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Published: January 27th 2010
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Phnom Penh
Cambodia: one of the few countries in the world where, with a fist full of dollars, you can blow up a cow with a missile launcher.
We knew that over a thousand years ago Cambodia was settled by Indians who had travelled across the sea to live here but leaving our hotel for the first morning, we were amazed at how Indian like the people were in appearance. I'd assumed that after a thousand years of wars, invasions and occupations by surrounding countries that the people would have the usual oriental features, so we were surprised to see the Indian trait was still very noticeable.
We didn't get off to a good start. Maybe we just left the hotel at the wrong time but the traffic was bad and the smells of rubbish in the heat gave the familiar sensation of being in India. Added to this, the tuk-tuk drivers have the pushy insistence of their Indian cousins with regards to not taking no for an answer- it must be in the genes! It didn't help that we couldn't find the backpacker cafe that we wanted and ended up eating in a local cafe for breakfast,
and were promised pork soup which actually turned out to big pigs organ soup complete with some wrinkly tubular pieces that we didn't care to try and identify- good thing we've both got strong stomachs!
Thankfully, as we headed towards Wat Phnom, things took a more familiar, friendly feel and we decided that Phnom Penh wasn't as bad as our first impressions. We looked around the main Wat (on the only hill in town) before heading towards the river side which opened up as a series of cafes with free wifi and 50cent draught beer which was a welcome treat. Stacey has become a keen beer drinker since travelling through SE Asia, mainly because its cheap and quite refreshing in the constant heat. It was nice to sit in the shade and look out over the Mekong, but also amusing to watch the tuk-tuk drivers sitting in wait for people to leave. As soon as it looked like someone was about to get up, they would hurry over and accost them with offers for rides. Of course the same thing happened to us when we left but you soon get used to it as the drivers must think the
westerners are incapable of walking anywhere.
For the remainder of our time in Phnom Penh, we visited the city museum, the grand palace and the former S21 prison. The national museum contained a number of carvings and statues taken from Anchor Wat to prevent them from being stolen: apparently a recuring problem. As well as Buddhas, we saw the familiar Hindu gods which tend to stand in uncomfortable positions with multiple flailing arms each clutching different chakras.
The grand palace contained the silver pagoda, which has a floor layered in silver tiles. Our first attempt at visiting was unsuccessful as they are strict on dress code and they wouldn't let Stacey in with a shawl to cover her shoulders, insisting on a sleeved T-shirt which conveniently for them, were for sale there at an over inflated price. It was quite annoying as most temples have dress code but normally knee length shorts and something to cover the shoulders (like a shawl) is sufficient - but these guys were being stubborn. It was like trying to get into an English night club while wearing trainers, totally unreasonable but with no leeway and with armed guards instead of meat-head bouncers.
Unwilling to part with more cash and participate in the T-shirt mafia racket, we decided to come back the next day instead.
The next day coming prepared for the dress code we made it inside. The palace is grand and is very similar in design and layout to the main palace in Thailand but much of it was closed off as the king still lives there. There was the same mural depicting the Ramyana, a battle between Hindu gods and demons but this was in a bad state of repair. They had their own version of the emerald Buddha and also a silver pagoda instead of the gold one in Thailand.
With the palace ticked of the list, the last thing we planned to see was Toul Sleng (or S21 Genocide museum). The weather had taken a turn for worse with constant rain all day which matched the sombre atmosphere of the place. This 'attraction' told of the plight of the Cambodian people during the reign of terror of the Khmer Rouge, commanded by Pol Pot. It was originally a secondary school, but between 1975-79 it was converted into a prison for the interrogation and torture of thousands
of teachers, students, doctors, monks and peasants suspected of anti- revolutionary behaviour. After being tortured, they were taken to extermination camps outside the city, often clubbed to death rather than wasting ammunition and put into mass graves. Much of the city's population were forced to leave and work in the country side as rice farmers, effectively used as slaves. They estimate that nearly a quarter of the population died under this regime and tens of thousands as a result of torture at this prison.
The prison itself was left pretty much as the Vietnamese liberators found it when they entered the capitol, with the small cells and some of the torture equipment still in place. However, the most shocking things were the photographs on display. The Khmer Rouge kept meticulous photographic records of the prisoners and their subsequent torture, most of which were quite horrific. The whole place was a shocking reminder of the atrocities that have gone on in the world and this one in particular is still uncomfortably recent. The Cambodian people must have suffered a great deal so its good to see that they appear to be happy and prosperous today as a result of foreign
aid.
Cambodia is still filled with unexploded ordinance from the years of conflict within the country so it can be dangerous to stray off the beaten track. As a result of having such conflicted past, the country has a large amount of surplus munitions which brings me back to my first sentence. One of the activities that people can partake in is going out into the country side and firing off a range of weapons including M16's, AK47's, grenades and rocket launchers. We found that it was also possible to shoot live cows for those in need of a sick thrill, but you'll be pleased to know that we didn't participate in these activities and that no cows were harmed in the making of this blog. As well as the shadiness of the characters involved, playing with obsolete soviet munitions that have been laying around for 40-50 years is not always a safe idea and having seen a Cambodian hospital, it is definitely one place that I don't want to end up!
Next stop Siem Reap to see the long awaited Angkor temples.
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