted and he took me to the cave all the way pointing at stalagmites and saying "and that's a alligators tail and this is a turtle and this is a shark..." and on and on. At the mouth of the cave was the small ancient temple made out of mud bricks. The chamber was filled with smoke from incense placed by Vietnamese tourists and pilgrims. At this point my guide really showed his knowledge and went into a deep history on the place. Then he took me into the bowels for some bat viewing and back out again. After the tour my guide and Sarin helped expand my Khmer vocabulary.
Once back at my dorm, I was happy to see three British travelers their to share the dorm with me. We instantly got along and decided to go for a beer. After a walk to Kampot's groomed downtown on the river with mountains the background, the Brits found a pub serving pints. This excited them beyond belief, but in Asia a small slice of home will sometimes do that. After dinner and some more beer we acquired a half case and headed back to the guest house to enjoy our balcony.
In the morning the my new friends left on the tour of Bokor and me with Sarin to a nearby town with another cave temple. Yes, another great ride through beautiful country side. This temple was special because after a short walk through the cave, you enter a hidden valley with vertical rock walls on all sides. Inside they have built a temple. On one wall their are stairs that lead into a narrow passage way, into a small shrine then into a cave where you can see tree roots that have penetrated the rock. Before my guides could lead me into the exit cave, I sat down and enjoyed the peace of the place, you could tell it was a truly special.
Sarin dropped me off at the only hotel in town and to my surprise gave me a great big hug. For six dollars I got a room filled with ornate detail and a massive balcony. This was exceptional even for Cambodia. That night I went for a walk around the lively town, with a massive temple, a market that spilled onto the streets and frequent horse carts ferrying goods. Although the town rarely saw visitors many Khmer's had learned or were learning English and would stop me for a small chat and a chance to practice. One such man, kept hinting at the fact that he had a unmarried daughter my age. Another group of people pointed at the pretty Khmer girl in the group and raised the eyebrows at me with big smiles. It is common practice to try and get foreigners to date your friends or family.
While sitting with this group a beggar scooted by pushing himself with his hands on which he had flip flops. I handed him some change and he bowed in a respectful wai and scooted on. One of the Khmer's pointed at the man and said "HIV." This hit me hard, I have grown used seeing amputees begging and hawking tourist goods as well as children but this one effected me deeply. My hosts tried to talk to me but my mind was a world away and even as I type this a sadness I can't fully explain comes over me.
