Tramping Through Cambodia: Buddhist Serenity and Backpacker Debauchery
Dazzling Buddhist heritage, backpacker debauchery Southeast Asian style, and fried crickets…
June 14, 2019
Sitting at an outdoor bar in the debilitating heat of the Asian tropics, mercy arrived in form of a frosty glass of Angkor Beer—so cold and refreshing that it may as well have sprung from the Fountain of Paradise. As I quaffed the surprisingly good Cambodian pilsner, the young bartender sheepishly reached out a tattooed and cigarette-burned arm to offer an accompaniment of fried crickets with curry leaf and chili.
“In Cambodia, no peanuts with beer. Better with crickets.” He explained as he himself ate a handful of insects as if they were popcorn. I hesitantly popped one of the crunchy bugs into my mouth and the bartenders’ faces lit up with delight. Insects were a common source of protein here, not only crickets but also tarantulas and scorpions.
“Later, I think more Angkor Beer with…happy pizza!” The young man joked as his friends concurred with uproarious laughter.
An old buddy living in Singapore and I had hopped over here for half a week to see Angkor Wat and get a taste of the ‘Wild West of Asia’. Indeed, unlike Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia was still a way away from a typical backpacker’s trail and had a reputation for being a lawless and no-holds-barred pocket of Asia.
Although overshadowed by the Khmer Rouge’s crimes against humanity in the 1970s, Cambodia’s history, stretching back millennia, is rich and proud. Occupying the center of the Indochinese Peninsula, Cambodia is situated atop the crossroads of China and India, and the influences from both great civilizations are palpable in the religion, cuisine, genetics, and architecture. For centuries, Khmer princes traveled to the imperial courts in China and Indian merchants harnessed the yearly monsoon winds to trade with the often-mighty kingdoms that rose and fell in this jungle-hearted country. With the exchange of goods came the exchange of religious ideas, and just as in the case of Bali and Java further to the South, Hinduism and later Buddhism successively took root and flourished here.
The Khmer Golden Age, when Cambodia could rightly be deemed an empire, began in the 9th century when King Jayavarman II consolidated power over the central land of Indochina and established the Khmer Dynasty. The six centuries that followed witnessed a great blossoming of culture and an accumulation of influence well beyond the confines of the Indochinese Peninsula. Around the 14th century, Angkor Wat (tr. ‘City of Temples’)—a complex so vast that it takes an entire day in a tuk-tuk to see all of it—became the largest city in the world and remained so until the Industrial Revolution. Some scholars estimate that around 1 million people lived in Angkor Wat. Preah Vihear, another UNESCO World Heritage Site and a stunning testament to the country’s Buddhist and Hindu heritage, was erected during this epoch as well. Modern Cambodians understand themselves to be the direct descendants of this civilization and refer to themselves as Khmers.
The religion of the Khmer is a fascinating interplay of Hinduism, Buddhism, and the indigenous polytheistic traditions. The indigenous religion recognized countless gods, spirits, and deities—collectively referred to as neat ta—who inhabited the forests, mountains, rivers, and other natural phenomena. Such entities were neither benevolent nor evil but had to be appeased through ritualistic offerings to ensure successful harvests, healthy children, and the alleviation of other concerns of ancient agrarian peoples.
Hinduism probably trickled into Cambodia several thousands of years ago (in Bali they claim that Hinduism was brought to that island 5,000 years ago, and Cambodia is even closer geographically to India). The Khmer rulers were impressed with the sophistication and prosperity of the Hindu traders and likely invited Brahmins from India to teach the Santana Dharma in their own kingdoms. Angkor Wat’s principal temples, constructed in the 12th century, were originally devoted to Vishnu, and Khmer kings after Jayavarman II were considered divine avatars, or devarajas.
Buddhism arrived from Sri Lanka, and as with Sri Lanka, Cambodia is firmly rooted in the Theravada Tradition, the Way of the Elders. Legend has it that the great King Ashoka, a devout patron of Buddhism, sent the first missionaries to Southeast Asia to spread the Dharma in the 3rd century BCE. Legends aside, it was probably not until the 8th century CE that Buddhism became a major religion in Cambodia. For centuries, Buddhism competed with Hinduism, and Angkor Wat flipped back and forth between functioning as a home for the Buddhist sangha and a temple of devotion for the Hindu pantheon. Successive Khmer rulers likewise tended to alternate between the two faiths, which were often at loggerheads with one another. Wandering in awe through the colossal ruins of the once-magnificent city of Angkor Wat, the orange-robed monks chanting sutras and the devotees adorning statues of the Buddha with incense and flowers show that the newer faith has had the final word here.
By the 15th century, the Khmer Empire was in decline, and the rising powers of Siam (Thailand) and Vietnam, neighbors to the West and East respectively, began to absorb the crumbling kingdom. The Dark Age of Cambodia continued until the 19th century, when the French colonized almost the entirety of Indochina, with the exception of Thailand and Laos. Along with remnants of the older generation who still speak French, the colonial legacy can be perceived in a sizable Catholic population here.
In the closing decades of the 20th century, Cambodia suffered one of the most appalling bloodbaths in recent human history. The communist Khmer Rouge formed in the aftermath of WWII, a time when resistance to French colonial rule was reaching a boiling point. With support from the Viet Kong, the Khmer Rouge gained control of the nation in 1975 under the leadership of Pol Pot. In an effort to purge the country of ethnic and religious minorities and potential dissenters, the regime executed between 25-30% of the nation’s populace between 1975-1979. Several middle-aged people with whom I spoke had lost siblings, spouses, children, and parents during this national nightmare. Tourists in Cambodia often visit the Killing Fields, isolated areas of the countryside where 100,000’s of men, women, and children were murdered by Khmer Rouge soldiers. Human bones still litter these grounds.
The wounds the Khmer Rouge inflicted on Cambodia remain raw. Due to the regime’s systematic persecution of scientists, engineers, and all manners of intellectuals, the nation’s infrastructure is among the worst in the world. Countless unaccounted landmines are strewn across rural Cambodia, many of which will remain deadly for an indefinite amount of time to come. While visiting Temple Preah Vihear, located deep in rural Cambodia, I asked our tour guide if I could slip off into the woods to take a leak. He began to shout to another guide in Khmer, and after a few minutes indicated where I should piss, stating that the area had been swept for mines already and was deemed safe.
The poverty and loose rule of law of Cambodia have unfortunately created a destination for dark tourism. Prostitution is rampant here. As a foreign male, you will get aggressively solicited for special massages if you walk down the sides streets of Siam Reap after dark. Heartbreakingly, Cambodia attracts Western tourists who would engage in pedophilia and other sickening sex acts that would spell an extended prison sentence in the developed world. Drugs, both on the streets and in the pharmacies, are another big pull for a certain ilk of tourists. High-quality heroin is cheap and abundant here and almost all the tuk-tuk drivers sling it. Inside the pharmacies, powerful painkillers and all forms of stimulants that would require a prescription in the US or Europe can be purchased cheaply and without a doctor’s scrip.
Many would argue that if the horrors of the Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror had not occurred, Cambodia would be an idyllic paradise—a land blessed with Buddhist tranquility, charming people, dazzling ruins, and spectacular natural beauty. What you find instead of this could-have-been Shangri-La is beauty marred with deep, half-healed wounds. Cambodia has not seen anywhere near the level of tourism that Thailand, Bali, or many other destinations in SE Asia have, and Cambodians have sincerity and guilelessness about them that tends to be absent in destinations that have long suffered the double-edged sword of heavy foreign tourism. Girls in Siem Reap melt into delayed giggles and blushes when you smile at them in passing. Almost all people will greet you with two prayer hands gently placed on their hearts in the namaste gesture. Even in the street markets and food stalls, most of the time I thought I was getting an honest price or at least a price that did not feel insultingly inflated.
The contradictions in Cambodia are striking. The people here are gentle and soft-hearted, to the point where they come across almost as timid; yet here are the same people who not only suffered unspeakable horrors under the Khmer Rouge but also committed these horrors. Deeply pious religion goes parallel with wild debauchery, often in unrestrained and dark manifestations. On the streets of Siem Reap bald-headed monks walk with their begging bowls to seek alms from the laity. Next to these monks, behold Western tourists buying cheap Valium and Cambodian prostitutes. If Singapore is ‘Asia for Beginners’, Cambodia is probably at least an intermediate level. If you’re prepared for a challenge, you will be rewarded here not only with UNESCO World Heritage Sites but with one of the most authentic and raw experiences in SE Asia.
Travel tips for Cambodia:
The currency in Cambodia is both the US dollar and the riel. All ATM machines dispense both. Typically street vendors will accept USD and give you small change in riels.
Siem Reap (tr. ‘Victory over Siam’) might seem charmless at first glance, but she has her hidden gems. A stroll through Pub Street—the Cambodian response to Bourbon St., drenched with neon lights, cheap alcohol, and the aromas of frying meat with galangal and fish sauces—is a sensory odyssey. The nightlife ain’t bad either—especially if you appreciate super dated hip-hop and reggaetón.
You can find an interesting assortment of food and souvenirs in street markets. I was particularly interested in the high-quality agarwood (a coveted wood used in incense and perfumes) available, although I was informed that it’s actually illegal to harvest this in Cambodia. Shortly after arriving in Siam Reap, somebody will probably offer to show you where to get Happy Pizza, pizza sprinkled with, ahem, we’ll say Cambodian oregano.
Dining: On the recommendation of a friend, we found a gelato shop, Gelato Lab, that utilized local cacao, vanilla, black pepper, and other tropical ingredients. It was legitimately one of the best frozen-treats I have ever tasted. The best food I found in Siem Reap was in the night market by the river, which begins around sunset. Avoid the restaurants on Pub Street that have long menus full of pictures—they will inevitably be 3-5 times the price of the street food and probably less tasty. Try to find one of the street vendors who only does one dish, chances are that it will be a delicious one. Wash down your lak-lok (Cambodian rice with fried beef) we an Angkor Beer, and you’ll swear it’s the best ~$4USD you’ve ever spent!
Lodging: For lodging in Siem Reap, Lub B Hostel, was excellent but on the pricier side (about $15/per night for a room with two beds). They have a fun bar and the staff is friendly. The food from their restaurant is about the same price as street food ($2-4 USD) and was delicious. They will also hook you up with a free ride from the airport upon booking a room.
Angkor Wat:
Angkor Wat ($37/person) is located about 20 minutes by tuk-tuk from Siem Reap. Be prepared to spend at least 5-7 hours here, as there are about eight different sites throughout the complex. You will need to hire a tuk-tuk driver to take you around the sites (~$15USD for the whole shebang). I have heard that waking up at 4:30am to see the sunrise here is the way to go, as you not only get to see a magnificent sunrise over the temple but you avoid the masses of tourists who arrive later in the day. Make sure to bring a student ID, as they will reduce the price by a few dollars. I used my teacher ID, and they allowed me a discount as well.
Preah Vihear:
This temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located high in the mountains that comprise the border of Thailand and Cambodia. As with Angkor Wat it was constructed by King Jayavarman II during the founding of the Khmer Dynasty. The temple overlooks dramatic cliffs, and there are no crowds like in Angkor Wat. I found the temple to be more peaceful, intriguing, and architecturally beautiful than Angkor Wat, although it’s considerably smaller (it takes about 2 hours to see it all).
Preah Vihear is about 4-4.5 hours by van from Siem Reap. It’s an all-day affair that requires an early wake-up call, but I enjoyed visiting this smaller temple even more than Angkor Wat. I believe hiring the van driver for the day was about $40-50 USD, and once you get up in the mountains you have to pay another $5 USD to hire motorbikes to take you up the last stretch of road to the base of the temple complex.
