Archaeology and Tourism

[Preface: This was originally sent out as an email on 16 May 2004 from Siem Riep, Cambodia. I (Dave) have made some minor stylistic edits to the original. Click on the photo to enlarge.]

Barb and I spent much of the past week in Siem Reap. This sleepy little provincial town is the gateway to the Angkor Archaeological Park, a heavily concentrated area of ancient (ca. 800-1300 AD/CE) Khmer temple ruins. For a little background: the modern-day Kingdom of Cambodia is the direct descendent of the ancient Khmer Empire, which ruled much of Southeast Asia at its zenith. Inspired by devotion to the Hindu gods and the Buddha (the empire waivered in its official allegiance), many of the Khmer emperors built temples, palaces, and monasteries of monumental proportions, leaving a legacy in stone. These buildings are currently in various states of dis/repair; many of them lay in utter ruin; some are currently undergoing reconstruction efforts; and a few stand in great shape (considering their age). To say the least, the greatest of these temples are awe-inspiring and are rightly hailed as some of the world's ancient architectural wonders, alongside the Egyptian pyramids, ancient Greek and Roman buildings, and the ruins of the ancient South American civilizations. The crown jewel of the Angkor collection is Angkor Wat, hailed as the largest religious structure in the world (although it sees much more tourist activity than religious activity these days). (As an aside, those who have seen Lara Croft: Tomb Raider would recognize Angkor Wat as the temple in the background of the last scene.) Today, the Angkor ruins are a testament to the creative genius and fervent devotion of the ancient Khmers.

Unfortunately, this once-sublime collection of ancient wonders has succumbed to the tourist impulse. As with Niagara Falls (an example most should be familiar with), the temples of Angkor no longer stand amidst pristine forest and colourful wildlife, but amidst souvenir stalls, elephant ride booths, and incessant sales pitches. Across the street from the most heavily-toured ruins are makeshift bazaar/bizarre-like setups, each stall selling cheap, mass-produced, ready-to-wear tourist kitsch in an attempt to capitalize on the tourist boom. In addition, each souvenir stall is accompanied by a food stall, each with the same menu. It is impossible to pass any of these stalls without being mauled by children and adults alike, each more than willing to sell you the package of postcards you already have 5 of or a third bottle of water. Lunch time seems to be every time for the stall owners, as we have had pleas to eat (a second) lunch at their stall at 8.30, 10.30, 2.30, and 4.30. In addition to the sales pitches from stall owners, one must always be wary of kids who will accompany you through the temples unsolicited, give you tidbits of historical information from time to time, and then ask for money at the end of your stay as a 'tour guide fee'. The persistence of these salespeople is enough to prolong visits inside any of the temples just to avoid the commotion outside.

Being in Angkor and Siem Reap (which is increasingly becoming a tourist trap in its own right) makes one thing glaringly obvious about the Cambodian tourist industry: they have little to no understanding about the mechanics of a consumer-driven economy (which, after all, is what a tourist economy is). First and foremost is the fact that Cambodians have no concept of product diversification. Thus, it is possible to walk past 100 stalls and see the same silks, t-shirts, and books 100 times, all at the same price. The only reason one might buy something from a stall is not the uniqueness of the product being sold, but simply that the impulse to buy something hits while in front of a particular stall. This makes market shopping a little tedious, as it feels more like riding a merry-go-round past the same 4 stalls than stolling through a collection of 200 stalls. I now see why those who get the best bargains are those with the most patience; they are able to endure the tedium in the hopes that somewhere amidst the rough they will find their diamond.

After 12 days in Cambodia, we have come back to Thailand via Bangkok. Our arrival in BKK felt different this time compared to the first time. Whereas before we felt as though we we eagles being thrown out of the nest for the first time, this time coming back to BKK felt like a sort of homecoming. Barb described it best when she mentioned that, after Cambodia, there was so much about BKK that was familiar. We had an overwhelming sense that we were able to relax because we had been through many of the experiences before.

In addition, coming from Cambodia to BKK made us realize just how westernized the city was. There were the ubiquitous shopping malls, the plethora of fast-food joints, and hordes of metred taxis, none of which could be found in Cambodia. As we spent the day at one of the city's malls yesterday (getting our 'western culture fix'), we recognized just how familiar many things were, yet... how unfamiliar as well. In a sense, it's like Seinfeld's 'bizarro-world': you know when you are in a McDonald's, yet you cannot read any of the signs; many of the products are the same, yet you cannot read the labels; the music being played is sung in english, but the heads nodding to it are thai. The kicker for us was going to the movies (we saw Troy); the theatre was state-of-the-art (better than most i've been to at home), yet not only did we sit through 30 minutes of advertisements (all in thai), but just before the movie started, we all stood to pay our respects to the thai king! Very different.

Anyway, we move on to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand today for cooking classes, thai massage, and night-time market wandering. cheers.