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The Ron, Ak-47s, and Beer.
The Ron Arrived today, as planned. The Ron (who is actually “named” Alec) is a friend from work, a fellow member of the swash buckling Pirates crew. The Ron is a seasoned and well-traveled indavidual. He has done many months in Europe, and also spent some time in Peru after Pirates. During work I’d tell him stories amount SE Asia and how much he’d love it, as a traveler. After going back and forth he finally came to the conclusion that Thailand was going to happen - I too, as we know, had plans in SE Asia over the summer, and expressed interest in Cambodia. He seemed keen to the idea. He had also heard (like many others) about the Cowboy town like place that Cambodia provides; a somewhat surreal experience. I mean any place that has shooting ranges open to the public with menus offering anything from AK47s to M16 to Rocket launchers and grenades (Literally there was a real MENU). I told him that I knew that many stories of Cambodia were true, and the shooting ranges existed; I could see a bit of glimmer in his eyes. I told him to meet me in Cambodia, and I’d buy him an RPG (rocket launcher) or .50 machine gun. I even made a voucher it, with the stipulation being that it must be redeemed this summer. By no means was this an official doc or any sorts, a red sharpie marker and a yellow post it, to be exact.
Back to that in a minute.
Last evening I day before The Ron’s arrival, I met this Britt, James, who was here for a few weeks, seeing a bit of Cambodia and Vietnam. Like me, he’d been to Thailand before, but never east. He was still pretty new to town, and with my 6 days under my belt I was able to offer a bit of what I had picked up about the place. He was looking for a few a drinks, and a bit off PP’s nightlife. I had told him about the “Love you Long Time” line I had heard the previous evening, which made him laugh. It was kind of my test to see what “exactly” he was looking for. We shared the same views fortunately, and agreed to have a few drinks, avoiding the Love you Long Times.
Heart of Darkness, PP’s seedy nightclub, that has hoisted various shootings and stabbings through out the years, which brought on a police shut down. We’d heard it had been “cleaned up” so to say, but thought that now that we were no longer “solo” travelers, maybe we’d have a look, see what the hype was all about. It was a Monday night, so we figured at least we had that on our side.
We arrived there to be met by six off duty cops, working as security, with the FULL ON pat down, and metal detector, which I guess is for my own security. The place itself was pretty mellow, and fairly well decorated. Seemed like a lot of hype, maybe cause it was Monday, but nonetheless, it had its history.
I Told James about The Ron, and the coupon I had presented him. His eyes got big, really big, almost as big as the Ron’s. He was all in, so we decided that the following day, upon The Ron’s arrival, we’d shoot some shit. I mean, I am a pretty peaceful guy, but I am a boy at heart. I played with GI Joes, blew up model airplanes, and shot BB guns as a kid. A chance at an AK, I felt I couldn’t pass up. Given my interest in recent reading material (ie. Cambodia, East Africa, Afganastan..ect) was also another reason I had a fascination with this particular gun. It was the one thing that connected all the atrocities, weather they are in Cambodia, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Vietnam, or Cheneya. It’s always the AK47 or the Klanishnokav, the Russian machine gun that seems to be the common connection, aside from the suffering and senseless killing throughout the world.
Also, since I had been told by various people that all the Pol Pot guns were collected and destroyed in ’98, I felt ethically ok with firing the “new” rifles provided by the Chinese, in the post Pol Pot era.
The Ron Arrives.
The Ron arrived early in the AM. We had breakfast, caught up a bit, and then James swung through for what would be an action packed afternoon. The Ron, like the good PA he is, brought his voucher, so I told him that we’d do it today, and he was good to go.
I’d made friends with one of the Tuk Tuk drivers during the past week, and we hired him for the day to take us to the range. We piled into the Tuk Tuk and hit the pavement for about 20 KM outside of PP. we arrived at the government own firing range, welcomed by an old missile that said “Welcome”. The walls were covered with AK47s, M16, Tommy Guns, Uzi’s, while the floor housed. 50 cal machine guns, and old mortar launchers. We looked over the menu which listed everything from machine guns to beer to RPG; What a concept, booze and guns.
The Ron, being The Ron (with the coupon), decided on the RPG (bazooka), with a side of .50 cal Machine gun. I had already decided on the AK, as did James the night before. Since we were about to shoot a Bazooka, we had to take a car to another location in the mountains to actually fire the thing. So we drove another 45 minutes to this random Government place, and picked up our “goods.” Our Tuk Tuk driver had never seen the Bazooka, so he came along for the ride and fireworks show.
So they get the guns, which are unloaded and put them in the back in the SUV, where our Tuk Tuk driver is seated. No big deal, no ammo, no big deal, except then they loaded in the missile head for the bazooka, which looks old, and old and explosive are never a good combo, especially when you are driving in a SUV, off road. Needless to say we all shared a moment of fear, even our Tuk Tuk driver, who was about 6 inches from it, not to say that my 3-foot range would do anything, but at least I wasn’t LOOKING AT IT!
A few minutes later we arrived at the site, which was just a piece of land and a hillside. First off was Ron’s Bazooka. I stood by, very hesitantly, taking video, waiting for the cue, and hoping Ron doesn’t slip up. HOLY FUCK! The sheer power of this thing. I had earplugs in but even at a 20-foot distance I could FEEL the blast. I panned the camera to the hillside to catch this BOOM, and a cloud of smoke. Holy shit, he just shot a Bazooka. Next time I see a 14 year old Palestinian shooting one on the news, I will look at it completely differently. To actually see what these weapons can do is amazing, and incredibly scary at the same time.
I was next up with my AK. The Army man was nice enough unfold the bayonet at the barrel. It’s a heavy weapon, at least this one, with the all-wood stock, and it was loud. WOW. I kept the first few rounds on single fire to get a feel, and the kick/recoil was pretty huge, but not over bearing. After that I switched it auto, and HOLY FUCK, that’s a hard one to put into words. I wasn’t able to have any sort of accuracy with it, as it would recoil, sending the barrel in the air. How do people use this thing, certainly Hollywood has it all wrong. Ron then got his dessert, the .50 cal machine gun, WWII style, with bi pod and all, making the AK look like a BB gun.
We didn’t really shoot at much, as we all declined the offer to by a cow or chicken for targets. I’m not trying to kill anything, and if I were to, I’d eat it - so maybe a .22 and a chicken and a BBQ, ok. But where is the sport in an AK and little bird. Maybe if you are on a lead diet ok, but I didn’t see the need to do that, and stuck to the targets, the paper ones.
The ride back, without the rocket in the back seat was much better. Hell, we’d just shot machine guns, and a bazooka, getting in touch with our inner little boy syndrome.
Later on that even we all met for dinner that this GREAT Italian restaurant I found, owned by a REAL Italian. We had fine food, and wine, and discussed politics and reflected on the fact that only hours ago, we were shooting machine guns. Only in Cambodia.
Today we did the other extreme, the Killing Fields, and S21 prison. For obvious, I want to keep these two entries separate; a juxtaposition of the two wouldn’t be right. I will wait until tomorrow to reflect (with the computer) on that. A lot to swallow, even knowing some of the history.
I leave for Seim Reip (Angkor Watt) tomorrow with the Ron. Its home to the largest religious site in the world, so I imagine my camera will be hard at work. From there, I have decided that I am going to Vietnam, Saigon, and hit the coast.
I have also posted some new pics in the gallery.
-d.
ps. I hear that Scooter Libby got a Pres. pardon. I heart the USA. For someone that was governor of a state that had the MOST executions among all the states, its bit ironic, no? When was the last time Bush gave out a pres. pardon to a black man for drug crimes?
PSS. Happy 4th of July. Didn’t realize it until this AM.
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Sam
Sorry Dylan - I don't have Sam's card anymore...but ask around the hotels/guesthouses and they might know him. It's not a big place! He's great! Stay safe.