Cambodia

Hello Again

6 nights in Cambodia into one big blog and to finally bring myself up to date...

We had a short time in this place but being honest it really shone out as one of the best, for no particular reason but just cos it was cool..

We had the simplest border crossing the world has ever seen into Cambodia and it was a short drive to Phnom Penh the capital city from the border. We arrived in a nice hotel around lunch time. Myself, Denis and Steve decided to go for a walk to find some lunch. We went about fifty yards down the road and got a beer. Then another beer. Then another beer. Then dinner. Then an unknown amount of more beers and ended up staying in the same place for a total of 11 hours at the end of which, we were drinking Blue Lagoons and debating religion and politics with a Welsh girl. Cultured or what??

The next day, a raging hangover ensuing we were up early "to do the culture." We went to witness some of Cambodia's harrowing history and the effects that Pol Pott's regime had on the people of Cambodia. First we visited the Genocide museum where Pol Pott's soldiers interrogated and tortured anyone believed to be against his regime, especially intellectuals whom he thought were smart enough to topple his reign. We met a survivor of the prison and looked in the cells and saw pictures of all the people who had been there. It was incredibly touching and moving to see.

The prison

As above..

Photographs of prisoners

As if that wasn't enough for a morning we got into our Tuk Tuks and headed to the killing fields. During Pol Pott's reign roughly 2 million people out of a population of 7 million were killed for various reasons mainly because they were believed to be intellectual. In the Killing Fields we visited, over 20,000 people were killed in this one place! As you walk around, the guide showed us mass graves of bodies. The scary thing was there were bits of bones, teeth and clothes sticking out of the ground from where the rain has pushed them up. It was truly horrifying. They also had a TOWER full of skulls of the bodies that had been found here. One hell of a morning...

The Skull tower

Signs like this everywhere

Mass Grave

You could see little bits of bones and teeth in the ground

More skull action

After another night out that lasted until 7 am where we went straight to Breakfast the other thing to tell you about from Phnom Penh was the palace we visited. This was a very grand place with huge buildings and temples to Budda. Another huge historical site with a hangover. This is a worrying pattern!

The palace grounds

Aoife's cool green pants so cool

More temple action

From Phnom Penh we went to our second destination: Siem Reap. Another tourist haven with another army of fookin Tuk Tuk drivers out to kill my buzz.. I liked this little place. The beer was cheap and the people were all really friendly especially when you spent money. Cambodia was different than Vietnam. The people are poorer and as a result, more real.
You come to Siem Reap for one purpose and that's Angkor Wat. This place was absolutely unbelievable one of the top tourist attractions in the world. An 11th century site (more or less) the stone work and detail was incredible and it was interesting to see how the jungle was trying to take it back. The whole site including all the other temples and destroyed towns is 26km square. The main Angkor Wat temple at one time was home to over 1 million people.

Before I knew it that was it for Cambodia. Not a very funny blog but plenty of culture and sessions! The killing fields especially had a big effect on everyone similar to the war museum in Saigon. Then Angkor Wat was a huge buzz just because of its significance and general amazement.. and I didn't have a hangover for it!

Finally, I've said it before and I'll say it again: "I DON'T WANT A FUCKING TUK TUK"

Next up: Thailand!!!!!!!