I have to confess and say i like the people and the experiences i have had since arriving in Cambodia (not that i should not) . Especially considering the events of only a few decades ago . More than willing to say hello and have a chat even if you are not interested in what service they may be offering you .
Currently in the city of Phnom Penh ,the capital of Cambodia . I personally find it very similar to Bangkok , just without the noisy tuk tuks . Spent the last couple of days in the town of Siem Reap to visit the temples of Angkor . I have posted some photos of Angkor but i have to say , and as my brother would surely agree , photos just do not do these sites any justice . With the chance to get amongst the huge temples that date back as early as around 900 bc , it east to see why they are put up on a pedestal with the likes of the pyramids . An extrordinary part of history and quite amazing to see the size of the cities and temples built by hand so long ago . Another mind blowing detail is how much of these temples were carved in such detail to tell the stories relating to the great gods and stories of their religion .
Jumped on a bus yesterday from Siem reap to Phnom Penh . A visit to the Tuol Sleng genocide museum today really drove home what the people of Cambodia went through only 3 decades ago . What struck me was how recently these events occurred when i realised that this actually occurred when my brother was already a few years old . The museum is known as S-21 . It was formally a high school before the Khmer Rouge , under the leadership of Pol Pot , turned it into a prison used for housing and torturing thousands of innocent nationals who were accused of apposing the reigeme . Dont quote me but i am pretty sure i heard today that around 2 million Cambodians perished under the reign of Pol Pot in the late 1970's . And it was said today that of the 2000 thousand or so housed at this particular prison only 7 people survived . The museum seems to be left as it was found with photos of the people held in the prison , the cells they were kept in with torture beds and tools and many more details of what occurred . Signs around the prison said no talking but as you can imagine , they need not ask .
Spending another day in Phnom Phen tomorrow before heading to Ho Chi Minh city for the weekend .
Hope you are all shiny happy people too and the sun is shining on you all ... take care and enjoy !
