"Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance!" (Psalm 16v.5)
2010 was a great year. And so we begin its successor with great expectation in Phnom Penh, toasting its arrival (albeit a few hours early due to overwhelming exhaustion) in an ideallic little guesthouse called the Boddhi Tree.
Having arrived in Cambodia knowing next to nothing of this new place, our first discovery was of its tragedies. Though not a cheerful way to spend new years day, a visit to the Tuel Sleong Museum (initially a high school before being converted into a torture prison), gave us a mere glimpse into the devastating Khmer Rouge rule (1975 - 79) and a glimmer of understanding as to how this regime essentially attempted to destroy Cambodia from the inside out. Meticulously recorded by thousands of faded photographs, we found ourselves staring into the hopeless faces of men, women and children, and can only begin to imagine the atrocities that took place here (and around the country) resulting, ultimately, in the deaths of over two million people.
But despite such a horrific (and recent) history, the Cambodian people are a delight. Every person we have encountered since our arrival - regardless of age, occupation and language barrier - has been overwhelmingly friendly. Finally it feels that not everyone is trying to sell us something, and we have been able to breath a long awaited sigh of relief. Cambodia, it seems, has welcomed us with open arms.
Our visit to Phnom Penh was largely spent relaxing, though, in truth, the city itself didn't excite us as much as we had hoped it might. But we were still able to enjoy times of rest in various picturesque coffee shops and discover some of the culinary delights of Khmer cooking. The Sunday was spent visiting two international churches, and it was both a blessing and refreshing to feel that much needed sense of belonging.
From Phnom Penh we travelled to the South coast and the riverside town of Kampot, in hope of discovering Cambodia's rural side. Unfortunately, lone exploring is made difficult by the huge number of land mines that remain from the time of Khmer Rouge rule, but with the help of a local guide we saw salt and pepper plantations, caves, fishing villages and so much more, discovering that day the untouched beauty that exists in Cambodia. Quite unlike Vietnam, it is considerably drier and flatter, but, like its neighbour, it did not fail to take our breath away on more than one occasion.
That day in the stunning countryside was the highlight of our visit to Kampot, but we found our time spent in the town itself to be an equally pleasurable experience. Charming and wonderful, I found myself feeling totally at peace amongst the riverside restaurants and "good cause" coffee shops - a Cambodian phenomenon that has both satisfied my sweet tooth and captured my heart. The three days passed unbearably quickly, and I found myself wishing that we didn't have to leave. But alas that is the nature of travelling, and so to Kampong Cham we went. Famed for the weaving villages that surround it (which were the reason for our visit), I was intitally disappointed by the town's lack of aesthetic appeal. This quickly dissipated, however, when we, once again, ventured into the heart of the countryside. Even more incredible than that around Kampot, we were quite content in the back of our tuk-tuk amongst scenes of such unimaginable beauty, one can scarcely take them all in. As when we were in Vietnam, I find myself once again overwhelmed by the inadequacy of my words in describing the natural magnificence of this place. I couldn't possibly hope to do it justice.
What has become increasingly apparent is how undeveloped rural Cambodia remains, despite how well established the towns and cities seem to be. As we jolted along dirt roads we realised that it was quite uncommon for families to live in anything other than a wooden stilt-house, using the rain and the rivers for all manners of washing and cooking. Our mourning the loss of hot water and flushing toilets seemed suddenly insignificant, and the comforts which we have lived accustomed to seem unfair. It is the first time either of us has come face to face with real poverty, and one has to wonder why we deserve the privilege that we were born into. People stared and waved as we passed; delighted children shrieked excited "hellos". We felt like filthy rich celebrities, yet at the same time, an overwhelming sense of welcome.
Though we have been here only a week, we have been totally captivated by Cambodia, this jewel at the heart of South East Asia. Every day that passes I wish we could rewind, and I know that when the time comes, I will want nothing more than to stay in this wonderful place.
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