http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Cambodia en-us Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:02:01 BST Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:02:01 BST Toul Sleng Prison and Choeung Ek are brutal gritty sites. There are no words to describe the experience I had today. I felt schizophrenic as I wondered how many continents countries cultures have mass graves like the ones I walked through today How many regimes have tortured and murdered people using the same techniques as I saw today What makes man capable of such cruelty Is that seed http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/Phnom-Penh/blog-303554.html well today was our last day we cant believe it we are so glad we spent our time with the kids it was so hot teaching in a shack with tin roof and the heat building up inside .... but we didnt complain once how could we the kids were so grateful to us and didnt once give us any bother these kids had nothing only the friendship with each other the games they play together marbles c http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-303492.html Anyone else prefer Chinese tonight http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-303462.html Notice anything... ummmm... unusual here http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Poipet/blog-303460.html We made it to Cambodia via boat and much sweating xraying of luggage stamping bribing etc. One of the members of our group did not have enough extra passport pages for her Cambodia exit stamp but for an extra 20 they gave her the Cambodian entrance visa. When we got to Phnom Penh our leader took her to the Embassy to get extra pages added to the passport so that she will be able to leave t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/Phnom-Penh/blog-303371.html This is rushed since I'm running out of adrenaline from a 19hour day. We got up early to watch the sun rise from Angkor Wat. Only one day there which is hardly enough time so we had to cram it all in. With a group of 15 I'm the only American so I need to get used to being the butt of jokes for the next 4 weeksAngkor Wat is incredible and words can not do it justice scribbled thought out http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-302776.html Angkor Wat is Almost as big as Paris Hilton.We started out by renting bicycles to go and see the former capital of the mighty kingdom of Angkor. There were tuk tuk's and taxi's everywhere but had read that biking was a nice way to do it. They gave us old school fifties style bikes with the wheel protectors and curved handle bars. I felt like I should have brought some of my old baseball cards http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Angkor/blog-302759.html We honestly didn't mean to do it Let me explain. In Cambodia you pay for things at the end of everything including your hotel living arrangements. So as we awoke on Sunday morning at 545AM and waved goodbye to our hosts we completely forgot to pay for our room and they did wave back so we weren't sneaking out. As we were waiting in the overcrowded unairconditioned bus station buses do http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/West/Sihanoukville/blog-302757.html Siem Reap feels like a really western town and its much more westernised than Phnom Penh. We have spent the last 3 days looking round loads of temples obviously including the amazing Angkor Wat. There are loads of temples and until you arrive you don''t realise how spread out they all are.. They are all different but the size of Angkor is massive and the view is amazing especially at sunrise. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-302646.html as it costs varying amount of money to use the internet in different places i have often been very rushed trying to answer emails and keep up with facebook and search for flights etc so this has kinda been abandoned but i am doing my best to backtrack the last week first point i made it to angkor wat after seeing the picture dan sent me years ago i actually made it to the temples and spent the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-302588.html It's a place not to be missedhey guys im back again. sorry tht i've gone missing for a day. Yesterdays task was just too physically demanding i got knocked out cold.i cannot expect to leave cambodia without seeing the Angkhor temples. many pple have this misconception tht there is only the angkhor wat to visit and i must admit tht i myself am guilty of having this impression. Angkhor wat is just http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-302258.html Well after all our talking during the week with the other volunteers while out at dinner we decided we would go for our own Happy Pizza.. the lads we met from oz uk and ireland had all asked us if we had tried the happy pizza's here and we hadnt a clue what they were talking about.. they say when u order u can ask for a happy pizza a happy happy pizza or a very happy pizza... if you know what i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/blog-302193.html Skype while traveling next best thing to a tourist busWhile I have heard of Skype for some time now it is an internet based telephone service that is a lot cheaper to use you just have to have a headset to talk into I didn't give it a chance until the other night. All the computers in the internet cafe had the headsets so I logged in and called Randy my friend back home who is helping to wa http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-302054.html Hi Everyone.Our Saturday was mostly spent with me having a stomach ache and NOT being able to be too far from the toilet....we ate in at the hotel and enjoyed the pumkin soup and squid with ink noodles....We met an australian woman in the outside lobby and she has been teaching in china for 10 years...We spoke of Politics and the whole world hopes Obama will be our new president......Theres though http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-302037.html Between the years of 1975 and 1979 the Khmer Rouge under the leadership oF Pol Pot ruled areas of Cambodia including Phnom Penh. Money was abolished and cities were abandoned. Thousands of peope who spoke foreign languages or wore glasses were considered parasites and killed. Hundreds of thousands more died of mistreatment malnutrition and disease. Between 19751979 approximately 2 million p http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/Phnom-Penh/blog-301839.html after our adventure to angkor wat vianna took us to one of the poorest villages in Siem Riep my god this was something you would c on the news or a disaster film. there were between 3 and 4 hunderd preople living in these shacks built on wooden stilts off the ground the reason for this is to prevent insects and other pests entering the shacks.. we were speechless... the smell alone was chronic. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-301724.html On your first visit to the temple complex you will need to buy an entry pass for which you need 2 passport photos. It is well worth buying a 2 or 3 day pass as to see the area properly you will need at least two solid days. Travelling around in the Angkor complex can be done by bicycle tuk tuk or taxi. I would highly recommend getting an experienced guide who can explain all the history and an ai http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-301721.html Hej med jerSaa er det igen tid til en lille mail om hvad vi gaar og laver Da vi sidst skrev var vi paa motorcykeltur i Vietnam hvor vi efterfolgende havde et endnu et par dage. Naeste dag havde vi lidt start vanskeligheder da vi punkterede efter to min. korsel men det var heldigvis i byen saa der skete ingenting. Som de fleste steder i Vietnam er der et lappevaerksted paa hvert gadehjorne d http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-301637.html Today was a great day we signed up for a Cooks in tuk tuks Kymer Traditional cooking class....Kim our tuk tuk driver and chef...motored us to the farmers market...NOT for tourist or travelers....and that was apparent.. He toured us through the market ...fruits and so many ginger and bamboo to boil bamboo sliced just bamboo everything....oh and so many different looking sweet potatoe and eggplant. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-301519.html New Place but Same Old MeLast nite i felt tht i deserve a treat after starving myself with 1 meal a day. transport cost has really taken its toll on me. So i broke the bank and feasted on some heavenly dessert followed by a massage. The massage was cool though. they were all blind and a proportion of the proceeds will go to training up more of such pple. Its nice to know tht cambodians do creat http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-301434.html Lounging yesterday teaching Ta the chicken dance YMCA and cartwheels a lovely british man sat down at a nearby table. As usual a quick smile and hello was shared as we continued to ponder where we would go next. We needed a fresh start and as we began to discuss the pros and cons of each location this man who is very well traveled listened in and joined our conversation. By the end of our http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-301211.html Hey everyone...i havent wanted to blog till i could finally put up some pics....i almost thought it couldnt happen...but now we are have left our guest room which in fact we signed up for a guest HOUSE and drama got kinda Kymar regine on us so we bailed out and here we are at the Hotel del la pais .....everyone knows us and it s so cool here...so far on wednesday we Isabella n I went out to the Na http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-301094.html So according to this blog we just arrived in Luang Prabang Laos. But I must admit I've been slacking on the updates. In actuality that was about three weeks ago. Since then we've floated through Laos skipped across Cambodia and lounged on Koh Samet an island in SE Thailand. Allow me to catch you up to date...Luang PrabangA small town on the Mekong River with architectural evidence of a Fren http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-301017.html Moving on yet again wish i could be here longerstarted the day late again. met my driver Tun to head towards the killing fields. to be honest there wasnt really much to see there. most of the graves have been dug up and the bones placed in a monument to commerate those who innocently lost their lives. But dont get me wrong here this place is a must see. For me it isnt really abt what you see http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/Phnom-Penh/blog-300926.html Four days in Phnom Penh the last of which was mostly spent watching Jack Black films in our lovely hostel and we were off down the coast to Kampot. The bus ride wasn't as bad as I was expecting I think a few more roads have been built since our Lonely Planet was published. It was a bit bumpy and at one point we may or may not have hit someone but apart from that it was fine and we arrived to a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/West/Kaoh-Kong/blog-300917.html Wow Cambodia is a fascinating place It is markedly poorer is many respects to Vietnam. Driving across the boarder and passing through towns with kids begging who have no shoes or clothes is really shocking to see. There really is a short term attitude here to the future after the Khmer Rouge people empty there bins straight out into the street on there own doorsteps so there is rubbish eve http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/Phnom-Penh/blog-300891.html The afternoon rains arrived about 3pm today and loud claps of thunder are breaking through the sky. Today was quite hot even in the morning with the sun and the heat beating straight into my terrace room which not shielded from the weather.The school feeding project demands normally about 23 months of preparation to get to the final submission stage. When I arrived here on 6 July nothing h http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/Phnom-Penh/blog-300884.html We could hardly even sleep last night waiting for the sun to rise literally with our cameras in hand waiting for the sun. The day begins so early here with people setting up shop around 530AM.We began the day across the street to buy some toys for the children at the orphanage and then set out. I realized I have no idea where an orphanage is at home. Anyways around the block we went to the Sunr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-300874.html Polpotpolpot's evil regime is most notable for the ruthless torturing at the S21 and the executions at Cheoung Ek. during these 2 days i'll be experiencing first hand these 2 famous sights.the S21 security prison 21 is painfully realistic as the place manages to capture the essence of what actually happened and evoke raw emotion from visitors. the place is very much left in its original state. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/Phnom-Penh/blog-300502.html