Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Cambodia is such a beautiful and mystical place, with so much culture, stunning landscapes, incredible folks, good food . . . everything a visitor could hope for.
However, it's not all pretty here. In addition to all the lovely things, Cambodia also has quite the violent past, which consequently has negatively affected its current economic situation.
It's definitely one of the poorest countries we've visited thus far. And yeah, communication has been tough, but fortunately we've gotten quite good at communicating with our hands!! ;)
So needless to say, we really enjoyed our time here.
Of course, gotta say that it also helped that things finally turned around for us, as far as hitchhiking's concerned.
So our hitchhiking adventure picked up again!!
Better roads, friendly drivers, and we even got a ride in a proper vehicle!! So, no more pick-ups, no more bumpy dirt roads, no more dust . . . too good to be true, and all the way to Phnom Penh too!! We really lucked out this time!!!
Upon arrival in Phnom Penh, things got a little uglier for us though.
We were hoping and expecting to get a helping hand from a friend, but unfortunately things didn't work out the way we would have wanted them to. Oh well!!
We ended up spending the night at this dump near the Central Market, which just so happens to be in a pretty shady area too. But hey what more can you expect for $5 a night . . . not exactly the Hilton!!
Despite the condition of our room, we still managed to get a good night's sleep, and the following day we got in a good day's worth of sightseeing.
It was incredibly eye-opening, not to mention, a great learning experience, as well. Quite depressing, but made me be more appreciative in various respects, as well as get another perspective of life.
Gosh, how we take some things for granted . . . shame on us. My visit here has made me realize how fortunate I've been and how important it is just to be thankful for what I have.
Our journey through Laos and Cambodia was really an educational one. I found out things that I never knew. Like the fact that MANY MANY bombs were also dropped on these two countries during the Vietnam War, but that the U.S. refuses to admit to.
So, you'd think that many folks would feel resentment and hatred towards those who caused such pain.
It was a bit weird walking around the streets, knowing what I now knew; yet, I was immediately relieved when the locals would just smile and greet me as we walked past one another. Comforting.
And learning about the Khmer Rouge and the destruction that was brought upon the Cambodian people was . . . can't find the words. Shocking, sad, horrifying, upsetting . . .
All I know is that we can learn something from these folks. Despite their violent past, they've managed to get past it, and continue onward.
We heard some stories of survival, and actually met a guy who lived during this period. It was really moving to have him share his past with us, and learn that he's contributing to the betterment of his country and humanity, in general.
You see, this guy who was robbed of his childhood, because he was put to work as a boy, dedicates his life to building schools in remote villages, so that even the kids there have a shot at a better life. An extraordinary businessman. Could learn a thing or two from him.
All in all, I'm really glad to have had the opportunity to explore this country, a bit. It's an amazing place and definitely deserves to be visited without a doubt.
Now, off we go to our very last county in Southeast Asia . . . Vietnam, here we come!!!! :)
L organisation "Khmere Rouge ", c est l histoire du Cambodge. On ne peut pas passer a cote si on visite ce pays. Cela se passa a ma naissance dans les annees 80, des milliers de gens furent tues part cause de certains hommes communistes ayant fait leur etude en France puis revenu dans leur pays pour semer la terreur, pour des raisons encore aussi stupide que leurs idees.
La visite des musees vous fait froid dans le dos, comment des gens pouvaient encore faire des choses comme cela et pourquoi!! Je ne comprendrais jamais cette brutalite gratuite que pouver infliger le peuple a son propre peuple.
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