Oh Cambodia
Been here in Cambodia for a week now. I'm loving it so much, despite the ups and downs (mostly due to the blatant poverty and poor people on the streets) it causes a mix of emotions. You get a full frontal of the countries history and the Khmer Rouge atrocities, even today 30 years later this place is still picking up the pieces. We went to Tuol Streng.. the museum and old school site that tells the story of the Khmer Rouge regime and the atrocities of the civil war here in the mid 1970's. It was a very full on experience, a lot to take in... there were rooms full of mugshots of all the poor victims of war and some torture instruments. We also saw a video that interviewed survivors. Being so much a part of the cambodian culture today that as a visitor, you really have to get knee-deep in it all and understand what happened.
Cambodia has about 15-17 million people, and a lot of them now live closer to or in the city. Also, they say about 40% of the population is under the age of 14 years old! (due to the unnatural number of deaths in the war).
Anyway, the local people are charming and beautiful and friendly. I can't keep a Plus the little kids are the cutest ever and always say hello, wave and smile.
It's so dusty... everywhere you go.. it's dusty and busy and at the end of each day I'm coated in grime. It's also very green with rice fields and jurassic-type trees. There's heaps of kids and motorbikes and ox's and cows and noise.
Having spent 4 days initially in Phenom Penh... I didn't intend on being there so long but the city really grabbed me and I am traveling with a cool french lady at the moment. PLUS I also met Raphael there... who I am intending on going back to stay with when I return to Phenom penh in 2 days! a romance of sorts ohh I don't know... as he has an apartment and everything and he's a pretty damn cool guy ^_^ But that's the hard part of traveling is, you meet amazing people for such a short time before you go your own ways :(
I'm now in Siem Reap having spent 3 days visiting the Ankor Temples which are stunning, mystical and so... outer worldly. We hired bicycles to tour around them which seems to be the nicest way to explore. We're off to Battambang tomorrow, just for a scenic boat cruise. I think I'll move on shortly after arriving there. There are a lot of places to explore and I hope to visit a national park too. Yet I only have 3 1/2 weeks left of my trip and I haven't gotten to Vietnam yet!
Ann-Katherine and I on a dusty tuktuk trip
Faces of Bayon, Ankor
Me and Raphael :)
Ankor Tom
Bike food-stall thingie... I don't know what's in the jars..
Cambodia has about 15-17 million people, and a lot of them now live closer to or in the city. Also, they say about 40% of the population is under the age of 14 years old! (due to the unnatural number of deaths in the war).
Anyway, the local people are charming and beautiful and friendly. I can't keep a Plus the little kids are the cutest ever and always say hello, wave and smile.
It's so dusty... everywhere you go.. it's dusty and busy and at the end of each day I'm coated in grime. It's also very green with rice fields and jurassic-type trees. There's heaps of kids and motorbikes and ox's and cows and noise.
Having spent 4 days initially in Phenom Penh... I didn't intend on being there so long but the city really grabbed me and I am traveling with a cool french lady at the moment. PLUS I also met Raphael there... who I am intending on going back to stay with when I return to Phenom penh in 2 days! a romance of sorts ohh I don't know... as he has an apartment and everything and he's a pretty damn cool guy ^_^ But that's the hard part of traveling is, you meet amazing people for such a short time before you go your own ways :(
I'm now in Siem Reap having spent 3 days visiting the Ankor Temples which are stunning, mystical and so... outer worldly. We hired bicycles to tour around them which seems to be the nicest way to explore. We're off to Battambang tomorrow, just for a scenic boat cruise. I think I'll move on shortly after arriving there. There are a lot of places to explore and I hope to visit a national park too. Yet I only have 3 1/2 weeks left of my trip and I haven't gotten to Vietnam yet!
Ann-Katherine and I on a dusty tuktuk trip
Faces of Bayon, Ankor
Me and Raphael :)
Ankor Tom
Bike food-stall thingie... I don't know what's in the jars..