Blogs from Phnom Penh, South, Cambodia, Asia - page 12

We went to S.21 which is the school where Pol Pot turned into a interrogation centre which was really spooky. It appears that they kept educated people in the prison and tortured people there and once they got a confession they then transported them to the Killing Field. There were only 7 survivors and only 2 of these are still alive. One was signing and selling books at the front gate. It was quite eery and the guide kept on asking me if I would like to take pictures. I did not feel it was appropriate to do this. We then went to the Killing Fields which was approximately 15kms away from S.21. Prior to it being the Killing Field it was an orchard. Whilst there we saw the Stupa that they have built that now ... read more

Before leaving Siem Reap I must tell you when we were on the river yesterday the houses are on stilts and they move them up and down the river to suit the time of year and when the floods arrive and dispel. It is times like these when you realise how lucky we all are. Also, you know the green man for crossing roads in Siem Reap he is not a stationery, he walks / runs it is so funny (if it is the same in Phnom Penn I will video it for you). If you know anyone who is going to Cambodia I have a great recommendation for a guide his name is Narin and his email address is narinangkorguide@yahoo.com. His English is fantastic and his knowledge of Cambodia is amazing. Well we have left ... read more

Time to move again, south across Cambodia. We were sold the "express bus" by the agent, who said it should take 5 hours and wouldn't stop to pick anyone up in that time. a couple of dollars more than the regular bus that took 6 hours. Another early start for the bus, but we were picked up from our hotel and taken out to the bus station, and all seemed well. Until we set off and as soon as we turned out of the bus station stopped to pick up some locals at the side of the road. That was the start of an 8 hour journey with about 20 stops to pick up and drop off locals, including an old lady who spent the whole journey spitting in a bag! Lovely! We went down a ... read more

From Siem Reap I took a 7 hour bus ride to Phnom Penh. It cost $10 and they dropped me off at a bus station. I had arranged for my hostel to pick me up so I didn't have to find the place myself. They did that for free and that is just one thing to love about accomadation in South East Asia. It seems like they all compete to offer extras to travellers. The national museum and the royal palace museum are both beautiful sights with art and gilded architecture all over the place. Visiting Phnom Penh for a tourist means confronting the legacy the Khmer Rouge left on Cambodia for is short reign of terror from 1973-78. The major tourist attractions in Phnom Penh are the Royal Palace, the National Museum, and the central ... read more

Het lijkt alweer een eeuwigheid geleden. Eigenlijk waren het slechts enkele dagen. Ik heb het over afgelopen vrijdag. De dag begon voor mij met twee uur ABC-class, wat het laagste niveau van de school is. De gemiddelde leeftijd in een dergelijke klas ligt rond de 5 jaar oud. Zoals ik in mijn eerste blog ook vermeld heb, heb ik een aantal bezwaren tegen het feit dat kinderen van dergelijke leeftijd al een uniform dragen en op behoorlijk strenge wijze les krijgen, waarbij het niet ongewoon is om een kind op de vingers te tikken met een liniaal. Het geven van ABC-class pas ik dan ook voor en laat ik over aan Cambodjaanse leraressen. De dag begon voor mij dus met twee uur extra slaap: niks mis mee. De afternoon class was, zo mogelijk, nog mooier. Het ... read more

To follow on from my last blog this trip is going to be the single best move i've made in a long time, i had the oppotunity to not come due to circumstances at home. i could have taken that option without issue however i like to think of myself as an individual, i am not deined by the fact that i was married therefore the only option i wanted to take was to continue as planned and travel. The last time i wrote i had just arrived in Bangkok, since that point i took a flight to Phnom Penh the capital of Cambodia, the flight was memorable as it was through a thunder storm, i've never really felt like a yo-yo before but i guess there is a first time for everything, it was kind ... read more

Tuol Seng Genocide Museum was firstly a secondary school in the capital of Phnom Penh before it became an Education Centre for the torturing and killing of Cambodian people who were caught up in the internal conflicts of their country with this genocide perpetrated by Pol Pot and his leaders. The centre was surrounded by a double wall of corrugated iron and on the top densely rolled barbed wire that was electrified during the war. The rooms in the school were turned into cells with the VIP prisons having half a room each and the other prisoners living in 16 cells per room for the men and smaller cells for the women on the second floor. Other rooms were used for people of less importance and all were expected to sleep on the floor in an ... read more