Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap located northen region of Cambodia. The name - Siem Reap denotes flat defeated Thailand. The economy  is equivalent to a township in northen region of Malaysia however limited traffic lights.

There were only 4 traffic lights in the whole city supporting 20,000 populations. These traffic lights are an sponsored item by the large hotel located within the city. Three major modes of transport are car, motorbike and bicycle (mostly), no helmet and at times three passengers in one motorcycle. Many hotels located near the airport, decent restaurants are plenty in this city. You'll find similar set up like Pizza Hut in Siem Reap call "The Pizza Company" attached to a shopping mall probably in the scale of Leisure Mall (Cheras, Kuala Lumpur). Well, this post is not so much about this developing city but the suburb I traveled to.

Whilst the citizen in the city lead a decent life, the villagers in the suburb one barely have clean water to survive, ironically it's only couple kilometres away from the city.  Thousands of houses along the river bank heading to Tonle Sap Jetty, they cook and drink from the same source - River. 

Kids are smudgy by glance, I pressume it was due irregular wash. They often play at the river and they look just dirty from face to the toe. Most of them hardly with clothes  on as washing and bathing are luxury chores.  I wonder how to keep up their hygienic factor without clean water.

Houses are made of straws and woods and only a few made of concrete cements and bricks. The tiny houses are the place where they live, cook, sleep, play, raise kids. Due to large publicity, water pump built at every two houses. Villagers derive the limited source of water for their basic cleaning. Donors are mainly from Italy, Germany, USA, some wealthy Cambodian etc. Where are the donors from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand etc? I got no idea, perhaps fund raiser never reached Asia Pacific. 

  

 I feel heartache by seeing them leading an unhealthy and unhygienic living conditions as compared to where we're today. Orphanages are also a common phenomenon in Siem Reap not to mention in this village. Most parents died resulted from war, handicap resulted from land mines, poor living conditions. Glad to learn few orphanages has been supported by some religion community, at least they have shelter, food and little education athough poor condition as compared to their neighbourhood - in the city.

Flood just swooped them few months ago, villagers travelled in muds. Walk or cycling are mode to school took approximately an hour. They look very adorable but deep in their eyes there were many queries. They got no difference from kids in anywhere in the big city, but why are they suffering? Don't be surprised they look smudgy all year long (my unreconcile empathy arise again><). This is life I guess, a bit cliche but true, they couldn't choose the country to born to just like we couldn't pick parents to begin with.

  

By passing the 10km journey, we finally reached the jetty heading to the Floating Village (Tonle Sap), it's 30km from the jetty, cost USD20 per head. The lake is stink like public toilet however in larger scale. As we travel nearer to the destination the smell is unbearable but imagine nearly 2000 of populations living by this stinking lake day by day, year by year. These are Vietnamese who stranded in Cambodia resulted from the chronic war. Fishing to survive, the mother and kids are usually ridding in the boat or some in a steel made pail to beg for money from the tourist. 


Whilst fortunate one snuggle in nice warm bed and unlimited nutritious food supply at home, babies counting by months have to beg for living (They required to cry, crawl on the platform to attract simpathy). What an irony is that the government turn the life of poor villagers into tourist attraction.

Many tourist 'feeding' the poor by the platform attracted more  villagers come by, there were mostly mother and children. Tourist thrown some packet junks which I believed are snacks (hopefully), causing a slight commotions. Where are their father? They could be died from the war resulted single mother with babies/children to beg for survival. Watching the scene from the lookout point (no I didn't join the rest at the 'feeding' platform', I find it humiliating as if feeding the fish in the pond). One question lingering in my mind, is that ethical to feed the poor in that manner if you have a helping heart?

I stopped by a floating kiosk, brought some mineral water at higher price (according to the vendor, the profits made will be supporting the poor around this region) and some instant noodles (there is no crackers and breads) and deliver to a christian school also an orphanage as depicted, one and the only. I hope my little donation able to keep their stomach warm for sometime?

A 9 x 8 feets boat is basically their shelter for bedding, dinning, playing, drinking, bathing and toileting.  What's more to those strieving for few thousand feets bungalow? kids as small as 5 years old carry out their chores by travel  slightly further to collect clean water but from the same lake.

To my surprises, there are orphanages living by this stinking lake.  How would these orphans live when other kids who has own home (boat) are barely survived? They are dirty at glance ( I know I mentioned this many times, perhaps I have the urged to clean them up), living in the lake where no clean drinking water often resulted stomachache and diarrhoea. Wet and stink are part of their life. Where are their parents? Where is their home? What's their future?

At the end of the story, you might wonder do these vietnamese (mostly) has a choice to go back homeland? Answer is, Barely. They classified as illegal immigrants and barely have the fund to go back nor they still have a home back in their homeland.

  

Well. This is life of poor villagers in Siem Reap. The chronic wars resulted poor country, the chronic wars resulted homeless kids (orphan), the chronic wars resulted poor living condition. 80% of the villagers are fishing to survive, these people are more unfortunate compared to some rural province in China, if you've been to any.

Although the stories are sad, however there found hope - natural resources - OIL. I sincerely hope the country would develop well like other third world countries. Citizen no longer suffer and kids have healthy growing environment like the precious children in many cities.

Notes:

I extracted this from my FB notes, wrote sometime back after my trip in Nov 2011. Whilst clearing my notes, I decided to share it here. It was written based on the mental Images  from the trip, ya we lost the camera on the last day of travelling. Post images garnered from local tourism sites as a reference of what I see. It's eye-opening for myself and my little one, it brings enormous educational and personal values.