Cambodia...The land where anything can be bought!

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Phnom Pehn the capital has it all!! A dodgy past, beautiful architecture,(thanks the French!),bustling markets, international restaurants from all over the world, traffic from hell, interesting nightlife, the might Mekong river and the best sports bar in the world..(3 big screens!!!) perfect for watching the world cup!

I’ve been offered cocaine ,heroin, yama, ecstasy, happy pizza’s, Bob Marley cigarettes, bad girls, nice girls ( the bar girls that are looking for a relationship!), sisters, brothers, sickening young girls, real diamonds (opposed to the not real ones!), spiders, monkeys, ancient artifacts, cheap land (which I’m sure the real landowners wouldn’t have known anything about!) and that was just at my guest house, I hadn’t even walked out on the street yet!!!
I even went to a restaurant that advertised that it could make any sandwich… So I ordered elephant balls on toast but unfortunately they’d run out of bread that day ;-) (Thanks to Rodney Rude for that one!)
Everything is available at a price with politicians, government officials and police the most easily bought. They’ve even sold Angkor Wat to a neighboring country!!!

The Expats that have decided to make Cambodia their home ensure that there’s never a dull moment here. They say that foreigners that have moved here are people that don’t fit or have trouble fitting into their normal society back home….That's really makes the place so bloody fascinating..A huge melting pot of some of the worlds most interesting characters and some less desirable types..Needless to say I've fitted in quite well here....That's worry's me a little bit ;-)

Crime is out there and fortunately for me up until now I haven’t witnessed any or ..(touchwood) experienced it. I feel safer walking the streets in Cambodia than I would do walking in my hometown of Perth..

Cambodians on the whole are friendly, funny, simple and helpful people. Considering their recent tragic past when the Khmer Rouge took over from 1975-1979. Nearly ¼ of the population (2 million aprox) were murdered, the rest were worked like slaves with little or no food. Starvation and malnutrition was common place during those times. Most intellectual types, doctors, lawyers, teachers or anybody with half a brain was executed…even politicians!! If you were unfortunate enough to wear glasses during these times you were seen as intellectual therefore a threat to the “ Organization” (the Khmer Rouge leadership) so you’d be executed.. Crazy stuff!

Having the fortunate opportunty to be able to assist these people has given me great satisfaction and hopefully if things work out, I’ll be in a position to help more in the future.. ;-)

www.albyadventures.com

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Photos

Evironmentally friendly!
Cambodia, leading the way on reducing greenhouse gas admissions!!

The Royal Palace.
Would have loved to have visited the place but i was too scared to cross the road!

Early morning Mekong jumper...
Talked this guy out of taking the plunge..

Cambodia
Most of the books in here were burnt by the Khmer Rouge.. They used the building used as a stable for 4 years..

Changing of the guard at the Royal palace
Not quite the same as the changing of the guard at that well known english establishment..

Comments

[Steve Sanders]

Hey Alby! Been wonderin where in the world you are. Nice to catch up with ya I live in the US. Had any or plan any new TV programs?

[Alby]

Exposed!!!
Unfortunately i'm not the real "Alby Mangels" it was a named that some of my friends labelled me a couple of years ago!!!! So to answer your question,at this stage no big tv plans but if Hollywood is looking for a Alby Mangels 2 i'm willing to talk as long as the price is right! ;-)

[Bill Gates]

Best blog ever!!!
Congradulations Alby on the best blog i've read..