1,000 Places To See Before You Die s01e08 Episode Script

How about moving on to spiders? Oh, my God.
Actually, the meat inside is like a chicken.
Oh, God.
-We are almost Oh, don't try.
Tonight, 1000 Places To See Before You Die.
Fly! -Albin and Melanie world's travel continue in lively Cambodia.
-One thing I already heard about Cambodia, that it's the land of the smiling faces.
In Siam Reap, they are humbled by the magnificent of the sparen ancient temple of Angkor Wat.
Ok, look at this Melanie.
In Cambodia izentirier, they meet up with the community, living in the floating village.
-I could never even imagine something like this.
-In the capitol a Phnom Penh the Ulle's are inspired by the Cambodian spirit, that has reason from the ashes of the reign of terror.
This is actually the first time that I ever seen that I been cry.
All this and more, tonight, on a 1000 Places To See Before You Die.
You see only 936 full moons in your life time.
You live only 312 seasons and you get only 88 weeks of paid vacation.
What if you had the chance to see the world? Meet Albin and Melanie Ulle.
Newlyweds with the spirit of adventure.
Who leaved their lives in Colorado behind, to go on the journey of the lifetime.
Inspired by the book, 1000 Places To see Before You Die.
They lead as on a five months all expenses pay it odyssey around the world.
Some people exscite to ask, how you can figure the life on hold and our responses how you cannot.
1000 Places To See Before You Die.
CAMBODIA, SIEM RIEP A good news, the Cambodia played by corruption and isolated by work, is the thing on the past.
Today's Cambodia temptolaisess visitors with the culture stead and tradition as well was a pure skin environment.
This is a country rich in distinctive sides worrying days of exploration.
I know a little bit about the history of Cambodia, I know about the Khmer Rouge.
I think, this is going to be a place that's sort of having you turn around.
But I don't know how it's impact on the people really.
And I'm interested to see, how will turns out.
Angkor, spread over an area of nearly 60 miles on north western Cambodia.
Is a virtual gateway into the nation's history.
With astonishing 1000 temples set them up on forest and farm land.
This grand religious buildings at the only surviving remains of the Khmer empire, which ruled from 9.
th to 15.
th centuries.
One in particular, Angkor Wat is the heart and soul of Cambodia.
CAMBODIA, ANGKOR WA Built in the early 12.
th century this holly Buddhist temple is to this day the largest religious monument in the world.
Angkor Wat, continues to serve as a major hells of worship and is even featured on the Cambodian flag.
Angkor Wat was build for king Suryavarman II, as is state temple and capitol city, dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu.
The temple is embellished with the interact statues, carvings and bas-relief to pick it seems from Hindu mythology.
What was this tubes? -That's the library.
Library? -Yes, library on both sides.
This is exciting.
I read about this place.
There is more exciting to come.
This is only just the main gate.
This was built in the early 12.
century.
It's huge.
-By the two different kings.
It's astonish.
The one thing I was really surprised it was how sort of mystical of look it and almost look it like it wasn't real.
This 4 miles long temple has 5 central towers representing the secret Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Hindu mythology.
The other walls represent the mountains and the edge of the world.
With the 570 foot wide mode symbolizing the ocean beyond.
Angkor Wat's design is superb example of classic Khmer architecture.
Note from the harmony of its design.
At the days of the Khmer empire religious structures were made of stone.
That Angkor Wat is still standing is the testament to the innovativity of its builders.
Look at this Melanie.
It's incredible.
-This is the highest level.
The third level of the temple and it's the warship temple.
But it's only for the king and his family.
Of course, the king is not climb by himself.
So, he had the people who carried him up.
The reason why the staircase is so steep, when you climb up the staircase you have to do like this.
-OK.
And you do like that as a way of respecting the gods.
All right.
-But in modern day you can do whatever you want.
I'm gonna kick my sandals off.
Do they gods mind if we are take the shoes off? No, not at all.
This is much very annoying.
-Yeah, I cannot like this way.
Oh, it's steep.
-Yes.
Not everybody was a lie up here.
This is just for royalty, right? Yeah, that's right.
It's just such an incredible compound the whole thing.
I mean, it's hard to believe how they started building at that day.
Write it down on paper, do they make a miniature of it? I'm not surprised, that our ancestors back then could do this structure, could do this plan, because if you look at the Khmer empire we were the glorious ones it was the glorious time of the Khmer.
I didn't know anything about it before we came here.
Did you? It's bigger then I thought it would be and I didn't expect it to be such an athletic experience.
Like as be rock climbing.
I love that.
Melanie and Albin's next stop is in northern Cambodia.
In the town in Siem Reap to be exact, saddle on the banks of the river same name.
They hoped to get a better sense of this expanse of region by seeing at a higher balloon from above.
Nice.
-It doesn't look scary.
Does it look to you? I like horrify.
Nervous? -It's ones I don't look down is fine but I look out it's great.
They say that it's big lake, big river.
It's not the river and it's not the lake but it's the "baray".
Baray? -Man made, baray.
What is baray mean? -Baray is like a like but it's man made.
-So interesting, Cambodia looks like most peaceful country I mean because of nice little cases over it, over all that green, flesh green.
There is Angkor Wat.
-We just want to go that way.
Only after exploring Angkor Wat first on foot and then from on high can the Ulle's fully appreciate the magnitude of this ancient temple.
What I love about here, you know, been up here it's that you can see the perfect example of the Cambodian landscape.
It's very peaceful up here, isn't it? -Yes.
It's very soothing.
Very quiet.
We are going down now.
Go back down.
You survived another one.
Another adventure.
Traveling teach is you more than any article, any book, any conservation, ever could teach you, because you actually experiencing everything.
Not a mile from Angkor Wat is one of the most spectacular views Siem Reap has to offer travelers are memorize it by the sunset at Phnom Bakheng, the highest point in Angkor.
Dating back to the 9.
th century Phnom Bakheng with it's 108 surrounding towers was the first of Hindu temples build in Angkor.
There's a several ways to get up to this historical side but by far the most enjoyable has to be the elephant ride.
This is our ride? -Yeah.
-So, take us all the way up to the top? -Yeah, yeah.
Not to the top.
To the first level.
It's this can be balance? Is gonna be OK? -Yeah, yeah.
That's too easy.
They are the ancestors, because they live much long longer than us.
And they use them for a transportation? Yeah, you mean like building all the temples that you see? The elephant were the ones that transport all the stones.
They all use elephant like for a scaffolding.
Elephants have a long plead and important parts in south east Asian history.
They were use it in the military for heavy labor such as uprooting trees and moving logs.
And also as defense sometimes crashing the enemy on their foot.
This is awesome.
-What is a great way to get up here.
What's the Cambodian experience this.
Is this what we saw from he-air balloon? -Yeah, exactly.
As the sun drops it orange glow over Phnom Bakheng, Melanie and Albin prepare the climb their way to the top of the temple for a soul staring view of the city.
This Hindu temple consist of six square terraces of diminishing size.
Oh, my gosh.
Look all this people.
-Yeah.
Is it always like this? Yeah, even in the low season of tourist.
it is still hundreds and hundreds of people coming up here for both sunrise and sunset.
It's a great that big yellow ball he-air balloon.
And big yellow sun.
This is such a great adventure point.
I love it.
So red.
-I know.
It's the haze of the city.
The human haze makes the sun such a pretty color.
Every day in this journey is exciting because we know where we going but we don't necessary know what we gonna experience.
What we gonna feel.
But honestly, I do miss home.
But I think it took getting away from it, to make me appreciate what I have.
Even I see what else is out there.
Besides Phnom Bakheng and Angkor Wat Siem Reap has others temples including Banteay Srei.
The name means "Citadel of the woman".
So name for the woman who designed and build this fortress.
Buildings here are miniature in scale and composed largely of red send stone.
A laterite statues intricately carved decorations a door and the walls making this temple a jewel of Khmer design.
Consecrated in 967 AD, the temple was rediscover in 1914 by on officer in geographic service.
A few years later French author and adventurer André Malraux stole 4 devatas or a statues from the temple.
All the attention that fallowed paid the way for the restoring the side.
TONLE SAP, CAMBODIA FLOATING VILLAGE Cambodia's Tonle Sap, the largest fresh water flat plane in the world isn't ever changing natural wonder.
Kal of the flooding heart of Cambodia during monsoon season flood expand the plane to 10 000 square miles 5 time it's normal size creating a productive environment for a wild life and for the 3,5 million Cambodians who call this great lake, home.
So, welcome to the "Greater lake".
Greater lake? -Greater lake.
The name of it is Tonle Sap.
There are 80 villages.
80 villages? -80 villages in this floating village.
And about 2000 families.
Gas stations, schools, houses.
Everything is about water.
-Yeah, it's a village.
I mean you have everything manmade.
There are two high schools, two secondary schools, also a hospital.
As were cruising along to the flooding village I'm noticing that anything you're gonna need or find in any other village we were seeing here.
You see that all houses are out of the edge of the lake because now we are still in the season that the water is still very high.
And once the water starts to drop down in a dry season, then the families all the people move their house in They move the house? -Yeah, yeah.
They move it.
They are floating to the middle of the lake.
I mean, I never seen anything like this.
Ever.
I never even could imagine something like this.
To make the most of visiting some of the 170 floating villages Melanie and Albin meet up with the local who lives on the lake for generations.
BUDDHIST NUN This pictures are so lovely.
Who are this women? That's the wedding of her daughter.
So this is one of the ceremonies of the Khmer wedding.
This is washing her husband feet.
For the wedding it mean how you respect your husband.
-Right.
-And also it means like like ever she has the badness from before, so wash it away.
Do you want to sit down? Sure.
We'd like to.
Thank you.
How long is she lived on the way? She moved to live here since 1979.
The Ullie's get a real taste of everyday life in Cambodia as they help a villagers prepare a meal of fermented fish.
She said she wants you to involved with the cooking.
You want to try? -Sure.
Chop it? -Yes, chop it into pieces.
Just like that? This kitchen is more organize then mine is.
It's cleaner than mine is.
It's very primitive but very organize.
They know exactly where everything is.
Now is time to cook.
This is a lot of food.
Cambodians never eat less than three dishes.
Really? -You always have like veggie and one type of meat and soup.
I'm Cambodian and I like very typical.
Is it OK? Delicious.
Is the family always sit down and eat together or more like in the States where everyone scattered because they are so busy? -No, we all are very close.
We are always with each other for mealtime.
That's nice.
Thank you for helping me to prepare the meal.
Oh, thank you.
Small, very small.
-No problem.
You are welcome to come back anytime.
Thank you very much.
"Aw kohn" means thank you in Khmer.
This is a great view.
It's beautiful.
I think if you flew here with the helicopter or just drop down here in the boat and see all those little houses and say all those poor people.
It doesn't seem like a bad life.
Would I want to live in the flooding village right now I have to say no.
But if I live there for a week or two I might share all the desires and needs everything I think I need to get by from day to day.
Eventually I will forget about those cos' not there.
It's a good showing between like, you know, man and nature and nature eventually takes over.
Oh, my God.
Oh, that is awful.
ANGKOR, CAMBODIA HANUMAN ALAYA HOTEL Nasin in lush gardens a stones trofen the temple of Angkor is Hanuman Alaya hotel.
This charming boutique hotel is modeled after a traditional Cambodian house holly statues are included.
Yes, can enjoy the jungle atmosphere surrounding the pool and in the exotic statues that adorn the restaurant and lobby.
ANGKOR, CAMBODIA TA PROHM TEMPLE A popular destination on Angkor excursion is Ta Prohm, the jungle temple, build in the 12.
to 13.
centuries.
This surreal monument was once a Buddhist monastery and university.
Unlike most Angkor temples Ta Prohm is the only temple that is not been restored.
Massive fig and silk cotton trees take up residence in a temple's towers and corridors giving an otherworldly feel.
Maybe there is the truth to the theory that the jungle or one day conquer man.
What's for sure is that everyone who visits Ta Phrom has many "O, Wauu" moments not to mentioned some of the best photo absent in Cambodia.
Has more the ruin kind of feel and it's a good showing between like you know men and nature and nature eventually takes over.
The Cambodian jungle was a location in the movie Tomb Raider.
SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA PUPPET SHOW After sunset, people gathering to witness one of the Cambodia's oldest traditional arts, puppetry.
Puppet shows are dance of shadow and song as the animator brings the puppet to life with the precise and specific dance's step that produce a range of movements.
Supear Bhut is the head of the performing art troop.
These shows aren't just for entertainment.
They are educational as well.
Centuries ago, before we had schooling this was a way to teach people about health care, religion and so on.
Siem Reap has much to offer.
Blazing dance performances, curious relax and beautiful temples.
It's no wonder this rich corner of Cambodia has become a major tourist hub and no visitors complete without a sampling it buzzing nights life.
This place stay open very late like to two o'clock, three o'clock in the morning.
This is wine warehouse, one of the greatest wine in Siem Reap.
KULIKAR SOTHO GUIDE So it's pretty popular? Yes, it is and you can see that so many people.
Remember, I was telling you about advantage and this advantage of having tourists and tourism industry? This is one of the examples because Siem Reap town like that it used to be really quiet from 9 o'clock onward but now look at what time is it and it's still really like heetic.
-A lot of action.
You can stay in 5 star hotel for 60 bucks at night.
We got dollar to kill the shots here.
I could stay for a very long time if will be pretty nasty.
-Like, you know, a glass of bottle of Angkor beer is one dollar.
-Great.
A glass of red wine is one dollar and ten or twenty cents.
It's so cheap.
-It's nice to have a dollar go a long way.
Siem Reap was a really cool place.
I can see any of my friends why spent time here.
As you walking down the streets there are nice restaurants, there's a nice bars you can stop it and unlike a lot of big resorts where you can't afford it a diner or having a drink here everything is still very relative inexpensive.
Food and drink aren't the only barging in Siem Reap.
After a long day of sightseeing there is nothing better then expert foot massage especially considering the going rate for this sueding indulgents.
Look at this.
Six dollars.
Six bucks? This is crazy.
-I love this place.
These feet have seen a lot of miles.
I don't envy whoever's got to go work on them, It's eleven o' clock in the evening.
We spent like 3 dollars on ten drinks.
Now we'll have a six dollars foot massage.
That's what I'm talking about.
So, you said this is brought here by Chinese and No, when they started, when every shop started firstly, to serve the purpose of Asian tourists.
-Asian tourists? But then it's getting very popular for Europeans as well.
Everything here is still very, very affordable and I don't think that's gonna be that way very long.
CAMBODIA PHNOM PENH Cambodia's largest metropolis, Phnom Penh, once known as the pearl of Asia has manage to preserve much of it charm despite the violence of Cambodia's recent past.
The best way to see the renuits spirit of this capital city is a take a paddy cab ride down it's lively avenues.
Lumin above are buildings of Khmer and French influence in various states of repair.
I really like this.
-This area? -Yeah.
What the great way to see the river.
Yeah, we have the best riverfront here.
Phnom Penh is really becoming a place for a lot travelers visit.
-How do locals feel about the growth of the Phnom Penh and all the new tourists? We are very open people.
We like to have more friends.
We like to see more different faces.
For everybody is definitely made as feel very welcome.
Without a doubt.
-O, yeah.
Is there a strong French influence here like was in Vietnam? -Yeah, it was Indochina.
Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.
All colonized by the French.
You see that monument? That monument calls Independence monument because it was built when the country get the independent from the French.
What a great looking centerpiece.
-I know.
I'm shocked to see Phnom Penh 20 years ago there were hundred two hundred people in this city because the Khmer Rouge force everybody out.
And now there are millions.
It's a hustling dazzling city.
PHNIM PENH WAT PHNOM The 12.
century temple at Wat Phnom in the heart of Phnom Penh it was actually built on the artificial hill.
Today is the highest point in the region.
As the legend goes Don Penh was strolling along the Tonle Sap river when she came across a Koki tree.
Inside she discovered five Buddha statues which she moved at a signee of respect to a hill near her house.
That's how a became known as a Phnom Penh or a Penh's hill.
This one is a bathol between the Khmer and Chvia.
Chvia is one of the tribe that lived between India and Indonesia.
and they invaded the Khmer kingdom between the fourth and fifth century.
As they end of through Wat Phnom the Ully's are taken with unusual and beautiful carpet bas relief They are humbled by the reference for the temple and remember the approaches incense for an offering inside.
So we're light them to celebrate being Cambodia? Maybe celebratory? -Yeah.
So, do you want to do yourself? -Sure.
Do they make other offerings here? Yeah, flowers, anything.
Really does not tradition what you should offering and you should not.
OVER 70% OF CAMBODIANS ARE BUDDHIST.
A traditional ritual at Wat Phnom is the releasing a birds to leave bad karma or spread good will.
You do like Again we release about karma.
Fly! Fly away! Here is for peace and love and everything's good.
Good.
Fly! PHNOM PENH, CENTRAL MARKE The commercial center Phnom Penh is best known for it's great bazar called Central Market.
There's a lot to take in.
Quick meals, meats, fruits, vegetables, fresh flowers, lovely clothing and souvenirs.
Pretty amazing flowers.
-I know.
This is the lotus flower for a decoration, or offering to God or Buddha.
Lotus-folding symbolizes the lotus blooming from muddy water into a perfect flower.
Like this? -Yeah and then push one in.
Push right in? -Yeah.
And then up? -Yeah.
You can do it now.
The name of this lotus flower is called "100 Petals.
" 100 Petals? -Lotus flower.
Most cities are gonna have a hustling and bustling open market somewhere.
That's a great place to go and to feel for a say.
What's over there? Let me show you that.
-No.
It's not.
Just want to show you.
You have to say different thank you.
I eatI can have beetle, or I can have cricked over there.
In Cambodia, it's common to eat bugs as snack with beer or a rice wine.
I'm from US.
-We don't need a lot of bugs.
It's a good bug.
-I must swallow it? I just wanna make sure that you swallow it.
OK.
-Don't swallow.
You chew it first.
Otherwise you lose the flavor.
-It's good.
Yeah, it's good.
It's not bad.
-Cricked are good.
Yeah, it's good.
-So, you gonna try this? Thank you.
-You gonna try this? All right.
-Just eat it.
Truly not bad.
Truly.
You have to chew it.
Crunch.
You see? It's fine.
Great.
I think that chew up not very well.
Ok, so we have to try that cricked.
How about moving on to spiders? Oh, my God.
Oh, that is awful.
Oh, God.
We are almost Oh, don't try.
Is it good? -Spider taste is very strong, like across between sweet and Like sweet flavor.
Actually, the meat inside is like a chicken.
Its hairy.
I like that.
You eat the whole thing? No, you take off the leg.
And the abdomen.
You don't touch the abdomen.
Do you like? -Sure.
No.
That's not for me.
Maybe better not.
Because, really, we are the locals, we are Cambodian.
They have probably a different diet than you For you, it's probably not so good, because I'm not very sure what kind of things you are allergy too.
So, you are saying, if I'm getting this right you don't think we should be eat this spider.
No.
I don't think so.
-Thank you.
You are the best.
-I'm so disappointed.
I eat fried baloney sandwiches.
A lot of people would say that's disgusting.
So, we ever own traditions a little gross and so do they.
Just as Cambodia offers in a rave inspiring sights they are remains hot it by deeply tragic past.
On April 17th.
1975, the Khmer rouge, a communist guerrilla group lead by Pol Pot, stage to ku in Phnom Penh and sist the control of the state.
In a horribly misguided attempt to pure fight Cambodian race, Pol Pot's guerillas forcibly removed all city dulege to the countryside and to the labor camps.
During his deprejt rule more than 2 million Cambodians, almost the third of the population were killed by starvation, torture or execution.
To honored the innocent life lost Melanie and Albin visit the labor camps, better known is the Killing fields and meet a survivor of the Khmer Rouge.
There were seven survivors from the prison, who eventually were going to be sent here to be killed.
This is Mr.
Vanad.
I think we can talk with him.
He's one of the seven survivor of the Killing field time.
So, all the skulls are you see now are all the people they been killed and whose bodies or skulls found in that area.
Oh, it's awful.
It's unbelievable.
All the people that been killed here are coming from the prison called S-21.
This is terrible.
I thing, everybody should come here.
It makes all of us a little more involved this human beings.
To see what some of us are capable.
You can't read about it and feel it.
You need to stand here and look around here and feel what we feel.
Because, I'm a painter and I was a painter back then.
They use me to do painting of the S-21 itself, where I painted others prisoners and of course I was still on the black list to get killed.
It's only the matter of time.
Fortunately, we had resom liberation in 1979 and because of that liberation that's why I was survive.
Every single Cambodian families lost their families or friends.
Everyone of this existing holes was where they found bodies.
Yeah.
This experience seeing in the Killing fields is life outuring and it puts your entire life in the prospective.
You see that? It's also the grave.
Over there.
Magic tree.
Oh, God.
Oh, this is terrible.
-I can't look in that.
It's awful.
Was he able to take anything good from this? Obviously it's an tragedy, it's horrible.
Is there a lesson from him that we can take with us today? He's doing his best.
In the spiritual way and the political way trying to get the people that survive, get the Cambodian all the west to visit this place, to heard of this place, to know, that their voice can also been heard by everyone.
They shouldn't be just died like this because it's modern animals that they shoot for fun it's more than anything.
So, he's trying his best.
In any way to get the voices of the dark people to be heard.
We'll certainly our part to make sure this is never never been forgotten and we'll do our part we can.
This is actually the first time I ever seen Albin cry or even get choked up and we had been together for almost six years.
So, I know that's really had impact on him.
I think, the way been in Cambodia in Killing fields for fact me is that I would understand , why so many parts of the world have such different outlook on things as we Americans do.
Seeing those people what they been through makes me realized that my life is been pretty easy.
It's been pretty good and I will never take it for granted.
You know, they been lost so much because they come through so much.
We just want to move on.
I'm very proud of been Cambodian and I'm very proud of my country.
Cambodians have profound this safer from the genocide, the stain on human history and the suffering continues with the generations of orphans millions on streets.
This homeless and abuse children congregate at the stain mon chey vejst up.
were they pick to rubbish or frequently sold into prostitution.
But one honorable organization is trying to help.
The Cambodian children's found works to provide shelter and education to Phnom Penh's to most impoverish children.
What's your name? What? Sabon.
It's pretty name.
I solute you.
-Like what? Do you like make up? -Do I like make up? Yeah.
Do you? -Do you? Yes.
-You were makeup.
You not wearing any make up? Many of the kids live here full time while others return to their families in the evening.
How do you do? -The guiding light of the CCF is founder Scott Neeson, a man who give up everything to save this precious children from certain tragedy.
I working for 20th Century Fox up on to 3000 invariors president of international and I left then my contract period in gets some back pack.
The plan was to go from BKK through to New Delhi and meant to be a two days in Phnom Penh.
And undoubtedly, I'll spent my entire high age is here.
Good life before weeks I haven't had no contracts when back to work with Sony Pictures, same job and I couldn't plague out of my brain and clear from my heart, so I quick move it here, in December 2004.
It's occur me, that year two years before I was at the Academy Awards, you know.
I gonna at the Academy Awards I had a Porsche and now is gonna go to the garbage dump and have a headlines as like the outment turn for 180 degrees turn.
Couldn't be more happier.
Oh, how are you? I think, everybody the Asia opportunity to see and to experience the Cambodian Children's Fund should make the trip.
Go there, meet the kids because it is so heart waning and you just get to feel all this love from this kids that even don't know you.
Let me see that.
Here you go.
Blessing for us to be all that time with kids, you know.
You get it.
Good job.
Our visit to Cambodia was really memorable and probably one of the most character building eye opening experience in the entire trip.
Floating village? -That was so surreal experience.
Like anything I ever seen before.
That's where they live.
They aren't poor, they just simple.
The Angkor architecture is so distinct.
Never seen anything like it in any other country.
I was a shocked.
How they were able to accomplished that so long ago.
Cambodia has an excellent traditional cultural past but they also have a painful past and you can actually see and feel them progressing beyond that.
It's a unique traveling experience.
I think of Cambodia with such funniest.
with such appreciation and such compassion.
And when I got home I want to learn so much more about it.
Definitely one of the most memorable places, memorable stops on our journey.
BY AUDIO NOTE: REŠO