Cambodia continues to recover from devastation wrought by the Khmer Rouge and a civil war that started in the 1970s, when an estimated one in four Cambodians died. In the past decade, the country’s tourist economy has grown, especially around Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat is a major-league UNESCO World Heritage site. Still, the wider economy and services such as education have lagged. Only 20 per cent of Cambodians finish secondary school, and teachers are woefully underpaid. Human Rights Watch has called the country “a human rights basket case,” citing a failure of democratic governance. How long does it take to heal from genocide?
Difficult question. Having lived next door in Thailand for four years when it was still dangerous to visit Cambodia, we wanted to go. Back then we became fascinated by relics of the ancient Khmer empire we saw in northeastern Thailand: From Phimai, we had followed a path of increasingly dramatic ruins to the eastern border, and saw the magnificent ruins of Meuang Tam, where we had the place to ourselves. I’m no archaeologist, but these vestiges of an empire nine centuries gone were beautiful and intriguing. At intersections on that trip, a sign would point away and say simply, “Cambodia.” My eye followed the arrow to where pavement faded to red clay. What lay beyond? At Ta Meuan, an ancient clinic with a sunken pond nestled in tall grasses, we marveled at a 12th-century culture that provided health care. We plotted our return to the source.
Now, years later, we would resume the path to Angkor Wat on the Cambodian side, beginning with Banteay Chhmar in the northwest corner, home of one of the most important yet least understood temple sites of the Khmer empire — a huge complex with eight outlying temples and a reservoir. Had it been a place of pilgrimage or a frontier fortress?
On the way to Banteay Chhmar, we realized we hadn’t picked the easiest homestay to get to. But cellphones have made it more possible to get off the beaten track, and this trip drove that point home. Though I had no Khmer language skills, I could call a lifeline and hand my phone to a driver and someone in Banteay Chhmar could explain where I wanted to go or negotiate how many people I’d be sharing a vehicle with