Cambodia

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Overview

I didn't really know what to expect from Cambodia - all I knew was Pol Pot and landmines. In recent years all but a few of the landmines in the most remote places have been cleared. They have however, left a frightening legacy and I have never seen so many amputee beggars in my life - it is absolutely heartbreaking.

There's not much left of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodian society today, but a trip to the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng is enough of a reminder that it really happened, and not so long ago either. Both sites make for pretty depressing viewing, but a worthwhile trip.

Despite all the horror of recent years, the Cambodians I met were all incredibly friendly and, even after all this time in Thailand, I was surprised by just how much these people smile.

The food doesn't compare to the delights we've sampled in Thailand, but I can whole-heartedly recommend a stint in Cambodia for anyone planning to visit South East Asia.

30 December

•   Gone back to Thailand.

26 December

•    The beach is calling and the sun is shining.

25 December

•    The place we'd wanted to stay was already full for Christmas, so we wound up in a slightly more expensive place (but the room was lovely) which was only five minutes from a better beach. The beach itself was beachy - lots of bars with deck chairs, loads of people selling fruit and/or lobster! The water was crystal clear and cool - so very un-Christmas like!

•   We wound up at a French restaurant - I think - with delicious food but more than we could possibly eat.  Then we went for beers on the beach and watched the stars.  It's a hard life but somebody has to do it

•    Great to talk to you all and hope you enjoyed the rest of the day.

23 December

•    I think we're heading further south tomorrow to a Cambodian beach resort so we can just veg there for Christmas. The beaches aren't as impressive as those in Thailand, but they are said to be much quieter.

•    After the gloom of the killing fields, we went to the Royal Palace which was pretty impressive - massive area, gorgeous gardens and more impressive temples – one of which had a ten foot high gold Buddha covered with diamonds

•    Earlier today we' went to the killing fields and the Tlong Seul museum where Pol Pot interrogated and tortured men, women and children before sending them to their deaths at the killing fields.

•    Some of the descriptions and pictures of the torture were pretty distressing, particularly those of the treatment of children.

–  babies swung round by their feet and crushing their heads on a tree or throwing them in the air and used like clay pigeon targets.

–  women having their breasts cut off

–  men suspended from their wrists with their hands tied behind their backs

•    But the worst of it was that the "guards" in S21 (the torture place) were little more than kids – some as young as 10.

•    There's not a great deal to see at the actual killing fields except a number of marked mass graves and a monument to the dead, with a collection of the 8000 skulls found there when it was excavated.

21 December

•    Wishing you all a Safe and Happy Christmas.

•    We're off to Phnom Penh at 05:00 tomorrow, and depending on how long it takes to take in the sights there, we may stick around for Christmas. Alternatively, we will head back to Thailand and probably go to Ko Chang, which we've heard is one of the most attractive beaches in central Thailand.

•    What with the journey, and the dodgy tum, you'd think I’d hate Cambodia, but on the contrary, I'm really, really pleased we made the effort to get here.  

•    We had a three-day pass to the ancient city of Angkor Thom.  Built between the 9th and 13th century, it was the seat of power for the Angkor empire for hundreds of years and is amazing - the place is huge and there are some 50 temples/monuments in an area the size of Manhattan.  We've been chauffeured around on the back of motorbikes (the roads are much better here than they were on the way over) which has been fun, and it's been great to have someone waiting on you hand and foot to take you wherever and whenever you want to go.  Favourite bits so far include Angkor Wat and Bayon, which is difficult to describe, but has huge faces on every side of every tower within it. Although not very large, it is an incredible sight. The intricacy of the stone carvings has to be seen to be believed.

•    The other news is that I've had my first gippy tum  (Editor’s note – in the interest of good taste we will spare you the details). Catherine has been an angel, feeding me re-hydration drinks and letting me sleep as much as possible.  Feeling fine just a bit less energetic than usual.

•    OK, so the journey here was our worst yet. The bus from Bangkok to the Thai border was fine and only lasted about four hours Cambodia was a different story - rickety old bus, the air-conditioning broke just as we were getting on. Imagine if you can a VERY bumpy cobbled road. That was the good bit! The rest was like a lunar landscape including craters – the bus lurching and swerving around to avoid holes and of course the oncoming traffic doing exactly the same. Of course with no air-conditioning the windows were open and with no tar macadam or anything else on the roads not only were we hot and sticky but also covered in dust. To top it all, we had the worst seats.