Cambodia...

Cambodia. Land of the American Dollar, the rapidly (over) developing Siem Reap but astounding site of Angkor Wat, some truly startling sights and statistics in relation to prostitution, the most gorgeous kids I've ever seen, the hottest fish curry I've ever eaten, more amputees than I ever thought possible (landmines.... ugh), the most shocking and appalling remnants of the Khmer Rouge's rule, and the most resilient population (courtesy of the Khmer Rouge - I remain in awe of all the over-30's I met who lived through it). Also land of extreme exhaustion - hot and steamy, with the afternoon monsoon a welcome, welcome relief from the heat of the day .

I don't think I realised how overwhelming the whole Cambodian experience was until I emerged from my Bang-koma, and discussed the ins and outs with Trafford (who also keeps mind-f&cking me with comments like "Did you eat dog? Are you sure? It tastes like pork you know." Bastard. I had to eat pork a lot in Vietnam and Cambodia - it's everywhere, in everything.... and I'm normally anti-pork. So yes, I probably chowed down on Fido, unknowingly.).

After getting over the border, it was a long and bumpy ride from the border to Phnom Penh (and contrary to popular belief, the first P is not silent). The hotel I stayed in had massages for $8 per hour - so several were taken - but my lack of Khmer meant I had to use hand signals so they didn't touch the ribs, which they took to mean they should generally avoid my breasts (well, duh) so they still pushed a bit hard where they shouldn't - for $8 it was bearable.

Nothing prepared me for the next morning. I'd read First They Killed My Father and some other books on the Khmer Rouge regime and Pol Pot's reign on my long and bumpy bus rides, but I was still not expecting to see what I saw, especially given all the events took place relatively recently - in my lifetime.

First stop was the S-21 Prison Museum, which was run by Duch, who answered to Pol Pot. 14,000 people died after being kept here and tortured - then taken to the Killing Fields. They found some dead bodies on site after the Vietnamese overthrew the Khmer Rouge - and thus is the basis for the museum. One block consists only of the items that were in the rooms when the prison was found, with a black and white photo on the wall of the body in the state it was found. Truly shocking. The floor was mopped, but there are still bloodstains on the walls.

This random guy turned up - and it turned out he was one of the seven people who were found surviving in the prison. Our guide at the site was just about beside himself with excitement, so we got a first hand tour of the prison, and he showed up his cell (below) and so on..... and his scars, where his fingernails and toenails were pulled out (at which point I had to go and lie down outside with my head between my knees and try not to faint - it was very hot and stuffy, which didn't help).

The trials are underway at the moment in relation to the Khmer Rouge, in conjunction with the UN, so the guy above (he didn't tell us his name) was back to collate some more information as Duch who ran the prison is on trial at the moment. The day before Dutch had testified that he couldn't hear people screaming as they were tortured, so our man above was back to look at measurements and things from what I can gather. He did admit that day that he bled people to death to give blood directly to the Khmer Rouge soldiers..... there was a lot in the Cambodian media (simple as it is) about the trials, and they were live on TV.

Just when I thought it couldn't get more grim, we visited the Choeung Ek killing fields. I took this picture of the memorial stupa (below) on site - before I realised that it was full of 8000 skulls that were dug up at the site. The skulls bear the markings of the cause of death - bullets were too expensive to "waste" so people were clubbed to death, or a hoe was used to cut their heads in half..... There were so many bones that only the large bones were collected when the fields were excavated, so as you wander around the paths, there are hundreds upon thousands of small bones and teeth sticking up through the ground, and hundreds of pieces of clothing that stick up through the ground - only about half the pits have been excavated. Truly shocking. A grim reminder and no doubt left as a warning.... Everyone was pretty speechless for the rest of the day.

I decided to brave it and eat lunch at the local market (shock - street food!) - it was by far and without doubt the best meal I ate in Cambodia, and I think because I could see what went in it, I'm more confident about the hygiene and content than any other meal I ate there!

Several hours later, somewhat recovered but never the same again, we headed into town to check out the palace....

...monks at the palace - from what I can gather religion and state are one and the same....

It was the Queen's Birthday and though she has long passed away, there were fireworks over the river that we accidentally got to see - we happened to choose the right restaurant with a view over the river, before we even knew it was happening. After the events of the day, there was a lot of beer taken that night, which is why the next day........

......I just could not bring myself to eat one of these delicious, deep fried tarantula treats......

.....or one of these delicious crunchy fried and seasoned crickets.....

Where do you get such delicious delicacies, I hear you ask? At the village street market halfway between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (below), of course!! I have it on wise counsel that the spiders are hairy, crunchy, and taste like something charred off the BBQ. Happy to take their word for it.

Even monks get bored. They are everywhere in Cambodia (and Vietnam and Thailand, but not so much). I'm used to seeing them whip out a mobile now and make a call.....

I stopped at this village to take some photos - no spiders, but great people to take pics of! Also some houses - there's no brick veneer in Cambodia.....

Why brave a 6-odd hour drive through Cambodia from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap? Angkor Wat. (Or Angkor-fucking-Wat as Trafford calls it, having refused point blank to go there with me). It is bizarre, I'll admit. An ancient and awesome sight, not just the namesake but a massive complex of hundreds of temples, and some strange tourist practices - you have to be photographed and have a photo pass to enter (it's like massive and in the middle of nowhere, it's a bit big brother really for it), and the vendors there are strange - I can't put my finger on it, but I now understand his thinking....


Above my head, fuzzy as it is, is my first view of Angkor Wat from the Phnom Bakeng Temple at sunset.....

And a traditional dancer at drinks and dinner in the evening.... don't be fooled. Most of the ladies have man bits. L-O-L-A Lola style. You really can't pick it. Men have been surprised on many an occasion..... the lads were more than a little nervous.....

I dragged my sorry arse out of my comfy bed at 4:20am and risked my life with a crazy tuk-tuk driver for the Sunrise at Angkor Wat, and it was worth it......

Tackling the temple complex is not for the faint hearted. Rule 1: Don't see too much. Rule 2: Rely on a guide to tell you what to see. Rule 3: Don't walk. It's 2-3Km at least between most temples.... a long way in 40 degree heat at 100% humidity..... Rule 4: Don't hire a boring guide. I was ready to commit a homicide by the end of the day, but that may have been the 4:20am start.

First stop - the bridge to the Gate of Angkor Thom:

At Bayon. There are 216 of these faces all over the temple - it's cool! (addit: My hair has gone shit. Dry and crackly, hard water, no hair dryer, multicoloured from dye and the humidity. Too long but not long enough in all places to tie back. And so hot, I have no choice but to. So, it's pigtails. The local lads think I'm about 14. )

Ta Prohm - scene of the movie Tomb Raider (lads were disappointed not to see Ms Jolie anywhere in the vicinity). There's a battle between man and nature here, and nature is well and truly winning.

And lastly - the jewel in the crown. Angkor Wat in the full light of day.

Of course, we timed our arrival with that of the monsoon - it didn't bother this little lad inside the temple though, who splashed his way through every puddle in sight....

Inside the temple of Angkor Wat......

After a day off - well earned after a night at the Angkor What? Bar ($2 cocktails - verrrry dangerous) - a day of more $5 massages and general administration was required, it was time on Monday to head for the Thai border - here's planting the rice the Cambodian way, not far from the Thai border......




Unfortunately unlike the V-Cambodia border, the C-Thailand border was my worst nightmare. Every lame and amputated soul was there, as well as the dirtiest kids I've ever seen, and they were tugging every part of my luggage and not just begging, but literally begging.... once over the border though, it was the oh-so-orderly Thai way, all the way. The difference 100m can make was astounding. Back in the land of the 7-11, Starbucks, gross consumerism..... the list goes on. A shock after days of lean-to's and makeshift signs, and no branded stores.....