Journey in Cambodia

Early in the morning of July 19, we left Saigon and headed straight to Siem Reap. Starting from Moc Bai, the scenery seemed to have changed a lot compared to the Southeast of Vietnam that we had experienced a few days before. For hundreds of kilometers, apart from the sparse rows of small houses running along the national highway, there seemed to be no villages. As far as the eye could see were vast uncultivated grasslands, occasionally with a few fields, rubber plantations or a herd of cows. The teachers who had worked here for years enthusiastically recounted their memories of the past and introduced everything from the products to the history and customs of this country. Our car glided through the vast, empty land of Cambodia, sometimes quiet, sometimes bustling with the singing of Vietnamese and Khmer songs, everyone was excited and enthusiastic.

When we arrived in Siem Reap, it was already late afternoon, so after dinner we went to the night market. The decoration of Siem Reap night market reminded us of Hoi An, but the atmosphere was similar to the Western quarter in Saigon and the night sky here was as cool as the night in the South. Tourists from all over flocked to the bars here to listen to music, drink, sing, dance, and make friends. We lingered there, enjoying both the street food and the bustling atmosphere of Siem Reap night as if to get our spirits up to prepare for the journey back in time a thousand years to the Khmer kingdom.

Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and many other great ancient structures welcomed us on a sunny day. The magnificent temples, despite the ravages of time, are still magnificent beyond the imagination of those who have never set foot here. Not only are they elaborate and sophisticated, Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom are also massive and vast, making a whole day of sightseeing not enough for visitors. The special scene at Ta Phrom with strange tree trunks climbing on the roofs of ancient structures also leaves a strong impression on viewers. At the end of a day full of relics, we relaxed by immersing ourselves inSmiles of Angkor, a spectacular art program inspired by the mysterious Bayon smile to tell the historical and ideological journey of ancient and medieval Cambodia. The smiling lips on the Bayon temple make the thousand-year-old Angkor with its silent cliffs forever retain its youthful freshness, fluttering with hope in this country that has suffered many losses.

The next morning we left the city of temples for Phnom Penh, which holds many memories of the previous generation of teachers in the Faculty about the years of teaching Vietnamese language and culture. In the 1980s, many young Vietnamese intellectuals, including our Faculty's lecturers, accepted many difficulties and dangers to go to Cambodia to support the reconstruction of peace through education. The Dean of the Faculty, Mr. Nguyen Thien Nam, who has been in Cambodia the longest and is still fluent in Khmer, not only told many interesting stories about the "hard-working life" of the teachers at that time but also sang Khmer songs with captivating melodies. Coming back here, for the previous generation of teachers, is almost like a return to the old roof.

In Phnom Penh, we visited the Independence Monument, the Vietnam Volunteer Army Memorial on the most beautiful street of the capital, visited the Royal Palace, the Golden Pagoda and the Silver Pagoda - works that have gone through many events but still retain their splendor and sophistication, revisited the Royal University of Phnom Penh - where many teachers in the Faculty used to teach, revisited the Xoai Hamlet - where teachers lived during those years, the scenery has not changed much but the old people are far away, making everyone both happy and sad. We also went to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, which preserves stories and visual images of the Khmer Rouge crimes. All of these serve as a profound reminder of the inseparable relationship between peace and national independence.

The time that helped us understand the most about modern life in Phnom Penh was the afternoon strolling around Phsa Thmey market. This place not only sells all kinds of Cambodian specialties but also many imported items at more affordable prices than in Vietnam. Interestingly, Vietnamese currency can be easily paid for here. Another thing that surprised us was that most of the Cambodians we met spoke a little Vietnamese. The Cambodian people's understanding of Vietnamese language and customs gave us thoughts and wishes that one day in the near future, Vietnamese people will have a better understanding of Southeast Asian countries, especially those sharing borders, in order to build friendship.

The last sunset on Cambodian soil, we sat on a cruise to admire the sun falling on the four-sided river called Chatomuk in Khmer. The wind was so strong and the space was so peaceful that it was hard to believe that the losses still haunted and the difficulties seemed to never end in that land. The Royal Palace shone brightly on the river while we raised our glasses to wish that this land would always be peaceful like that, and also secretly wished for peace between the two countries.

Saying goodbye to Cambodia, our hearts were filled with happiness and nostalgia. We had five days to enjoy many material and spiritual specialties, to be reminded and listened to many stories, to travel and explore an extremely unique land, half rustic and half mysterious, half familiar and yet still strange. Those experiences were even more precious when shared with our uncles, aunts, brothers, colleagues and family, knowledgeable, friendly, sociable and funny people. We look forward to experiencing new horizons together.