{"id":154,"date":"2010-01-23T00:40:00","date_gmt":"2010-01-23T00:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brucebramson.com\/2010\/01\/23\/angkor-at-m-y-o-b-2\/"},"modified":"2010-01-23T00:40:00","modified_gmt":"2010-01-23T00:40:00","slug":"angkor-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brucebramson.com\/?p=154","title":{"rendered":"Angkor"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHNOM PENH<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Angkor Travel Brochure<\/p>\n

NOTE TO READERS<\/strong><\/p>\n

The look of this blog will change slightly: I\u2019m out of Vietnam, I\u2019m in Cambodia, and I have a camera. There will be more pictures than there have been so far.<\/p>\n

My letters all along were distributed to family and friends: so there is very little in them about gay things. From here on, I will occasionally interrupt the narrative from letters to interject a \u201cBACKSTORY\u201d, which will include whatever it was I did not put in my letter to start with. I\u2019ll change the gay<\/strong> backstory text to blue, which seems appropriate! Other BACKSTORY entries will remain in black & white.<\/p>\n

I had with me a tablet of very thin paper, suitable for air-mailing, and I wrote continuous letters until I was able to mail them. Hence, some letters were long, covering several days. And now, without a typewriter, I am long-handing letters again, so for this blog all will have to be keyed in. This will slow things down a bit!<\/p>\n

BEFORE I BEGIN<\/strong><\/p>\n

You will see quickly that in late 1968 Cambodia was a very pleasant place. It went quickly to the top of my list of \u201cplaces I want to go back to\u201d. You\u2019ll also learn that I eventually returned to the states just in time to see places in Cambodia I had visited being blown to smithereens when Tricky Dick Nixon ordered the Vietnam war into Cambodia. There followed the horrors of the Khmer Rouge: Cambodia has not even yet returned to the condition it was when I was there, which grieves me to this day.<\/p>\n

ONE MORE THING<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am utterly appalled by the behavior of the right-wing nut-cases raising such a ruckus over President Obama\u2019s proposals about our health-care system. Former President Carter put his finger on it yesterday: racism is alive and well in the USA. We can only hope this bunch of nuts represents too small a portion of our population to cause more than noisy trouble, but I fear the violent nature of the rhetoric is likely to send some fool over the edge.<\/p>\n

ON WITH MY STORY!<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Just look at those prices!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Handy map of Phnom Penh as it was in 1968<\/p>\n

Phnom Penh,\u00a005 September 1968<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear everyone~<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite nearly everyone\u2019s saying it couldn\u2019t be done, here I am at Phnom Penh, exhausted, but delighted. The motorcycle is still at the airport\u2014there are some customs formalities to complete tomorrow in the morning, also have to get proper exit visa so I can go out (as planned) via Arranya Prathet to Thailand (3 weeks hence). So I took a bus into town, have a nice Hotel, had a couple of hours of daylight for a quick walking tour; had a leisurely & plentiful meal of pork sautee\u2019d avec champignons et. al., (very good), and am shortly going to turn in for a well deserved rest. It\u2019s been a long day! Met a chap from Holland who is going on to BK tomorrow\u2014he\u2019s just come from Angkor & says it\u2019s lovely and very devoid of tourists (this is not the season; the rains are not really quite over yet).<\/em><\/p>\n

BACKSTORY<\/strong>: I checked into room 206 in the Hotel Mondial and took a short rest. When I went downstairs to the street to see what I could see, there was a clutch of cyclos and drivers at the curb. They crowded around vieing for my custom, and offering sight-seeing, girls, more sightseeing, more girls. But one chap sidled up and said quietly, \u201cWould you like a girl\u2014or a boy?\u201d I agreed to take a ride in his cyclo, and once we were away from the crowd, it turned out the boy he had in mind was himself! We repaired to a small hotel of his choice, and had a wonderful romp! So, I had my first Cambodian within a few hours of arriving: he was not the last!<\/p>\n

I am amused by a statement in a booklet I have before me that says, \u201cTourists of all nationalities except Chinese (mainland), Vietnamese, Thais and journalists can obtain visa . . .\u201d Apparently they don\u2019t like reporters! A very striking new University is along the route from airport to down-town; just beyond it is a clumpish big technical University built by the Soviets. It is unusual (for me) to see a Polish Embassy (I didn\u2019t even see them in Europe!), but there is one, and Rumanian, and others as well. No American embassy, though\u2014and I doubt I shall miss it a bit. Lots of English spoken here in PnhP, but I may get away from that later.<\/em><\/p>\n

06 September 1968<\/strong><\/p>\n

The French have left behind throughout \u201cIndo-China\u201d a number of impressive monuments, not the least of which is a monumental bureaucracy that tends to put even us to shame! As a consequence, I still do not have my bike clear of \u201cformalities\u201d; I\u2019m assured by the Australian Embassy however that we should be able to complete arrangements tomorrow morning sometime. Since the pressure is off, I can take all this philosophically; after all, I didn\u2019t have to do it this way\u2014I could have toured in the more conventional manner\u2014hence there\u2019s no one to blame for the delays but myself. But no matter\u2014I got in a good deal of sight-seeing shuttling back & forth between the aerodrome, the Embassy and the Commissioner\u2019s Office. The hang-up actually seems to be the requirement of a \u201ccaution\u201d\u2014actually an in-country co-signer who will assume responsibility if I fail to re-export the machine in the allotted time. Naturally, I know no one here who will undertake this, and (rightfully) the Embassy won\u2019t do it either. But they\u2019ve been most helpful\u2014the Australians actually act in some capacities in lieu of an american embassy under a loose agreement we have with them\u2014and I feel sure the matter can be cleared up tomorrow.<\/em><\/p>\n

BACKSTORY<\/strong>: The real problem in dealing with the motorcycle was the language barrier: everyone thought I wanted to import the bike to Cambodia, which would have meant paying a hefty duty. I was unable to explain, my french and cambodian language skills being meager at best, that what I wanted to do was ride the bike in the country, and on out of it. Nevertheless, I was amused by the kind of forms the importers wanted to prepare: they had typewriters with carriages about 20 inches long, and huge sheets of paper to go into them! There were, of course, NO computers!<\/p>\n

Hence, when 1:30 pm came along\u2014everything stops then anyway\u2014I took the more accepted \u201ctour\u201d of Phnom Penh, via \u201ccyclo pousse\u201d. When I get the bike I shall revisit all the spots for a more direct inspection.<\/em><\/p>\n

I suspect PnhP is now rather like Saigon was in 1958 when Todd was there. It is, of course, much smaller than Sgn is now: about 600,000. Untouched by war in many years, it is hence much better kept, cleaner, & far less crowded. It is, among other things, much quieter: all the motorbikes have their silencers left in; thank goodness I brought with me the one for my machine, which otherwise would disrupt this place mightily. Since the Khmer are in general slightly stockier and larger than the Vietnamese, the Hondas popular here are the 65 & 90 cc models, though 125s are also around.<\/em><\/p>\n

Another French institution that is universally found in the Extreme d\u2019Orient is BGI (many americans call it British Gas Industries!). Actually, it is Brassieries et Glacieries de l\u2019Indochine. Despite the limitation of the name, they are into all sorts of things\u2014beer, soft-drinks, ice-cream, ice manufacture, etc.<\/em><\/p>\n

This is the first city I have ever been in that is not plastered with \u201cBevet\u00e9 Coca Cola\u201d signs. The signs are there, but they read \u201cDrink Pepsi\u201d!! I\u2019m told that in the course of the falling-out with the USA, Coca Cola was somehow banned. How Pepsi slipped by I don\u2019t know\u2014the bottles all clearly say \u201cbottled under license of Pepsi Corp, USA\u201d. Ah, the mysterious East!<\/em><\/p>\n

There are lots of new buildings, the most spectacular being the Unicversity mentioned earlier and the Olympic Stadii\u2014there are at least two. A big bridge over the Tonle Sap looks like it might be new since Todd was here, but the \u201cPhnom\u201d seems to have been sinking, and a project is underway to shore it up by boring beneath it & putting in a new footing. The Royal Palace looks fascinating & I shall take the tour, tho\u2019 possibly after I get back from Sihanoukville. My tentatively \u201cplanned\u201d route is now:<\/em><\/p>\n

09\u00a0 Phnom Penh \u2013> Kampot \u2013> Kep . . . . . . . 195km<\/em><\/p>\n

10\u00a0\u00a0 Kep<\/em><\/p>\n

11\u00a0\u00a0 Kep \u2013> Bokor \u2013> Popokvil \u2013> Sihanoukville . . . . . . . 100km<\/em><\/p>\n

12, 13, 14: Sihanoukville<\/em><\/p>\n

15\u00a0 Sihanoukville \u2013> Kirirom . . . . . . . 120km<\/em><\/p>\n

16\u00a0 Kirirom \u2013> Phnom Penh . . . . . . . 125km<\/em><\/p>\n

17\u00a0 Phnom Penh \u2013> Oudong \u2013> Kampong Thom \u2013> Siem Reap . . . . . . . 314km<\/em><\/p>\n

18-24 Siem Reap & environs (Angkor, etc)<\/em><\/p>\n

25 or 26 Siem Reap \u2013> Poipet \u2013> Bangkok . . . . . . . 420km<\/em><\/p>\n

Subject to change! Will probably break the Siem Reap to Bangkok part into two parts, depending on availability of accommodations en-route. Divide the figures above by 1.6 to get miles, and the distances don\u2019t seem so great\u2014they aren\u2019t!<\/em><\/p>\n

Have to arise early tomorrow: life begins before dawn here, for some reason, and the Embassy opens at 7:30 am. Hence it is now time to get some sleep. Will add more tomorrow.<\/em><\/p>\n

07.09.68<\/strong><\/p>\n

Got the bike today OK & toured the Palace\u2014will get this in the mail & start a new letter soon.<\/em><\/p>\n

Love to all~
\nBruce<\/em><\/p>\n

BACKSTORY<\/strong>: Once the folks at the Australian Embassy got clear in their mind what I wanted to do, they prepared a letter (in French) which I was to take to the Customs authorities at the aerodrome. Apparently the letter made clear to them what I wanted to do, because, after some delay filling out forms, they released the bike and told me I was free to visit any part of Cambodia I wanted: just to hand in the form at whatever point of departure I would use. Expecting the letter to do the trick, I had brought with me the bottle of gasoline procured in Vietnam and the silencer for the muffler. I installed the silencer, put gas in the tank, fired up the cycle and drove back into Phnom Penh. At night, the Mondial staff moved the bike inside the main entrance, not to protect it from thieves, but to keep the weather off of it!<\/p>\n

This is the \u201cPhnom\u201d for Which the City is Named.<\/p>\n

More letters soon!<\/strong><\/p>\n


<\/strong><\/p>\n

PHOTOGRAPHY<\/strong><\/p>\n

Anyone reading this blog will have discovered I am not a photographer! I don\u2019t have a photographer\u2019s \u201ceye\u201d, and I did not have a photographer\u2019s camera. That I got any pictures of this trip at all amazes me still. Film for my Instamatic was not universally available, and when I could find it, was expensive. I rarely stayed long enough anywhere for processing, so I accumulated the exposed rolls and had them all developed when I got back to the US. As will be seen, there were some problems with this, and in some pictures humidity caused the emulsion to stick and caused strange blotches. To the extent I can fix any of this by computer, I will, but some of the poor shots are bound to appear.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

National Geographic, June 2009<\/p>\n

I took just one photo of Angkor Wat itself: one of the most photographed antiquities in the world, I wasn\u2019t even going to try to capture it with my little point-and-shoot. There\u2019s no way my feeble skills could do it any justice! There are many sources on the web, and I don\u2019t know how many times it has turned up in the National Geographic, including the June 2009 issue.<\/p>\n

The Moto appears in many shots: remember, I planned to write an article for a MC magazine when I got back, so I included it as often as I could. The article never materialized\u2014until now, 40 years later.<\/p>\n

FINDING MY WAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m often asked how I found my way around without the benefit of GPS. By golly, there were maps! The one I used in Cambodia appears on the previous page. The highways and roads were numbered, and stone markers were plentiful. Signs were usually in both Cambodian and english! Later, when I got to Thailand, I found a map that had each town marked in Thai, with a transliteration into english below. Road-signs, however, were only in Thai. So, I picked out some feature of the Thai name\u2014its extreme length, or some odd squiggly letter, any distinguishing feature\u2014then simply \u201cread\u201d the signs by looking for that feature. It was really quite easy, and I never felt \u201clost\u201d anywhere. I happen to have a fairly good sense of direction: it helped.<\/p>\n

THE SAGA CONTINUES<\/strong><\/p>\n

DIARY ENTRIES: Wednesday, 18 Sept.<\/strong> (continued):<\/strong> Angkor Wat\u2014indeed all the monuments\u2014is incredible!! Besides the feat of piling up all the stones artfully enough, the entire exterior & interior surfaces are decorated\u2014every square inch. Though the pattern-work is repetitious, the effect\u2014softened no doubt by time\u2014is truly beautiful. I see now why Todd raved so about this area\u2014and I have only begun to see it!!!<\/em><\/p>\n

BACKSTORY<\/strong>: The town of Siem Reap is a few km from the temple complex, and the Hotel de la Paix was closer. A wide avenue, then lined with tall trees, led towards the park. The avenue ended at a crossing with the road around the moat which surrounds Angkor Wat itself. Approaching that intersection, I did not notice the Wat until I was at the junction: suddenly, there it was! Despite having seen my brother Todd\u2019s pictures, and having seen many photos in the Geographic, I was totally unprepared for the size and scope of it. The road surrounding the moat is a number of miles in length.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Only Picture I Took of Angkor Wat Itself<\/p>\n

Thursday 19 Sept<\/strong>: Arose around 6:30, departed Hotel around 7:30 for Banteay Srey. A lovely, well-preserved temple & well worth the trip, even though the road is not as shown on the map. After leaving B. Srey, decided to keep on & see how far towards Beng Melea I could get\u2014but the road got progressively worse &\u2014lacking knobbies\u2014I eventually had to capitulate. Explored a couple of side roads but lacking any useful map located nothing. Returned to civilization & went to Banteay Samre. Pulled OK through a stream well over the hubs! But got there (with a short walk). This is also an impressive temple worth seeing. Back to Hotel for lunch, then out to Preah Ko & Bakong\u2014and also worth the effort. Lolei, very nearby, was not worth the trip and while I was there the afternoon rain hit\u2014and eventually passed. Later took [road] #29 down to Phnom Krom. The temple isn\u2019t worth the trip but the road up there is something else! Back to dine at Hotel, then out to Angkor Wat for classical dances\u2014my only homage to the tourist circuit. Colorful and gracelful, but essentially meaningless because it is so studied & symbolic. Then back to the Hotel for rest. Tomorrow\u2014Battambang.<\/em><\/p>\n

Banteay Srey<\/p>\n

Photos of Banteay Srey. Far enough off the beaten track in those days to be still beautifully preserved. What has happened to it in the 40 years since I hate to think.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Track to Beng Melea. Beyond the Honda\u2019s Capabilities! The Road Down From Phnom Krom.<\/p>\n

Sorry, it\u2019s a lousy photo, but the bike IS in there!<\/p>\n

Friday 20 Sept<\/strong>: Made Battambang about noon after leaving Siem Reap around 8. Weather excellent all the way. Road from Sisiphon to B.Bang not entirely paved, but not too slow-going. Met Thach Ny after a small lunch & we went to the modest home of his brother. Later, Ny, a little boy and I all three set out for Phnom Sampou. Before we got there we waited out a heavy storm, about 1\u00bd hrs. Got into all sorts of trouble trying to get up the road, what with 3 people, mud, wetness, etc. Finally walked the last 1\/2 way or so. Big cave with a sleeping Buddha at the top. Very pretty & green & wet. Rain began again as we descended, but had stopped by the time we got back to B.Bang. I later checked into the hotel, leaving Thack Ny with the understanding he was to meet me at the hotel next am at 7:30. Rain again, so I retired early, hence saw little of B.Bang: must go back again some day as it is a large place and nice.<\/em><\/p>\n

BACKSTORY<\/strong>: But, Battambang much later was a K R stronghold, and the caves at Ph. Sampou now contain the remains of many who were killed. A portion of the hill is now being carved into a likeness of Buddha. The trip to B.Bang was mainly to reconnect with Thach, who had shown me much kindness and who shared himself with me often. How he got from P.Penh to B.Bang I do not know, and we met as planned, but he slept with his family, not with me! Oh, well, can\u2019t win \u2018em all!<\/p>\n

Saturday, 21 Sept: Return to Siem Reap uneventful. Was unable to locate Banteay Chhmar. Will try to get info here on exact location (presumably near Sisiphon). Arrived around 1, & took the afternoon to do some maintenance on the bike. Took the glaze off the rear brakes\u2014there is one wheel bearing in poor shape. The bike is a mess, but I may try one more off-the-beaten-track exercise tomorrow before cleaning it up. Changed oil\u2014none too soon. Put in 40W this time.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sunday, 22 Sept:Arose early. Had the Honda washed\u2014a good job. Then proceeded to the park where I re-rode the main circuit, taking in the various monuments in greater depth than before. Ta Prohm is the best\u2014pretty much left as it was found\u2014very interesting how the jungle has over-grown it. The Banteay Kdei is fun too. Many monkeys were playing in the trees around it. A huge spider had dropped his web around the pathway\u2014he was a colorful, though evil-looking beast. Observed army ants at work: fascinating!! Rain in the pm and mid-evening, maybe more later. May try to get to Chau Srey Vibol tomorrow\u2014depends on weather, among other things.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Banteay Kdei. Note Hand of Bananas Strapped to the Bike.<\/p>\n

Monday 23 Sept: Got a bit of a late start, went to Roluos & started off through the rice paddies for Chau Srei Vibol. Got about 4 km out & ran into water well over the hubs, so had to turn back. The cyclo boys say there is a new road in, but I can\u2019t find it as it is not marked. Came back to Angkor and tried another road\u2014it began better, but I came to a bridge that I\u2019d have had to repair to get across, so I decided enough is definitely enough & turned back. Poked around in the Bayon later, & some back roads, then did a circuit of the West Bayon & eventually returned to Hotel to sit out the afternoon rain. Had a quiet evening of chats with some chaps, then off to bed.<\/em><\/p>\n

Track to Chau Srei Vibol. The Puddle was formidable!<\/p>\n

BACKSTORY:<\/strong> The track in the first picture is easily navigated on a motorbike. I actually traversed a puddle similar to the one shown in the second photo to reach this point. I decided this one was too deep, and who-knows-what was in the distance. The previous puddle I had managed to avoid by going around it. But, returning, I knew I could not climb the muddy bank I had come down, so I stopped to contemplate how I might get through the puddle itself. A little boy materialized and with no prompting waded into the water to show me how deep it was. So I revved up the engine, tickled the clutch and kept my feet down to stabilize and got through. (If water reaches the spark-plugs, it\u2019s all over: if not, you get through.) I got through, and parked the bike to let it drain and to wring the water out of my pants. Just then a gent sitting on a high-wheeled cart pulled by a water-b came along and sloshed through the puddle I had just navigated. The look on his face, as clear as it could be, said, \u201cWhat the f*** is this dude doing out here with a motorcycle? He needs a water-b!\u201d He was right, and if I had had the time and sense, I might have hired him to take me to the temple. Another time, perhaps!<\/p>\n

The Bayon: One of the Most Photographed of the Temples Besides Angkor Wat.<\/p>\n

Tuesday 24 Sept:<\/strong> Up early, but with a slight head-ache for some obscure reason. Lolligagged over breakfast consequently, then went out to the park & poked around in<\/em> Ta Keo<\/em><\/strong>,<\/em> then<\/em> Ta Prohm<\/em><\/strong> for a last look at my favorite temple. Rain commenced shortly after lunch, so I shopped in town a bit, tuned the Honda a bit, and otherwise killed the afternoon. Tomorrow\u2014set out for Bangkok.<\/em><\/p>\n

Looking Down from the Top of Bakong Temple. Banteay Samre and Preah Ko Entrance, Preah Khan Temple The Demon Gate to Angkor Thom<\/p>\n

REMINISCENCES:<\/strong> I was there in the off season: most of the time there was no one but me wandering around the temples. But there were people using them: it was not unusual to find punk-sticks smoldering here and there, and now and then I\u2019d get a glimpse of a saffron robe. I was trapped in Ta Prom one afternoon when it rained a bit earlier than expected, and that was an experience I won\u2019t forget! The monsoons drop huge quantities of rain, yet inside the temple, under the trees which over-grow it, no water ever hit me directly. Instead, it ran down all over everything! Small water-falls appeared out of nowhere. It was dark, dank, wet, and fascinating!<\/p>\n

In the dry season the ficus trees shed huge amounts of pollen, so much that the temples appear yellow in photographs. In the wet season the temples are washed clean every day.<\/p>\n

I left the cycle wherever and whenever to roam the temples. No one ever touched it, except a few times I returned to find it covered with card-board or something if it looked like rain.<\/p>\n

In many temples I found small rooms with a lingam (google it) prominently displayed. Whatever, there\u2019s no mistaking these phallic symbols. Just how they were used in the hey-day of the temples I\u2019m not sure, but I did find one that had been anointed with sperm not long before I got there. I added some. I often found myself horny wandering around there: I\u2019ve no idea why. I left some calling-cards.<\/p>\n

Coming up: on to Thailand!\u00a0 Stay with me\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

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