(Angkor Wat, Cambodia)
Take up the White Man’s burden — And reap his old reward: The blame of those ye better, The hate of those ye guard.
-Rudyard Kipling
Hello everyone. I’m back in America again – admittedly much much muuuuch sooner than I ever expected (although I am really glad y’all got to see me).
After spending what felt to be about 2-3 weeks on board various boats, motorbikes, buses, vans, tuk-tuks, airplanes and cars — I am once again back on U.S. soil. I’ve been here for several days now, I’ve had the opportunity to meet some people, talk to some people, and try to comprehend just why a majority of Americans could be suffering from an obesity problem when there are absolutely NO Dunkin’ Donuts anywhere.
Specifically, after spending several days in Bangkok, Thailand recovering from my latest stint in Krabi, Thailand, I spent a llittle over a week traveling through Cambodia — Siem Reap, Phnom Peng, Battambong.
(Cambodia, en route between Siam Riep and Battombong)
As I’ve told people out here in Boston, it is an absolutely fascinating country … the history, the people, the geography. It is stunning. It is beautiful. And it is the most disturbing country I’ve visited to date.
(Cambodia, en route between Siam Riep and Battombong)
The Kmer people are themselves both beautiful and disturbing, physically some of the most attractive people I’ve ever seen in my life, but many with a look in their eyes as if to say they would be just as willing to gut you as they would be as to drive you to your hotel. It’s just another buck.
Notwithstanding the helpful guides, the willingness to talk, and underlying all the friendly smiles, there is a tinge of hatred and blame directed (perhaps rightly) of towards all the self-righteous Westerners now gawking and throwing their money at them as if they’re a bunch of zoo animals on display — sure, thanks, but where the fuck were you motherfuckers 20 years ago when your professed concern, disbelief and ‘humanitarianism’ really counted? (indeed, myself and the other tourists are equally insistent to get pictures of the locals as the monkeys and other wildlife).
One of the local guys I hired to drive me around Siam Riep and the Temple Wats told me that the war in Cambodia is still going on, its just better hidden now. And the way in which this great gentle guy said it – just so ‘matter of factly’ – was just chilling.
Everything sounds great on paper. But shit, could you really blame them if they really do hate us as much as it sometimes would appear?
Maybe I’m making more of it than is necessary, who knows.
Regardless, my travel directly back into the States initially caused an extreme case of culture shock.
For the first couple days, I actually woke up in (what you fuckers call) the morning thinking I was still there in Cambodia. And for one of the first times, I find myself thinking more about that one country that any other I’ve visited since I left the States (despite all else going on right now).
Often it felt as if the children, the kids were the only ones with true unconditional smiles on their faces — which they did, their joyful smiles radiating out and helping (at least momentarily) to heal all the country’s other dysfunction.
(Cambodia, en route between Siam Riep and Battombong)
After seeing these truly happy kids bathing in the same shit-stained water they use as toilets — after that, and now only several days later seeing a bunch of miserable Americans paying more for a 1/2 liter of specialty bottled water than it cost me for 3 nights at a home stay in Cambodia … it’s just enlightening, to say the least.
Welcome back! I think…