Change of scenery

Today marks my last day in SE Asia.  After close to 2.5 months in SE Asia, I'm moving to a time zone closer to you.  Next stop, Amman, Jordan!  Yahooooo! 

Sunrise at Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Let's do a quick recap of my last 2 weeks or so as it ended up being quite hectic (mainly thanks to my root canal procedure putting me behind schedule).  Because of my rushed schedule, I spent about 2-3 days in each of the following places: Ho Chi Minh/Saigon, Phnom Penh (Cambodia), and Siem Reap (Cambodia).  Average travel time on buses between each city - 8 hours.  Including all the sights, all the travelling, I managed to pack in quite a lot.  Some of you may have already seen the Cambodia pictures I posted on-line.  I believe some of them deserve a bit more explanation.  I was extremely captivated by the Cambodian people and their recent history.  I'm certain many of you have heard of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.  In 1975, Pol Pot and his regime established power in Cambodia.  Their mission: to rebuild Cambodia and take it back to "year zero."  In order to do this, they essentially went to war against everyone in the country and conducted a mass genocide nearly everyone.  Educated persons, foreigners, religious affiliated, etc. etc.  In less than 4 years of being in power (1975-1979) some 2-3 million died (murder, starvation, worked to death, etc).  A truly horrific time for the people of Cambodia.  The atrocities conducted by Pol Pot and those under him are almost unspeakable.  I visited 2 sites in Cambodia that brought me face to face with this hell on Earth.  In Phnom Penh (the Capital of Cambodia), a prison was set up called Tuol Sleng, or more commonly known as S-21.  Approximately 20,000 people were admitted to this prison.  Interrogated and tortured for confessions of their crimes nearly everyone who went to the prison never made it out.  Only 7 people survived.  Many of such prisoners were taken outside to what have been dubbed as the "killing fields."  Here, Khmer Rouge soldiers executed and murdered 1,000's of people and disposed of them into mass graves. I also visited this site.  I cannot express the profound impact both of these places had on me.  It's heartwrenching to know such events came to pass.  When walking around the killing fields, there are still pieces of clothing on the ground that has resurfaced from beneath the earth after floods.  There are also small pieces of bones and teeth still littering some of the area.  This realization hit me like a ton of bricks.  I couldn't take it anymore.  Both of these places weighed heavily on my heart.  My mind simply cannot fathom how a group of men and women could believe doing such things were a good idea.  I understand how people under the regime carried out orders in fear of their owns lives - but as for the people on top who made the commands - this I do not understand.  I learned a lot in Cambodia, but I still have much to learn.

Prison cell inside S-21, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

In spite of this devastating time, the Cambodia people never ceased to impress me with their happiness and quick smiles.  The average age for a Cambodian person is 23.  It's a bit strange to hardly see any older people.  Cambodia is an extremely fascinating place that I can't express in words.  Poverty, trash, "interesting" smells, new shopping malls filled with black market items, modern hotels being built, and a tenacious population of people with open hearts and smiles that make you feel welcome.  The have and have nots are very apparent, especially when you spot the occasional land cruiser going down the street in Phnom Penh.  I only spent 5 days in Cambodia.  Not nearly enough time.  There's so much more I want to share, but don't have the time at the moment.  I'll end my discussion of Cambodia with an interesting thing I was told by an expat living in Siem Reap.  For $100, you can shoot an RPG at a cow.  Things like this just give you the impression that you are in the wild west where the law is established by the amount of money you have.  No, I did not shoot an RPG at a cow.

Ta Keo Temple around the Angkor Wat area. 

I hope the New Year is treating everyone well so far.  Oh, and quick update about the root canal. I survived.  Things seem to be in working order.  Hopefully I won't have any other problems while I travel.  Just 4 more months - where has the time gone?