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Published: April 28th 2008
So not tooooo much going on since the last time I wrote, but here's a run-down:
We took the ferry from Phi Phi to Phuket, then an uber-cheap flight ($40) from Phuket to Bangkok (Ed. note: fly AirAsia!). It was an easy day in Bangkok, which wasnt nearly as gross as Dad or I had anticipated. The traffic was pretty terrible- we were in bumper to bumper traffic at a dead stop at about 9pm, but we managed to find a very nice hotel on a pedestrian-only street that stayed pretty quiet at night. Not too much to say about our time there; we were only there a day before flying on to Phnom Penh, Cambodia ($33 flight) and then taking a 6 hour bus ride to Siem Reap to see the temples at Angkor.
The temples were impressive, to say the least. The first day we saw all of them except Angkor Wat (we saved the best for last) and then went out to a floating fishing village on the Tonle Sap Lake- an expensive trip at $20 a person, but I thought the tuk-tuk ride out to the lake alone was worth the money. The entire way
one of the beds at S-21
on the wall you can see the picture of what actually went on in that roomalong this 10 or 15 mile road was lined with huts- people living literally on the side of the road (road is a relative term in Cambodia), cooking and working as trucks roll by stirring up the dust. And the landscape was surreal- at some points I felt like I was in Africa, while at other points I felt like I was in Hopedale (minus Pip's Place). I got some good pictures of it, hopefully some of them came out well. The lake wasn't much to look at, but it was pretty cool to see how all of these people live on the water year round. They have a "store" that they buy from, and supply boats that bring fresh water and other comodities out to them from the town on the shore. The time on the lake rubbed me the wrong way, though; I felt like an intruder on these people's lives, but they depend on our tourism money to live (like France! haha). But a great day nonetheless.
The next day we got up bright and early at 5 to go see the sun rise over Angkor Wat, which is the most popular temple of the group,
cells
the rows of wooden cells that people were held in as well as the national symbol (its on their flag and its the name of the national beer). The Cambodians are extremely proud of Angkor Wat, and they have defended it from the Thais for years. Unfortunately there is no way to really describe the temple or the experience of seeing the sun come up over it, but I did send Dad home with a copy of all of my pictures thus far, so be sure to bug him for those if you're interested.
I dedicated yesterday to learning a little more about Cambodia's terrible recent history. First I went to S-21, a former high school before the Khmer Rouge took control of the country in the 70's, when they turned it into a prison and torture center. Then I headed out by bike to Choeung Ek (also known as The Killing Fields), which is where almost 9000 people were killed (usually by bludgeoning- they wanted to save bullets) and burried in mass graves. The whole thing was extremely depressing, and it made it worse that a lot of people didn't seem to respect these places as sacred. I had to leave Choeung Ek because I was so mad
choeung ek
so at the killing fields they built a huge memorial to house about 8000 of the skulls that have been recovered, and sorted them by age and sex. the sign here reads "juvenile female, 15-20 years old" at the people taking pictures, smiling, laughing, talking in a place where so many people met such a painful end. Now I've been to the Dachau concentration camp in Germany, as well as the Holocaust museum in Washington DC, but S-21 was scarier than both (not that it's a competition). Most of it has remained untouched, and you are allowed to walk through all of the floors of all the buildings, to walk through the cells that the people were chained to the floor in, and to see the bedframes that people were chained to while they were being tortured. Like the Nazi's, the Khmer Rouge was methodical in documenting the people that it killed in S-21, so there is room after room of buletin boards with mugshots posted. In short, about 1.5 million of the 12 million people of Cambodia were killed by the Khmer Rouge, and of the 20,000 people to pass through S-21, only 7 survived.
So on to future plans.
Dad left on Saturday to fly back to Bangkok for his flight home on Monday, so now begins my solo Asian adventure. With the exception of Dan and Gaby in Delhi for a few days, I wont see anyone I know until May 31 when I meet Brent in Vienna. In that time, I'll have 2 days in Cambodia, 4 days in Vietnam, 2 days in Thailand, about 18 days in India, 4 days (hopefully) in Nepal, and 3 days in Qatar. I certainly wasn't happy to see Dad go, but I am definitely looking forward to doing this alone.
Today I think I will travel to Sihanoukville to get my Vietnam visa and spend a day on the beach, and then head to Saigon for a few days. Sorry for the lack of pictures, I promise I'll try to upload some soon.
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Ms. Donna
non-member comment
Wow!
Michael, I am going to read your last blog to my students... we are studying Social Justice. I am amazed by what you have described. I'm not sure if I really wish I could see it... or if I absolutely never want to see it. Thanks for taking the time to really describe what you've seen and your feelings about it. You remain in my thoughts and prayers, my sweet boy. Much love. Be safe and enjoy every minute.