CAMBODIA At the Cambodian side of the border we had to declare whether we have sars virus or not. I wanted to inform them, today’s menu is the chicken flue. But day stills have had thousands of forms to fill in, and of course ask many for it. After the border only dirthroad , and motorbike taxis , but finally I got to the nearest town hitchhiking.
Arriving to Phon Pehn is wide roads and traffic jam , and left drive cars as well, but the strangest thing there is no public transport only motorbike taxis on every bike are three for people sitting. The markets are busy, because these people like so much there their bike, that they do not get off .Streets usually dos not have names just numbers as New York. (Russian and Czechoslovak, Mao Ce Tung andDe Gaulle avenue).
Around the lake area are cheep hotels, travel agencies, billiard board, hammock, TV and sunset. Poor people around us but at the small child birthday the people were singing the English Happy birthday to you. Of course, they does not speak English, activity knowledge, failed.
Very strange the prices given in dollar, but of course we can paid in real or in “thai buth” , in the air conditioned supermarket goods, few, but expensive. In front of the public buildings and bridges standing soldiers and anyway the like uniform everywhere as in the parks, etc. We can read about robberies, but we can be sure that we will get back our bankcards, because this country is not any ATM machine. They have train station, but every second day one train so sellers sit on the rail trail.
In all restaurants in TV are always chines carate films, and I can make bet that within three minutes we will see one punch.
Waiting for my Thai visa, I heard that the local people destroyed it a few months ago.
Cambodiais poor, but the ministry decided to disappear the Thai stile sculptures to protect the Khmer tradition, because, „our new generation will have crisis”, because they worshipping Thai stile statues they were shipping the Tai king as well.
In the city not too much to see, but there is museum S 21 is necessary to visit. It reflects nearby past Pol Pot in this prison tortured and killed more then 17 thousand people.
It was enough to get into the prison if someone was a teacher, student, or women or just have had the glasses or someone could read. The system based on thePrincipe: it is better kill you by mistake, than to keep you mistake. Every fifth man were killed inCambodia(1-3 million people) by sword because bullet were more expensive, than human life. Those who were not killed, they sent them forced labour, to villages saying: factory makes people lasy. So these genocide museum dos not offer to much to see, but makes you thinking. Why Pol Pot could live freely, till his 2002. Death. It is difficult understand clearly the history of last 40 years of Cambodia, and till today the people in power does not want to investigate the past and make clear the truth. It remembers me the Mafia: everyone involved in. Still many spies and speaking honestly about politic with local people possible only face to face Still many place in the prison.
After theVietnamsarmy come in Pol Pot had started guerrilla war in the jungle. In this war, they used millions of mines. The poor people collected the mines and sold toThailand, and they sold back to Pol Pot. The brother number 1 paid it with gold and gems. Brother number 1 owned the mines around the border. So the war lasted more then 20 years. TheVietnamssupported government and army was not affective against guerrilla’s , they were corrupt and confiscated guns from the local people, from those who were the only effective against Pol Pot.
Boat tour on the Mecong
I get in this way to a remote area bull, pulled, coach dust, no electricity but nice people and weddings. The local transport is the motorbike, pulled coach, with dozens people.
Sihanouk ville old colonial holiday centre, around the beach, with a port, but not too much life it big roads, squares, statues, but not people on the coast.
Kampot: Beautiful colonial buildings with the colourfulparis. This is a feeling and not describes able. Being an international woman day, we saw a fight in their Olympic stadium, which is nothing else, then a small territory around block of flats. The thai box is only events. The fighters doing rituals and after they starts to kick ing each other, like a street fighters. Finishing with KO.
In this area are many caves, inside fresco which were destroyed by Pol Pot, because they can not bear the religious interior. InCambodiawere parished all temples and religious site, except Anchor.
Kep- a small fishing village, the secondChernobyl.
Ghost town, but instead the Pol Pot who destroyed everything the result the same, Death city. The infrastructures are there, but without life, we can see the seletons of buildings, which were destroyed, by Pol Pot too. They collected the metals from it.
I was biking around s and the main attraction was when we put my motorbike into the instable small boat Roving trough the river, by boat women. There were a chine colony, living from their farms. It was a harvest time from fruits, so they packed me a lot, as a gift. I visited many weddings and I saw many children collect the cans. I was surprised.
Biking around we saw their pepper farm, and far away the beaten truck are small children were afraid of us, but the bigger one try to encourage each other, who will shake our hands. There were very shy, but if they go over it, they were very happy to see us.
The gastronomy ofCambodiais poor for vegetarians, bet the soup taste similar as the Hungarian foods. The insect not usual, but I think is Pol Pot. It is the gastronomically affect of Pol Pot , because during famine or prison time people had nothing to eat.
Siem Reap
Is my next destination, which is better known asANGKOR. If you by a bus ticket you get a free massage ticket. On the bus ride, we listened Khmer version of voice ofAmerica. Siem Reap is more expensive town then another Cambodian places. Many local sellers the archaeological site laid on25 kmsquare, so I discovered by bicycle. Most of them was built in the 10-13 century. It was the old capital of Khmer Empire. I met nice monks, who are very honest. After a long talk, he looked into my eyes and asked: can I be your friend? I was touched emotionally. Another time a little girl asked me: why you are so white? (bet I was brownest in my life now.) An other little boy were walking the lot with me keeping my hand, I shaw him journal and he had a very activ reaction to the pictures. In every white persons photo was I – for him. But the most interesting association about the policeman for this 3-4 year old boy is the handcuff.
The site is fascinating which is attack day by day thousands of tourist.
According to statistics, monthly average salary is 20 $, but of course every one earn more money. (Security quard 120 $) but 70 $ enough to live. So the poverty is relative, almost every one has motorbike. VCD and HIFI epquiment , but sure have TV. So every local restaurant I can see a classical aged a Chinese soap opera. In this movies are emotional storms and the people always gesticulate the act. It isAsia. In the restaurant the security quard and he is going to married soon bet before his to collect 1000 $ for the girls parents, and the other 1000 for a party. Every night there is a folk music, a dance performances and weekly free Bach concert by a swiss doctor who introduced the health situation inCambodiawith music. They opened the hospital, and collected money and blood Indonesian donation from the foreigners. The no 1 public enemy is the TBC. This is because Vietnam war. TheUSAbombed eastern part ofCambodiakilling 250 000 peoples. This area was the base later for Khmer rouge. Become in power they transported people into the contration lagers , it was a bad for TBC. As they killed most of the doctors (From 9 hundred, 53 survived the side effect of Pol Pot) It was very popular solution to feed them by crocodiles, or the more perverse variation, when their child had to killed his parents.
Land mine museum.
1990-95 more then 10 million mine were spread till now 45000 dead and till now every month 100 new victim. And 97 % is civil. Only 18 % die, because of mines and 23 % amputated. Till now 52 country still have land mines. I could learn how to fined and make safe or exploit it. It is very easy. So many victims? The people are poor and they collect the TNT and they selled it. It is the only profit for them from the war. There many story about the war, the best to visit this place.
Leaving the country at the border many casino and hotels, bat the Thai officials warned people:: if someone going to gambling toCambodiathey can not guarantee, that he not be killed. This kind of risk factors are including the people visitingCambodia.
