Quick tour of Cambodia
October 31, 2005
Bangkok, Thailand
After leaving the temples of Angkor Wat, we took a 7 hour boat-ride to the capital Phnom Penh. We spent two days exploring the city and learning about the tragic recent history of Cambodia (see The Killing Fields below). From Phnom Penh we took a bus to the beaches of Sihanoukville. This small coastal town was nice, except, since there weren't many other tourists around, the hawkers wouldn't leave us alone. One group of children kept trying to sell us chips on the beach for an hour...not exactly the peaceful beachtime we had expected. It got to the point where we preferred staying at our hotel pool rather than going to the beach and being harassed. From Sihanoukville we took the long journey back to Bangkok, Thailand. This trip ended up taking 15 hours and involved a motorcycle, a 5 hour boat trip, 2 taxis, and an overnight bus.
The Killing Fields
Travelling is often an educational experience, a crash course in history. Unfortunately, history is not always pleasant to hear about. In Cambodia in the 1970s, there was massive genocide of anyone educated led by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. We visited the famous "Killing Fields" where a large number of the killings occurred. They have erected a large stupa that is filled with the skulls of the victims unearthed there. We also visited S-21, a former high school that was turned into a prison during the Khmer Rouge regime.
Cambodian Haircut
After traveling for 3 straight months, my hair was starting to get a bit shaggy. So when I saw barbers set up on the sidewalk in Phnom Penh, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get a trim. For just US $2, I got a hair cut and straight-razor shave. The barber didn't really speak any English so there weren't any options, I guess I just got the standard Cambodian cut. It was a bit short in the back (kind of a Cambodian fade, I guess), but it didn't turn out too bad and definitely worth the experience of getting a haircut on the street.
Posted by tim at 10:49 AM | Comments (0)
Angkor Wat
October 25, 2005
Siem Reap, Cambodia
After leaving rainy Koh Samui, we flew over to Siem Reap, Cambodia to explore the temples of Angkor Wat. The main attraction is the famous Angkor Wat itself, but the Angkor Wat complex is massive, spanning several miles, and contains the ruins of lots of other temples as well. We did two days of guided tours and still only saw a small fraction of the whole complex, but we did get to see all of the most famous/popular ones.
My favorite, and I think everyone's favorite, was Ta Prohm. It was used as the set for the Tomb Raider movie. It is a jungle temple and has the feel of a lost city. There are giant Spung trees growing out of the ruins with their roots winding along and through the walls. The rest of the temples were all amazing and in surprisingly good condition. We also visited Angkor Thom, Banteay Kdei, Preah Khan, Phnom Bakheng, and the famous Angkor Wat.
Farewell to the Fam
After ten days of travelling together (which flew by), it is time to say goodbye to my parents and my brother. They fly back home today, while Emily and I continue on to Phenom Penh by boat.
Mom, Dad, and Jon- Thanks for coming around the world to visit us and for giving us a little luxury after months of penny pinching. Hope you had a great trip!
Posted by tim at 08:01 AM | Comments (0)