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We have enjoyed a veritable historical fest here in Cambodia, making the terrible mini bus journey from the Thai border worthwhile. We have spent 2 days being driven around by Tuk Tuk visiting the temples of Angkor Wat, Bayon and others. They were constructed in the days of the Khmer Empire shortly after 10 AD until around 15AD, largely to demonstrate the ruler of the days passion for religion - starting with Hinduism, and diverting into Buddhism. It takes a good 3 hours simply to walk around Angkor Wat, without even examining the carved stone frescos in any detail. That gives you and idea of how extensive they are. 2 concentrated days together was quite enough (even for dedicated historians like us), but had we been able to have a 'day off!!' from the temples, we'd have returned with lots more still to see. Of course the heat was draining, and although it is meant to be monsoon season we only experienced one shower, lasting about 40 minutes!
We are certainly not looking forward to the long journey back over the border, but the alternative is a journey to the capital, and then an expensive flight back to Bangkok. We are amazed now at how little time we seem to have left in SE Asia, and to think that we also hoped to go to Laos and Vietnam!
Arriving in Cambodia the differences with Thailand are immediate. The land running over the border is flat, and at this time of year, consists of flooded padi fields. In between the fields the man wade thigh deep holding fishing nets, attempting to catch the evenings dinner. The water that you wash your hands in is the same muddy water from the fields, the same muddy water where the toilet waste goes. The poor hygiene was one of the most stark contrasts for us. Hand washing after the toilet (by the locals) is unheard of. Are these things the result of the poverty of the country, or of a lack of education? The people here really are poor - and the difference made more pronounced than in other areas of Cambodia due to the large numbers of tourists arriving every day. No doubt the tourists are contributing to the economy, but the practices of visitors encourages begging and selling souvenirs to tourists, rather than skilled work.
We went to a talk at the Children's Hospital in Siem Reap - it was billed as a classical cello concert, (but it wasn't). The Swiss doctor has been working in Cambodia since the early 1970's, with the exception of the Khmer Rouge period. He largely blames the west for the problems that today inflict Cambodia. There was little TB in Cambodia before the Civil War and the Khmer Rouge take over. Now the rate is 65%. It appeared most prevalently in the refugee camps, and he blames the USA for the Civil War in Cambodia. He acknowledges the problems of corruption, and of the poverty, but advocates that his patients still deserve the same care that an equivilent patient would get in the western world. Why should a Cambodian child not have the same chance to survive as a western child, just because of the country of his birth? He certainly made a powerful presentation, arguing against the World Health Organisation, that a country should have a health service that reflects the means of the nation.
He had many donations that night to improve the hospital facilities, some students and travellers even volunteers to donate blood to help the children suffering from Dengue (a real problem this year), and many people took down the website. www.beatocello.com The links at the bottom of the site explain the issues better and more comprehensively than I can.
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