I spent 6 pretty epic days in Cambodia, and it was far too short. I expected to dislike it as much as Laos, but instead I loved it and nearly cried when I left.
I flew to the capital Phnom Penh from Vientiane. It was unlike a capital I'd seen before in Asia - sprawling, like a rural and urban mix of buildings and businesses. I instantly loved it.
I booked a tour for my first day through the hostel - my tuk tuk driver Pier was young and friendly. The deal was he drove the tuk tuk around to each stop and I'd find him again after I'd finished.
I had two Danish girls join me for our first stop, The Killing Fields. Usually you do S21 first but they had done it the previous day. I had a basic understanding of the history of Pol Pot so I didn't mind so much.
The Killing Fields ticket came with an audio guide that was detailed and heartbreaking. Spoken by one of the survivors of S21, you followed the path through the field, with explanations of how the prisoners were transported and why, and how they were killed. There are multiple mass grave sites, and a killing tree where babies and children were beaten and flung against until dead. There's a lake, which has bodies in that they've chosen not to disturb. Bones and fragments of bone continue to avail themselves, brought out by the elements and the soil shifting.
Nearly 9,000 skulls have been placed in the memorial stupa on the grounds, categorises by gender, age and how they were executed. Bullets were expensive; instead mostly heavy metal objects like iron bars were used. One tree on the grounds has razor sharp teeth on the edges of its leaves; these were used to slit people's throats.
As you can imagine, it's a sombre place but it's peaceful. It's entirely unlike Auschwitz, which I think is what I was expecting. But the Killing Fields were just that - where the prisoners were executed. The torture was done inside the city at S21.
S21, Tuol Sleng memorial centre, was once a school. It's clear from the structure of buildings - long corridors with rooms large enough for groups of kids, that became large enough for groups of prisoners. Some of these rooms were kept for torture, others admin. Some rooms were adapted and crude cubicle cells built to contain individuals. Hooks are still cemented into the ground that kept people chained down. Floors and walls have graffiti. But the worst part, by far, and one of the most horrific things I have ever seen, were the blood stains on the floors. Time may eventually erase those stains, but not the memories. The genocide is still fresh in Cambodia's collective memory.
The rest of my day tour was whistle stop around the city's main sights. The Royal Palace, the National Museum, Wat Phnom and the Central Market. All done by 5.30pm, and we only got soaked for 40 minutes.
I went to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and fell in love with a Filipino band called Band@Work. And then a Singaporean called Sunil asked me to go see Avengers with him.
My last day in Phnom Penh I went for food with people and then had a nap and then was sick all evening. It was a nice curry when I ate it.
I flew to Siem Reap because the memories of buses in Laos were still fresh and I wasn't ready to relive them.
There are only really two reasons to go to Siem Reap: drinking, and Angkor Wat. Just voted the must see place by Trip Advisor, Angkor Wat is just the largest of a number of temples to the north of Siem Reap.
It's impressive, there's no doubt, they all are in their own ways. My favourite temple was the last one I saw, which hasn't yet been restored or even earmarked for conservation and is falling down. The so called small circuit took us 5 hours. It took us to 6 different temple sites, including Ta Phrom, which was used in the original Tomb Raider film.
The rest of my time in Siem Reap was drinking: sat at the bar with Jack for company, getting to know Tom and Bro behind the bar. Pub crawl on pub street one night, and the Champions League final on the big screen in pub street the second night. Oh and my first night I was on a winning team at Trivia night.
I didn't really want to leave. I almost didn't leave.
But I think my liver was glad I did.
I flew to the capital Phnom Penh from Vientiane. It was unlike a capital I'd seen before in Asia - sprawling, like a rural and urban mix of buildings and businesses. I instantly loved it.
I booked a tour for my first day through the hostel - my tuk tuk driver Pier was young and friendly. The deal was he drove the tuk tuk around to each stop and I'd find him again after I'd finished.
I had two Danish girls join me for our first stop, The Killing Fields. Usually you do S21 first but they had done it the previous day. I had a basic understanding of the history of Pol Pot so I didn't mind so much.
The Killing Fields ticket came with an audio guide that was detailed and heartbreaking. Spoken by one of the survivors of S21, you followed the path through the field, with explanations of how the prisoners were transported and why, and how they were killed. There are multiple mass grave sites, and a killing tree where babies and children were beaten and flung against until dead. There's a lake, which has bodies in that they've chosen not to disturb. Bones and fragments of bone continue to avail themselves, brought out by the elements and the soil shifting.
Nearly 9,000 skulls have been placed in the memorial stupa on the grounds, categorises by gender, age and how they were executed. Bullets were expensive; instead mostly heavy metal objects like iron bars were used. One tree on the grounds has razor sharp teeth on the edges of its leaves; these were used to slit people's throats.
As you can imagine, it's a sombre place but it's peaceful. It's entirely unlike Auschwitz, which I think is what I was expecting. But the Killing Fields were just that - where the prisoners were executed. The torture was done inside the city at S21.
S21, Tuol Sleng memorial centre, was once a school. It's clear from the structure of buildings - long corridors with rooms large enough for groups of kids, that became large enough for groups of prisoners. Some of these rooms were kept for torture, others admin. Some rooms were adapted and crude cubicle cells built to contain individuals. Hooks are still cemented into the ground that kept people chained down. Floors and walls have graffiti. But the worst part, by far, and one of the most horrific things I have ever seen, were the blood stains on the floors. Time may eventually erase those stains, but not the memories. The genocide is still fresh in Cambodia's collective memory.
The rest of my day tour was whistle stop around the city's main sights. The Royal Palace, the National Museum, Wat Phnom and the Central Market. All done by 5.30pm, and we only got soaked for 40 minutes.
I went to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and fell in love with a Filipino band called Band@Work. And then a Singaporean called Sunil asked me to go see Avengers with him.
My last day in Phnom Penh I went for food with people and then had a nap and then was sick all evening. It was a nice curry when I ate it.
I flew to Siem Reap because the memories of buses in Laos were still fresh and I wasn't ready to relive them.
There are only really two reasons to go to Siem Reap: drinking, and Angkor Wat. Just voted the must see place by Trip Advisor, Angkor Wat is just the largest of a number of temples to the north of Siem Reap.
It's impressive, there's no doubt, they all are in their own ways. My favourite temple was the last one I saw, which hasn't yet been restored or even earmarked for conservation and is falling down. The so called small circuit took us 5 hours. It took us to 6 different temple sites, including Ta Phrom, which was used in the original Tomb Raider film.
 |
| my favourite temple, falling down. |
 |
| Supposedly the tree from Tomb Raider |
I didn't really want to leave. I almost didn't leave.
But I think my liver was glad I did.
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