Cambodia with Love

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OK. I've decided that because i'm sooooo far behind with my blogs, i am going to give you all in 1. So it will hopefully be a bit quicker and less boring for you folk!!!

Our border crossing from Vietnam to Cambodia was rather painless. We had a lady sort all this out for us (bribing the officials with packs of cigarettes i think). We then got very slow boat to near Phnom Penh (6 hrs), and then a bus to the city. By the time we arrived, it was about 1800, and we were dead tired. It was a lovely experience, but we now had had enough of boats, and vowed never again!! We stayed in a great hotel called Simon's II. High cealings, big strong doors (we heard that break ins were common), and a lovely maid who really wanted to take care of you. The hotel is near the lake, and there is a life of its own here, but its miles from the main city, and a good 1-1.5 hr walk.

Going out for something to eat, you are immediately hit by a load of very cute looking, and very persistent kids, all trying to sell you books, or just plain begging for money. Its heartbreaking, but they are clever at it. Your head tells you not to give them anything, given that if they continue getting money, their parents will think it a worthy cause and keep them out. But your heart desperately wants to hug them and buy them food and drinks and stuff. Infact 1 little kid came in, and after a few minutes of trying to sell his books, asked me to buy him a coke. I obliged, as this was doing no harm. No sooner had he got it, then 3 other girls came running in, asking me to buy drinks for them, with several others looking on. We had to draw the line, but the kid shared his with his elder mates, and we then decided that we had to have a strategy for the rest of our stay here, otherwise it would become really bad.

The Cambodian currency (Riel) is about 4000 to 1 dollar, but they all work in US dollars, so its actually becomes a bit expensive in the end. It doesn't feel that way at first, but when your earing in AUD and not GBP, you have to think a bit harder!!! We spent Xmas in PP, and spent the day walking around the city. Many touts want to take you to the killing fields or S21, but it somehow felt wrong to visit these places on xmas day!!!

Walking around PP, we visited the Killing fields and S21, an abandoned former school turned into a torture camp by the Khymer Rouge during their brutal reign. Reading stories about the lives of prisoners, and even those of people who joined the KR, only to be affected by the inhumanity, and consequently being killed for their trechory. Reading the stories, seeing the pictures, visiting the former classrooms that now have a single bed frame to which prisoners were cuffed and tortured still remain.

The killing fields were just that. A big field where many of the political enemies of the KR where killed. These included their families...children, parents, wives, grandparents. Everyone connected with them, so that the bloodline would be stopped. It was sickening!!!!

We then headed up to Battenbong, which is a town just across the Tonle Sap lake from Siem Reap. Its a 6 hr Bus ride, and we took the local bus, filled with locals, all looking at us in a strange way we were now getting acustomed to. A quiet town, full of french architecture, its apparantly the country's second largest city. The main attraction here is the temples, and as a prequil to Ankor, its not arf bad ehh!!!

We hired 2 motorbikes and their drivers for the day (about 8 dollars each), and they took us to the main temples. These were Wat Ek Phnom ( a 11th centuary legoish looking building), Phnom Sampeau (which involves a bit of a hike up a hill and steps, but your rewarded with a great sceanery, and a chilling history lesson for 1 dollar (paid to a high school kids or their parents who will tell you all about the KR).

Wat Banan is a little version of Ankor Wat. Locals claim it was the inspiration for AW, but i'm not so sure.

We then got a ride on a bamboo train, which is highly amusing, and highly recommended. Its basically a bamboo base, carried onto 2 sets of train wheels, and a small motor to power it. We heaved the motorbikes on, and headed off into the distance. It actually goes pretty quick, and you have to watch out for those breaks in the track, which sends jolts up your spine when you run over them. The fun part is when you see another bamboo train coming the other way. Its a single track, and ther's no proper trains running on it anymore ( i am reliably told!). So the basic rule is, the heaviest has right of way. Given that we were 6 people and 2 motorbikes, that gave us right of way, and the others had to quickly dismantle their train and pull aside, so we could go through. hahahahaha!!!!! it was so funny!!!!!

We then set off for Siem Reap. Another 6 hr bus ride, and we found our hotel (that we had pre booked). We stayed at the Riverside hotel, which is brand new, and very clean. Very nice guys running the place, and a stones throw from the city centre. We were tere for the NY celebrations, and it was a fantastic and interesting NYE/Day. Tuk tuk drivers constantly pester you for business, but be aware, the bicycle ride is much more fun.

NYE was day 1 of our Ankor wat experience. We hired bicycles and headed on towards the temples. Its easy, and as there's no real hills, its not that hard. Takes about 30 mins to get there. You buy tickets at the office before you get to the temples. They are quite expensive, but worth the money.We got a 3 day pass, so that we could see all the temples. Our first was the amazing Ankor wat. It truely is an amazing place. So grand, it sends tingles through your body. I guess half is the presumption that its something amazing, and, rather like the terracotta warriors, there was a feeling of excitement as we rode up.

You can spend the whole day wondering around Ankor wat, its that big. But there were others to see. We cycled over to Bayon, which is the temple with all the faces on its walls. As we were walking around, Carmen, not looking where she is going, stumbled, and twisted her ankle. That put a premature end to the day, and by that night, we had decided to hire a tuk tuk for the day.

We partied hard that night, as we saw in the NY, with the street packed full of people. There are loads of japanese and Korean people here, and the girls packed the bars and clubs, dancing away as if they had popped 3 e's in one go!!!!

The next moring, we got an early morning (0500) pickup by the tuk tuk driver for a sunrise at Ankor Wat. This promised to be amazing, but actually ended up a bit of a disappointment, as there was no real sunrise.

Anyhow, we rode on, seeing the rest of Bayon, including Baphuon, terrace of elephants, terrace of the leper king, and then the world famous Ta Prohm. This temple was made famous by Angelina Jollie's Tomb Raider, with is fig vines curling around the various temples.

By the 3rd day, we had had enough. Carmen's ankle was none the better, and we could not do another day of temples. they were all looking the same by now!!! So we partook in some retail therapy, and returned to Ankor at sunset, which was marginally better than the sunrise!!!!

Theres an amazing place called the blue pumpkin, which is a little cafe that dishes out amazing food. Its a little pricey, but the upstairs bit gives you sofas that you can lounge in, with a table over your lap. Its pretty cool.

Shopping was starting again. We had already sent 6kg's back to spain by ship from Saigon, and now that our backpacks were of a much more backsaving weight, we decided to pile them up again!!!

We had to return to PP in order to reach the other side of Cambodia, which is slightly annoying, given that we are virtually in arms reach. But another night in PP, then headed to Kratie the next day. Kratie is a quiet town, famous only for its rare irrawaddy dolphin. Its a fresh water dolphin that lives in the Mekong, and is pink. It will soon be extinct, as food is running out for it. The look like small whales, but, from the fleeting glimpses you get as you traverse the waters in your hired longtail boat, you wonder what all the fuss is about.

We had rented a motorbike for the day, and spent the rest scooting around, eating sticky rice with banana, cooked over a bbq in banana leaf. It was so delicious i had 5 leaves worth, and all the work i had done on my weight during th last 5 months was quickly being undone!!!

We then headed to Stung Treng for the last leg of our Cambodian tour. Its a real outpost town, with nothing or real value to see or do here. We were going to go to Ratanakiri, but due to Carmens ankle problems, left this out, as this is a jungle adventure, with lots of walking, and not many resources!!! Shame!!!

So we head into Laos, saying goodbye to Cambodia. Its been nice, and the people are really friendly. They have been getting better and better,and after China, it could not get much worse. But its been a pleasant surprise. The gap between rich and poor is the greates here. Lots of begging, which is sad to see. Some people walk, and some people drive big toyota hillux, and Lexus SUV's. Its amazing. But we leave with many good memories, especially Ankor, and the Khmer Rouge history.

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Photos

arriving at the border
another border crossing, another long procedure

standing at the gates of hell
standing in the school hall, it was hard to imagine the terror that belied this place of innocence

all thats left
is the bed and shackles that were used to emmit the most horrible of tortures.

early learning
why does every kid in Cambodia seem to have a knife in his hand?

hall of rememberence
the faces of those sacrificed in the name of purification

the face of evil
babies taken from their mothers and killed infront of them. a torture of the most gruesome

cambodian snow
Covered in the silty dust of cambodia during our motorbike tour. Battenbong, Cambodia

our driver
Sulman. Battenbong, Cambodia

boy monk
on way to school

the temples of phnom penh
the build up to Ankor wat begins