The 'Pearl of Asia'

Cambodia is a land filled to the brim with history and heartbreak. From the terrible treatment of the people who actually put the temple complexes at Angkor Wat together a millennia ago to the brutal atrocities committed by the savage Khmer Rouge, the Khmer people have proven time and again to be resilient and more forgiving than this world deserves. This is a trait that becomes blindingly apparent as soon as you hop into a tuk tuk and speak to the driver for even the briefest moment. However, we're not here to give a history lesson. We're here to tell you about our experiences in the phenomenal city that is Phnom Penh.

A typical Phnom Penh street.

Vicky enjoys a sugar cane juice from a local cart vendor. SO GOOD.

Immediately upon arrival, the openness and friendliness of the people is apparent. 'Sues-day' and 'Akun' ('hello' and 'thank you' respectively) will get you a smile as wide as the Mekong itself. First thing you'll notice is that, like the rest of Southeast Asia, it's blisteringly hot. Being a cold weather person, myself, this entire trip has been like a three month back-and-forth trip between the sauna and steam room. Phnom Penh is similar to Bangkok in terms of humidity, but even hotter. Be prepared. We recommend at least one cooling towel (a contraption that is made cold by any temperature water and a snapping motion). It will turn an unbearable heat into... an almost bearable heat.

A meal for two and some drinks for about $2? YES.

If you can stay cool and hydrated, definitely rent a bicycle and traverse the crowded city streets with the locals. Bike up the riverfront, get some delicious, cheap noodles at one of the countless stands or pavement cafes, and grab a life-savingly refreshing sugar cane juice from a cart on the street (any street). Don't let the high price numbers scare you. It's 4,000 Cambodian Riels to $1 USD (they take mainly USD, anyway). If you choose to take a pass on the overpriced European food and stick to local fare, it's actually rare you'll find a meal that costs 5,000 of something. Once your belly is full, move on to your mind. Educate yourself on the history of the nation and some of what the local population has had to endure. Visit the S-21 Prison Museum and the Killing Fields.

The current view from inside S-21.

Bou Meng, one of the few survivors of S-21, poses with Vicky.

Inside the S-21 Prison (a high school converted into a prison camp by the Khmer Rouge), you will not see the sterile, disconnected pieces of history you often see in museums. The intent here was to give the viewer an uncomfortably visceral feel. A feeling that drives the information home much more severely than any behind-the-glass diorama and paragraph of backstory can ever provide. Decaying bed frames (used for torture and electrocution) remain in much the same position they were in 40 years ago when Pol Pot's followers were committing some of the most heinous acts conceivable. Despite the survival rate being nearly zero, there were survivors. People who embody the resilient spirit of the Cambodian people like they were mascots for an entire nation. Upon exiting the museum, you can chat with Bou Meng, a survivor of S-21. He will greet you with a smile, he will laugh with you, and show you that no matter what you are put through, you can survive.

This gorgeous modern structure houses
thousands of skulls from victims of the
Killing Fields.

To further ingrain this learning experience in your mind, take a trip just outside the city to the famous Killing Fields. Despite its dire name, it is an incredibly peaceful place. Take a leisurely, reflective stroll through the grounds and never forget the thousands of people who 'disappeared' here. Though these atrocities seem like something that happened in a time and place we cannot comprehend, we must realize that they happened only a few short decades ago in a world landscape not dissimilar to our own. We must, as a species, learn from our mistakes and places like these help us do exactly that.

On the more upbeat side of history is the French colonial influence in the architecture in Phnom Penh. One of the most recognizable areas for this is the Central Market. A huge building with a central area for jewels and four anti-chambers for clothing, electronics, foods, spices, etc... Dodge and weave around locals and tourists alike, haggle a little for a nice, comfy t-shirt, then head outside and get a cheap sandwich. Enjoy the thrum of the bustling shopping beast and come away with some gems of your own.

Shopping? Why not?

My 'Not-A-Good-Idea' face.

Phnom Penh is not just a relic to gaze at longingly. It is a modern city on the rise. Cambodia may be behind many other cities in SE Asia, but by no means is it left behind. Currently, there is a development project of massive scale on the riverfront. At the time of our 100 days in SE Asia, it is just a few nice bars and restaurants with a nice (albeit incomplete) view of the Mekong River, but in a short time, it will be an entire man-made island cityscape. Skyscrapers, resorts, golf courses, shopping and theater districts, etc... In the meantime, enjoy getting about 11 beers for around $10.

It may not be the 'Pearl of Asia' any longer, but it certainly has more than enough charm to justify a visit. With a base architecture of traditional Khmer and colonial French influence and a population as inviting as the aromas from the plethora of street foods, Phnom Penh is a bustling city that has a little bit of everything. If you can stand the heat and are looking for a friendly, laid back city to get lost in for a while, check it out.

Phnom Penh and the Mekong river await your arrival.

Travel Affordability

Two freelance film crew members (married to each other)

 attempt to explore Southeast Asia (SEA) in "100 Days" 

on a shoestring budget.

Day 1: Vicky and Mike's last stateside selfie from LAX

We call ourselves "Checkpoint Chanislawski." It's a mash-up of our surnames: Chan and Stanislawski. One year of planning and saving is how we turned a dream into reality. One year that also cost us twelve months of rent in Los Angeles, bills, student loans, more bills, five round trip flights to our hometown of Chicago, nights out with friends, and probably a cumulative four months of unemployment between the both of us. So how do we AFFORD to travel this magnificent Earth? Here’s how WE did it:

SET A DATE

Day 9: Sunlight breaks through some clouds 

over Wat Pho in Bangkok, Thailand

Just like planning for a wedding, we chose a date in the near future that would serve as a deadline for setting aside funding. From our previous backpacking excursion through Europe in 2014, we could reasonably predict that it would take us one year to save up for SEA, especially since the cost of living is considerably cheaper there.

LIMIT CONSUMPTION
As Americans, we’ve been indoctrinated from birth to buy, buy, buy. Starbucks every day. A bigger TV. The newest iPhone. The latest fashion. Instead, we brew our coffee at home. Most of our furniture is bought second or even third hand off of Craigslist. We rarely update our wardrobe, but when we do, we turn to thrift stores. Thankfully, the L.A. scene provides us with a quick turnaround rate on name brand digs for dirt cheap.

BUY ON A TUESDAY, FLY ON A TUESDAY
(or sometimes Wednesday)
From reading travel blogs and being avid travelers, we’ve noticed that airfare tends to be cheaper on Tuesdays. This makes sense because most 9-5ers only have the luxury of taking off Fridays or Mondays to travel rather than mid-week, thus driving up prices on those days. Also, the prime time to buy is 5-8 weeks before the desired departure date. This is what I call “The Golden Period.” It’s the brief window of lower fares offered in between purchases made by the overly-prepared vacationers and the last-minute seat fillers.

Day 10: Silhouette of the majestic Angkor Wat complex in Cambodia

WATCH IT GROW
Our savings account dedicated to our trip, that is. Like a home-grown tomato plant, we nurtured our savings account to fruition. Instead of water and sunlight, though, we used portions of our paycheck. Sometimes we could only transfer $10, other times we were able to throw in hundreds. But the more we invested, the more worldly experiences we could envision. And so we watched our savings grow.


FOREGO LUXURIES WHILE TRAVELING

Day 39: Abseiling next to a roaring waterfall in
  Da Lat, Vietnam

We budget for hostels, street food vendors, and ground transportation. Our goal is to average $30/day/person for our entire trip. A low-key day of walking around, hanging out at public parks, and people watching can help off-set an expensive day of canyoning through forests and waterfalls.

 Accommodations: A hostel bed or budget hotel room can be found for $5-$10 USD/night, even with A/C (for my husband who is covered in fur, it’s necessary in SEA). We occasionally find deals on Agoda.com for accommodations that include a complimentary breakfast.

Food: A hearty meal at a food stall on the street corner can cost $1-$2. Beer can be found for 50 cents in some areas!

Transportation: We tolerated a thirteen hour coach bus ride from Bangkok to Phnom Penh for $9 each, whereas a one-way/one hour flight costs roughly $60/person. As with many things in life, it’s either time or money. Our $49/person open tour “hop-on-hop-off” sleeper bus through Vietnam has proven to be most rewarding. That’s quite a deal for exploring seven cities in one month across the expanse of over one thousand miles.

 

Day 32: A steaming bowl of Vietnamese pho noodle soup
warms the soul!

We booked our Vietnam open tour bus
through TM Camel. We'll hopefully post
 a complete guide to surviving a sleeper
bus before the end of our trip.

LET'S BE HONEST
Through a series of fortunate events and life choices, we can afford to travel because we have fewer financial responsibilities than others and an extremely flexible work schedule. We don’t have dependents or children. We rent, so we don’t pay a mortgage. We are relatively healthy people. But we’ve earned every penny and we live modestly. Some travel articles will boast that anyone can travel the world. Traveling is not for everyone and not everyone can afford to travel. However, by sharing our experience, we hope to encourage the daydreamers to wake up and see that world exploration is possible.

Day 44: Maybe the grass (or rice) is greener on the other side?
Luscious rice paddy fields in Hoi An, Vietnam

And now we leave you with ten more tips that we actually follow...

PRACTICAL POINTERS FOR SAVING MONEY
At home or abroad

1. Sublet your apartment or rent out your house.
2. Suspend your cell phone plan while traveling. Free WiFi can be found most anywhere.
3. Share a meal with your partner/friend when eating out. It's a diet plan too!
4. Get a reusable water bottle with a filter and stop buying plastic water bottles.
5. Do your research. Spending extra time comparing costs can save hundreds.
6. If you like going to the movies, opt for a matinee screening for half the price of a normal ticket.
7. Check up on current exchange rates before you enter a different country. Knowing the value of things can defend you from scam artists.
8. Carpool. It's a great excuse to sing-along together to your favorite guilty pleasure pop songs.
9. If there is something expensive you want to have, whine about wanting it for the next six months. If you still want it, get it. Or don't get it, save the money, and whine for another several months.
10. Volunteer to do something that's enjoyable to you. It's a free activity that also gives back. Play with kittens at a no-kill shelter for four hours? Don't mind if I do!

A Land of Ancient Temples

"It is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world."António da Madalena

Cambodia is a land of many wonders. From the richness of the ancient landscape to the unwavering friendliness of the locals, there is no end to the list of reasons to visit this great region of Southeast Asia. Though the Khmer people have had their fair share of hardships, not the least of which is the most recent attempted genocide of the people by the Khmer Rouge dictator Pol Pot, the people have seemed to manage to keep a welcoming spirit to us humble travelers. The options for delicious street food go on for as long as the Mekong river itself, it seems. There is an architecture fused from traditional Cambodian (among other Asian influences) and French colonial that never ceases to intrigue as you walk the sometimes-too-narrow streets. So, as much as our focus of this post could zigzag as much as a Khmer tuk tuk driver, I would like to focus on the main reason I ever wanted to travel here in the first place: Angkor Wat.

Possibly one of the most recognizable structures in the world (it's on their flag!), Angkor Wat is but one of many temples that are scattered like architectural breadcrumbs throughout the northwest Cambodia area of Siem Reap. Whether or not a supreme being exists is beside the point, because when you walk through the chambers and galleries of this magnificent testament to human ingenuity, you can feel the millennium of worship and reverence simply oozing from its cobblestone paths and relief walls.

Vicky stands atop one of the outer courtyard staircases.

Originally a Hindu temple, it has been (like much of Southeast Asia) a Buddhist place of worship since the 12th century. Somehow, Buddhist monks of all ages manage to traverse the tricky walkways and hordes of tourists to do their daily routines. Speaking of those hordes of tourists, we at Checkpoint Chanislawski can't recommend enough to wake up early and catch a tuk tuk from your hotel and get to Angkor Wat for sunrise. This will allow you to be able to see the glorious sight of the sun slowly creeping over the towers to reveal the weathered stone and bathe the grounds in a quiet, magnificent glow. You'll also have the added bonus of rushing into the temple early to have the entire 1.6 million square meter complex to yourself for a while.

Who put this tree here?

A few things to remember. For one, Angkor Wat is only one of over a dozen awe-inspiring temples in the area for you to see. Each one brings its own uniquely impressive qualities. From the hundreds of incredibly detailed stone faces of Bayon, to the seemingly impossibly steep staircases of Ta Keo, to the sprawling strangler fig trees that grow in and out of Ta Prahm, the Angkor complex is a city of unique temples and you will need at least two days to explore them properly. Don't let this task be daunting to you. Enjoy it. Take your time and don't let any size crowd pressure you. Much like the wind, these temples are meant to be enjoyed hand in hand with serenity.

The many faces of Bayon Temple.

You will see the local people both in and around the temple trying to sell you goods from guidebooks, bottles of water, fresh coconuts, and clothing. Remember that this is their livelihood. If not interested, a polite, 'Otey Akun' (no thank you) will be appreciated. However, this will not stop most of them. They will try haggling with you. Just keep walking and repeating yourself. You will see musicians on many of the walkways playing some beautiful and quite appropriate music to enhance the mood. If you are so inclined, linger. Drop them some USD (or a few thousand Riel) for their efforts. However, never give in to beggars. Most will be children, taken out of school and encouraged to beg for a living. The Cambodian authorities will not stop them from doing this, but they urge tourists not to give the beggars money as it is a reason for the youth of Cambodia to not attend school and gain an education.

We'll meet you in the doorways to one of a thousand anti-chambers.

 Regardless, there is no end to architectural delight and human achievement around Angkor Wat. Dozens of temple complexes and thousands of tiny details await you to expand your world. Whether you relish each tiny stone carving or stand at the entrance to each complex in awe at the sheer scale of these gorgeous behemoths, let your inner-Indiana Jones out and go explore the largest playground known to man. Cambodia awaits you.

Another sunset witnessed by the stones with hopefully countless more to come...