Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
We have had an incredible and moving time over the last 2 days. We left Siem Reap and travelled by "speedboat" (more like a small fishing boat) for five and a half hours over rivers and lake. We passed floating village after floating village, where everything is built on bamboo floats - schools, shops houses cafes, garages floating and moving shops. The level of the water rises by 3-5m after the rains so buildings just rise with the river. People waved and shouted hello as we passed, everyone is happy a friendly - which is quite remarkable given the history of the country. Then we were taken by motorcycle to a refuge for poor families of victims of rape/domestic violence. The charitable organisation was very well run and teaches the victims new skills that will enable them to make a living when they leave the place after 1 year. Some of the stories we heard were quite disturbing. We were given a dance performance by the young children and felt a bit like royalty.
Today we spent the whole day visiting the countryside by motorcycle. We visited one of the 5000 monastries in the country, a village distillery (yes the rice gin was excellent but a bit strong for me!), a school that was being rebuilt from bamboo before the rains started and a bat colony. The most unforgettable was the site of the killing mountain - a set of caves set by a monastry of special holy significance, where atrocities were commited during the Pol Pott regime 1975-79. Local people were tortured in the monastry which aslo served as a concentration camp, the caves saw the death of thousands who were hit on the head with a bamboo cane and pushed into the cave to die. Both our guides were children and forced to work in the killing fields, both lost parents and siblings- their accounts were harrowing. Both have met one of Pol Potts ruling group (3 are still alive and living a very wealthy life) but their religion stopped them taking revenge. Very very moving.
Our return to town was uplifting and enjoyable - by bamboo train, a bamboo platform suspended over two ex-tank wheels and powered by a small lawn mower motor. We sat on the front laughing as we sped along about 30mph. 12 inches above 100 year old warped colonial french railway track!! We were covered in red mud dust.
- comments