It was an easy flight from Bangkok to Phnom Penh. Just over an hour and I was met at the airport by a smiling tuk-tuk driver with my name on a piece of paper. La-di-da. That's what stepping up to the $10/night guesthouse will get you. That and a hot shower AND A/C... life is good. I got settled in and decided to check out the movie showing in the lobbby/restaurant downstairs. They alternate between various Cambodian films (or rather films about Cambodia). Last night's was "S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine", about the high school turned prison (and now museum) at Tuol Sleng here in PP, where political prisoners were held before being taken (almost without exception) to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. It's very well done, if you're interested in checking it out. The film doesn't offer much background into the Khmer Rouge regime, but is a glimpse into the experience the prisoners and guards who spent time at Tuol Sleng, with narratives and interviews from two surviving prisoners and several guards, along with some powerful interactions between the guards and one prisoner in particular, an artist, whose paintings are now featured at Tuol Sleng.
Today I spent half the day visiting Cheong Ek and then Tuol Sleng. Such a powerful, albeit utterly depressing experience. Cheong Ek is a peaceful place at first glance... grassy fields, butterflies flitting about, but there are also many terrible reminders of the horrors that took place there. I was sickened by the pits in the ground where mass graves have been uncovered and by the small piles of bones and teeth that littered the grounds. I heard a tour guide explain to a small group of tourists, that these awful artifacts "just keep coming up". The centerpiece of Cheong Ek is a stupa filled with human skulls; a memorial to those who died here and a reminder to those who live. There is a sign in front of this tower asking you to pause and respect the dead. As I placed a lit stick of incense in front of the memorial and offered up a prayer for peace, I started to think about why it is that we visit these kinds of sites; places so painful and awful and ugly.
At Tuol Sleng there is room after room filled with 8x10 mug shots of the prisoners detained. Of the 20,000 some prisoners held here, only 7 survived. I walked through row after row of photographs and started to cry. When I turned a corner and saw pictures of young children I had to just leave the room. How is it possible for people to become so indoctrinated, so desensitized, so heartless that they can treat each other with such brutality? The pictures are just haunting. So many faces... some young, some old, some beautiful, some grotesque, some bearing evidence of the interrogations they had just been through. And the eyes... some resolute, some furious, some frightened, some ashamed. I came to a picture of a young boy, probably about 14. There was a brightness in his eyes I hadn't seen in anyone elses; almost a sparkle. It made me so sad. How quickly was that light snuffed out? How long did it take to kill his spirit so evident in this photograph?
And again I wonder about why we come to these places of horror. Do we wish to remind ourselves of what we as humans are capable of? Or maybe we come to honor the dead? Or maybe it's a type of penance; a small plea for forgiveness for the actions (or inaction) of our governments that may have in some way contributed to the atrocities commited? I don't have a good answer. I don't know why I wanted to see what I saw today, but I do know that it's not something I'll soon forget.
The rest of the day I kept thinking about what the Khmer people must think about all of us foreigners come to gawk at this ugly chapter in their nation's history. Does it make them angry? Or do they feel comforted by the rest of the world getting a chance to glimpse what life was like here in Cambodia just thirty years ago? For some, I'm sure it comes down to the tourist dollars that come along with our curiosity. I hope I'll get a chance to talk to somebody about this while I'm here.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
If you wanna know if he loves you so...
Sa wa dee ka! Yep, that's hello in Thai. Josie talk Thai. Josie talk Thai very well... (Who remembers Meet the Parents?)
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I find I have neither words nor the picture that can adequately describe the incredible day I had today. After a sudden bump in my bank account balance (thanks, mom!) I decided that I could allow myself to splash out and headed for the Elephant Nature Park. Seeing elephants was definitely high on my list of priorities while here in Thailand, but after reading so much about how they are often badly mistreated, I was feeling uncomfortable about signing up for the elephant treks or excursions offered at any one of the hundreds of tourist agencies sprinkled throughout the city. After asking around, and doing a little internet research, I found the ENP. The park is a sanctuary for elephants that have been orphaned or rescued from abusive situations. There are over 30 elephants currently living there. You don't get to ride them, and they don't do tricks (like painting or playing basketball... although those are just a few of the things elephants here in Thailand are often trained to do), but during a day at the park you're able to feed them, walk with them, and best of all get in the river to bathe them.
I don't remember the last time I had so much fun, and I really did feel like I was contributing to a worthy cause. Carpenters may have built America (as read an old belt buckle of my dad's) but elephants built a great deal of Thailand. There were, until not all that long ago, thousands of elephants working in the logging industry hauling wood that was used for all manner of construction. When logging was outlawed here, there was nowhere for these so-called "domesticated" animals to go. Many were turned into performers and sent off to trekking camps for tourists to ride. Many can be found wandering the streets with their owners begging for money. I won't bore you by getting all preachy about the plight of the elephants in Thailand (and I haven't even touched on the wild ones), but please check out the website for the park.
I am thinking of all of you as Christmas quickly approaches. Nearly half my group today was from Washington State (it truly is a small world, and it seems us Washingtonians are well-represented in the Chiang Mai area!). This made me feel a little homesick, but at the same time made home seem not quite so far away. I've decided to stay in Chiang Mai until the day after Christmas, then take the overnight train to Bangkok, and head to Phnom Penh, Cambodia on the 27th. From there I'll visit Siem Reap and see the temple ruins and then it's on to Vietnam. More soon.
Merry Christmas.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I find I have neither words nor the picture that can adequately describe the incredible day I had today. After a sudden bump in my bank account balance (thanks, mom!) I decided that I could allow myself to splash out and headed for the Elephant Nature Park. Seeing elephants was definitely high on my list of priorities while here in Thailand, but after reading so much about how they are often badly mistreated, I was feeling uncomfortable about signing up for the elephant treks or excursions offered at any one of the hundreds of tourist agencies sprinkled throughout the city. After asking around, and doing a little internet research, I found the ENP. The park is a sanctuary for elephants that have been orphaned or rescued from abusive situations. There are over 30 elephants currently living there. You don't get to ride them, and they don't do tricks (like painting or playing basketball... although those are just a few of the things elephants here in Thailand are often trained to do), but during a day at the park you're able to feed them, walk with them, and best of all get in the river to bathe them.
I don't remember the last time I had so much fun, and I really did feel like I was contributing to a worthy cause. Carpenters may have built America (as read an old belt buckle of my dad's) but elephants built a great deal of Thailand. There were, until not all that long ago, thousands of elephants working in the logging industry hauling wood that was used for all manner of construction. When logging was outlawed here, there was nowhere for these so-called "domesticated" animals to go. Many were turned into performers and sent off to trekking camps for tourists to ride. Many can be found wandering the streets with their owners begging for money. I won't bore you by getting all preachy about the plight of the elephants in Thailand (and I haven't even touched on the wild ones), but please check out the website for the park.
I am thinking of all of you as Christmas quickly approaches. Nearly half my group today was from Washington State (it truly is a small world, and it seems us Washingtonians are well-represented in the Chiang Mai area!). This made me feel a little homesick, but at the same time made home seem not quite so far away. I've decided to stay in Chiang Mai until the day after Christmas, then take the overnight train to Bangkok, and head to Phnom Penh, Cambodia on the 27th. From there I'll visit Siem Reap and see the temple ruins and then it's on to Vietnam. More soon.
Merry Christmas.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
All is calm, all is bright...
Hello from Kiew Sua. Of course there's high-speed internet. Why wouldn't there be? It amazes me that you can connect to the internet from a tiny village where no one even has a phone.
I arrived here early yesterday morning after a very long, very bumpy ride up the mountain. It was a red-letter day yesterday, with a parade organized to encourage people to vote and Christmas caroling in the evening. I spent quite a bit of time talking with Stacia, the woman who has been living and teaching here since July. She's from Woodinville, WA (small world!), and is an incredible person with some really big plans. I will write more about her (and her big plans) later.
We were each (Stacia, Rebecca, and I) touched by how welcomed we were as a part of all of the festivities yesterday, and by the generosity of all of these people with so little to give. We followed the children (and their other teachers) along the road to stop off at houses and sing carols. Kiew Sua is a largely Catholic community, something that is actually surprisingly common among the hill tribes, and due to their exposure over the years to missionary groups. At each house we were invited in to sing, say a prayer, and be stuffed with treats. The kids all had sacks to carry their loot in ala Halloween. Having no sack, I was a big hit with the kids as I kept passing off my share of the goodies. Stacia, Rebecca and I were asked to sing at several houses, so we did our best renditions of Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and Silent Night. It was a beautiful night, with millions of stars out... between the carols and the wild poinsettias growing on the side of the road, it was the first time so far I've really felt like Christmas was around the corner.
I arrived here early yesterday morning after a very long, very bumpy ride up the mountain. It was a red-letter day yesterday, with a parade organized to encourage people to vote and Christmas caroling in the evening. I spent quite a bit of time talking with Stacia, the woman who has been living and teaching here since July. She's from Woodinville, WA (small world!), and is an incredible person with some really big plans. I will write more about her (and her big plans) later.
We were each (Stacia, Rebecca, and I) touched by how welcomed we were as a part of all of the festivities yesterday, and by the generosity of all of these people with so little to give. We followed the children (and their other teachers) along the road to stop off at houses and sing carols. Kiew Sua is a largely Catholic community, something that is actually surprisingly common among the hill tribes, and due to their exposure over the years to missionary groups. At each house we were invited in to sing, say a prayer, and be stuffed with treats. The kids all had sacks to carry their loot in ala Halloween. Having no sack, I was a big hit with the kids as I kept passing off my share of the goodies. Stacia, Rebecca and I were asked to sing at several houses, so we did our best renditions of Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and Silent Night. It was a beautiful night, with millions of stars out... between the carols and the wild poinsettias growing on the side of the road, it was the first time so far I've really felt like Christmas was around the corner.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Come on and join your fellow man...
Just a quick update from me... I arrived in Chiang Mai Saturday morning. It's great here, much more my speed than Bangkok. I found a cheap guest house (less than $5/night!) and spent yesterday and the day before visiting temples and wandering around the city; there is a moat around the entire old part of the city so you can walk around in a loop. Last night I checked out the night bazaar, and the Sunday walking street, where they close down one of the main roads and set up booths with food and souveniers and such. Lots of pretty things, but as usual no room in my backpack! :)
I met with Mandy's dad, Dan, on Saturday to talk about volunteer opportunities at the school he and Rebecca are teaching at. I am going to go up with Rebecca on Tuesday morning to spend 3 days at the school (about 65 miles from here, in the mountains) and decide if I'd like to do some more extensive volunteering there. It takes about 3 hours to get to the school due to it's remote location and the road conditions. Dan & Rebecca normally take their motorcycle up there but this week Dan has some consultation work to do here in Chiang Mai, so Rebecca & I will take a sawngthaew (a pickup-truck with benches in the back) up early tomorrow morning and come back Thursday afternoon. This is the normal schedule that Dan & Rebecca keep up there. This will give me 3 days to check out the school and decide if I'd like to go up and stay for a couple of weeks. I was able to see some pictures of the school and things definitely look pretty rustic... my accomodations will be a thatched roof hut. The village is called Baan Kiew Sua (but don't look for it on a map... you won't find it), and it is the home of Karen (pronounced Ga-rian) hill-tribe people. You can read a little more about the Karen people here if you're interested.
I'll tell you all about it when I get back to Chiang Mai, for now I have to run... gotta go track down a mosquito net so I don't get eaten alive up there.
I met with Mandy's dad, Dan, on Saturday to talk about volunteer opportunities at the school he and Rebecca are teaching at. I am going to go up with Rebecca on Tuesday morning to spend 3 days at the school (about 65 miles from here, in the mountains) and decide if I'd like to do some more extensive volunteering there. It takes about 3 hours to get to the school due to it's remote location and the road conditions. Dan & Rebecca normally take their motorcycle up there but this week Dan has some consultation work to do here in Chiang Mai, so Rebecca & I will take a sawngthaew (a pickup-truck with benches in the back) up early tomorrow morning and come back Thursday afternoon. This is the normal schedule that Dan & Rebecca keep up there. This will give me 3 days to check out the school and decide if I'd like to go up and stay for a couple of weeks. I was able to see some pictures of the school and things definitely look pretty rustic... my accomodations will be a thatched roof hut. The village is called Baan Kiew Sua (but don't look for it on a map... you won't find it), and it is the home of Karen (pronounced Ga-rian) hill-tribe people. You can read a little more about the Karen people here if you're interested.
I'll tell you all about it when I get back to Chiang Mai, for now I have to run... gotta go track down a mosquito net so I don't get eaten alive up there.
Friday, December 14, 2007
What you don't have, you don't need it now...
As I looked out the window of the train yesterday evening, I could see green hills in the distance with lush palm trees sprinkled amongst rice paddies. There were flocks of beautiful black birds with white patches on their wings swooping and playing, and graceful white cranes standing in the water near the railroad tracks. Clouds hovered near the peaks of the far off mountains, and I made out the outline of a gilded Buddha statue peeking out behind the palms as the train passed a temple. As I turned to take in the view from the other side of the train, the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky red. The windows were wide open and the smell of smoke from the crop fires burning in the nearby fields wafted in. I smiled to myself as tears welled up in my eyes, and thought yet again how lucky I am to be right here, right now.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
It's those changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes...
Hello from Bangkok. Quite a change from the island of Cebu. I've spent the past few days wandering around, taking it all in, eating my fill of (cheap!) Phad Thai, visiting beautiful temples, and figuring out where to go next. I saw the world's largest reclining Buddha statue at Wat Pho... pretty impressive; anyone out there happen to know where the world's largest standing Buddha statue is? I will try to post more photos soon. My camera is being a bit temperamental which I'm guessing (hoping?) has to do with the increased heat and humidity. At any rate, I've been having trouble getting it to focus properly (arghhhh... not sure I realized just how many pictures I'd been taking until my ability to do so was compromised).
Bangkok is busy and loud and I'd have to say that it's not one of my favorite places so far. My friend Dave described it like this: "It assails all of the senses more or less simultaneously and usually grinds even the hardiest of folk down after a few days." I'd like to think I'm one of the hardier folk, and after 3 days I'm ready to bail. Lucky for me, I have an escape plan! I'm headed to Chiang Mai tomorrow afternoon. I'll plan to stay in Chiang Mai city for the weekend where I'll meet up with my friend Mandy's dad. He & his girlfriend are teaching at a school in Kiew Sua, which is about 60 miles outside Chiang Mai. They are looking for more help there and I think I will have the opportunity to stay for a few weeks and volunteer before moving on to my next destination (wherever that may be... it seems that proposed map I set up is getting less and less accurate!).
Can't wait to see what's next...
Bangkok is busy and loud and I'd have to say that it's not one of my favorite places so far. My friend Dave described it like this: "It assails all of the senses more or less simultaneously and usually grinds even the hardiest of folk down after a few days." I'd like to think I'm one of the hardier folk, and after 3 days I'm ready to bail. Lucky for me, I have an escape plan! I'm headed to Chiang Mai tomorrow afternoon. I'll plan to stay in Chiang Mai city for the weekend where I'll meet up with my friend Mandy's dad. He & his girlfriend are teaching at a school in Kiew Sua, which is about 60 miles outside Chiang Mai. They are looking for more help there and I think I will have the opportunity to stay for a few weeks and volunteer before moving on to my next destination (wherever that may be... it seems that proposed map I set up is getting less and less accurate!).
Can't wait to see what's next...
Monday, December 10, 2007
Show them all your good parts; leave town when the bad ones start to show...
The two weeks I spent at the house near Sampaguita on Tongo Point just flew by. I was trying to decide today, as I made my way to Bangkok, what my favorite part of my stay in the Philippines was. It's impossible to say, I think. As usual, I have too many favorites. I met some absolutely wonderful people on the island of Cebu, and it's yet another place I could see myself returning to at some point. I have to mention the Insik family, who could not possibly have made me feel more welcome. As a friend of Mark & Judy's (Seth's parents) I was instantly treated as a member of their extended family. Reney, the family patriarch, took a particular liking to me (not sure why, but he seemed somehow amused by me)... he was particularly charmed by my clumsy efforts with Cebuano and I was equally charmed by his warm greetings, songs, and his walking up the beach this morning to bid me farewell. Reney, his wife Zosama, and their daughters Elvie, Hermine and Fermine along with their husbands and children were all so much fun to be around. I almost sneaked little Jonreil, who by the end of the trip was referring to me as "Auntie Josie", into my backpack to take home with me. :)
You can all look forward to many many stories about all of these people when I return... Shannon and I are hatching plans to return soon, and there will be lots of projects in the works I think. That was another piece of this chunk of the trip that was so amazing... it was such a treat to be around people I know and love. I wondered if it might make me feel homesick to be around familiar faces, but it didn't; I just thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved: the gorgeous 5:30 sunsets, the abundance of beautiful fruit (best mangoes ever!), the snorkeling, the adventures by tricycle, the calderita (goat stew) that Elvie made, the "mother of fried chicken" that Brother Fili made, listening to Makaia sing and Sierra play guitar, Tanduay rum for 75 cents a pint, falling asleep in the hammock whilst watching fireflies and listening to the waves, swimming in caves and under waterfalls, the daily smoothies, breaking into song with Shannon and/or Seth several times a day, long talks on the deck about "luxury problems", and traveling with people who have the foresight to pack fresh coffee, manchego and cheddar cheeses, and Trader Joe's truffles and peanut butter. :) I did not love: the cockfights (much like the bullfights in Spain, I'd say these were a once in a lifetime experience for me), waiting for water to arrive (yes, there is running water, but it comes from a 250 gallon tank outside the house that needs to be refilled; this might qualify as a luxury problem), or the mosquitos (although they certainly loved me!).
I know I will not forget my time on the island of Cebu. From the 3am arrival and crazy cab ride there, to rattling down the road to town in the back of a lumber truck this morning to catch the bus back to the airport, the past two weeks have been the perfect mix of adventure, relaxation and fun. I arrived in Bangkok in the wee small hours of the morning after 2+ hour delays for both of my flights. I'm looking forward to a little sleep and to seeing what Thailand has to offer.
You can all look forward to many many stories about all of these people when I return... Shannon and I are hatching plans to return soon, and there will be lots of projects in the works I think. That was another piece of this chunk of the trip that was so amazing... it was such a treat to be around people I know and love. I wondered if it might make me feel homesick to be around familiar faces, but it didn't; I just thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved: the gorgeous 5:30 sunsets, the abundance of beautiful fruit (best mangoes ever!), the snorkeling, the adventures by tricycle, the calderita (goat stew) that Elvie made, the "mother of fried chicken" that Brother Fili made, listening to Makaia sing and Sierra play guitar, Tanduay rum for 75 cents a pint, falling asleep in the hammock whilst watching fireflies and listening to the waves, swimming in caves and under waterfalls, the daily smoothies, breaking into song with Shannon and/or Seth several times a day, long talks on the deck about "luxury problems", and traveling with people who have the foresight to pack fresh coffee, manchego and cheddar cheeses, and Trader Joe's truffles and peanut butter. :) I did not love: the cockfights (much like the bullfights in Spain, I'd say these were a once in a lifetime experience for me), waiting for water to arrive (yes, there is running water, but it comes from a 250 gallon tank outside the house that needs to be refilled; this might qualify as a luxury problem), or the mosquitos (although they certainly loved me!).
I know I will not forget my time on the island of Cebu. From the 3am arrival and crazy cab ride there, to rattling down the road to town in the back of a lumber truck this morning to catch the bus back to the airport, the past two weeks have been the perfect mix of adventure, relaxation and fun. I arrived in Bangkok in the wee small hours of the morning after 2+ hour delays for both of my flights. I'm looking forward to a little sleep and to seeing what Thailand has to offer.
Friday, December 7, 2007
When you see the Southern Cross for the first time, you understand now why you came this way...
I am still in the Philippines. It's a place I know that will be difficult to leave. It feels like providence that everything fell into place so easily and that I have been able to enjoy this amazing time with Shannon and her family. There are many, many stories to tell, and I will try to get to them soon. For now, please enjoy the new pictures and videos that I've posted. More soon!
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