Filling in the blanks
Angkor Wat- one of the wonders of the world. I can’t describe anything that would make it real to you. It is absolutely awesome, and the experience there will never be forgotten. We spent our time well- got up before sunrise each day, had the same driver and guide each day. We learned about their families, and life in Cambodia since the 70’s. We had an unexpected side trip to the Killing Fields, which made me swallow hard and have to go to that ‘special place’ where I can block out any pain. One of the prisons used during that horrible time has now been converted to a school for very poor monks. Our spontaneous guide was a volunteer teacher at that school, and took us around the compound. He told us things I don’t remember reading in schoolbooks, and I had the same distinct feeling that I had when I was in Auschwitz last summer. At the end of our tour, he did ask us for a donation for the school, which we gave gladly. Since we were in Cambodia for such a short time, we didn’t have much US currency on us (strangely ironic), however he assured us that every little bit helped, and showed us the budget for the school and what ahad been collected (there is a Brit or an American volunteering there as well).
After two more days of touring Angkor, it was time for us to go back to Thailand. Upon getting dropped off at the airport, our guide was emotional, and thanked us for the kindness that we brought, that it wasn’t what they normally experience. Touching and disgusting at the same time. We spent so little- this was a country that uses US currency, however, our driver, a middle class Khmer man, earned 40 US dollars a month. It cost half that to send his daughter to school. We gave them each a 30 dollar tip-easily forgotten for us middle class Americans, three weeks salary to these amazing, hopeful people. After being in Thailand, very well-to-do in comparison, this was amazing.
There’s a lot of pain between the two countries- so much in common, yet so much history of war and pain. Cambodia is still ridden with landmines, with 60,000 victims of landmine accidents each year. Angkor Wat is their Pearl, their way to make tourist money, sustenance in a country so poor, that the village of Siem Reap- about 6 km from the ruins, is quite profitable. To us, the poverty is obvious and prolific. To them, this tiny bit of US money is a gift.
United Planet- how we ended up with a Buddhist family in a Muslim village, I am not sure. In some ways it was good- we had more freedom, and there was so much more laughter. Mami Nom sold beer, and laughed and smiled at everything. But it was a different experience than that of the others. Our food was good, though cooked hours and hours before we ate it which led to sad bottom. Mami Nom’s daughter, Miss Pen, lived next door. She adored Jamie. They all did, with her blonde hair, and fair skin. Each night, the Thais in the south cover their faces with white baby powder, exactly the same that we use to cool a baby’s bottom. But they don’t rub it in. They use it to whiten their skin- they will go out of the house with their faces caked with white powder. Mami Nom was funny, and tried very hard to communicate with us. Jamie was so good with words in Thai. I was terrible, but once we got to numbers, it just clicked. Mami Nom was so excited when we came home counting everything. She brought out her calculator (which is hilarious in general. Thailand is 95% literate, yet their math skills SEEM terrible. When something is 10% off they consult with their calculators, even though everything falls in a very easy to manage mathematical category). Anyway, we laughed a lot. The bathroom was what it was- and it was fine. Mami Nom also had a pool table and a little store. We would come home and there would be Thai men our age playing pool, paying Mami for drinks, Very interesting.
Phi phi for the second time. I take a deep breath even trying to go there in writing. We were on the boat on the way there, and Shana leaned over and said this looks like Semester at Sea. Yes, a boatful of 20 yr olds. This was one of the reasons I didn’t feel comfortable here years ago. But after the beginning of this trip, and the experience we had with the people on the island after the tsunami, I was thrilled to be coming back. I wanted to see Lek and hear about what happened with the specialist with her leg. I wanted to see what had transpired in the month that I was gone. Right when we got off the ship, it was apparent to me that this was an organization that was working. In the four weeks I was gone, tourism had tripled (still at 15-20% of normal, but this is a positive shift), and there were numerous new restaurants and businesses up and running. The HIPhiPHi Volunteer center had been taken over by businesses selling the usual tourist stuff, as well as items made by the children in Phi Phi. A new store had been opened via a French organization, selling crafts made by victims of the tsunamie, all proceeds going towards medical and rebuilding efforts. I was a little bit nervous to walk by Lek, in a very juvenile way. She recognized me at once- I am not sure if she placed why, which was fine with me. Though it became apparent on subsequent meetings that she did remember. She made us banana shakes. We sat with her a little while each day just talking. Her smile was infectious.
We spent our time roaming around the island, meeting people, seeing what had been accomplished. Places that had been completely disheveled had been cleaned up and turned into hotels or restaurants. Boats now filled the bay. Prices for rooms went up by 20%. I have never been so thrilled to spend so much! We went walking through the little streets stopping in all of the stores. The Thais were so anxious to talk. They were so happy to see tourists, not just because of money, though making a living and feeding their families is obviously the number one priority, but, “when farang (Thai word for foreigner) come for holiday, they are smiling. We see more smiles on the island now than since tsunami.”
We went to the HiPhiPHi meeting one night, which had been held at 7:00 PM 6 nights a week at a bar on the beach since January or February. This was the meeting to come to, to find out who needed what kind of help, to volunteer. This is how Jamie and I had volunteered one month earlier. But by 7:30, no one was there. Someone came by and told us they were at the medical clinic. This was the place I may have mentioned earlier, that was a hotel for two days before the tsunami, ad the owner donated what was left to HiPHiPhi for the clinic. Anyway, as we walked over there, the crowd was about 150 thick. The volunteer nurse was speaking on behalf of the organization, and announced that the PhiPhi Hospital was now re-opened! And that this would be the last HiPhiPhi meeting, after almost 7 months. The organization will still run, and continue to help those in need, as well as pay Thai people to rebuild what they are allowed to rebuild (Note- the government has yet to decide the fate of the island, even though it was supposed to be known by May). There is still so much to be done, but in comparison to December 26, this island has come a LONG way. Volunteers will still be needed, but it is now the Thais who are ready to take back their island, without it being so overwhelming, and with an influx of some tourist money cushioning them. A very exciting meeting that left me in tears, especially when the Thai leaders took over the meeting, speaking in Thai, but showing their gratitude in English to all of the volunteers (over 3,000 since January) and to tourists. “Spread the word that PhiPhi is back in business.”
And our time was then over. We did what we came to do. It is true that things didn’t necessarily pan out the way we thought, or planned. But it rarely does, and in the end, we knew that just being there, enjoying ourselves and spending money would make the biggest impact. My only regret is that we couldn’t stay longer.
Total money raised: $3,187
Donation to United Planet ………..$1,427
Save the Children………………….$480
KrabiRelief.com…………………$250
HiPhiPhi…………………………$475
Cambodian school for Monks……$25
Cabbages (see pic once I get it loaded)..$25
Lek………………………………..$150
Total direct donation……………$2832
Total spent in Thailand/Cambodia…roughly 3000
Total spent in direct tsunami related areas…..over 2000
This, of course, is not counting what both of my cousins spent and donated.
Thanks again for all of your support!!!
