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Ok so my last day in Vietnam was one that I would rather forget after a dose of food poisoning left me sick all night. I therefore had to be up for my flight the next day feeling less than pretty and looking extreamly rough to say the least! I was a state but luckely the flight was only 45mins so I was back on land before I knew it in the boardering country of Cambodia. I put the dodgy stomach down to tuna sandwich of all things but who knows! Rachels flight landed an hour after mine so waited for her at the airport then we took the taxi back to the hotel. Its good to see the little poppet and we were soon catching up after a month or so apart. We had dinner at the hotel...well she did and I wasnt up for solids at this point and I was out for the count.
The next day we headed out to the markets, checking out the central market and the Russian market. I am slightly marketed out from my shopping spree in Vietnam so we juct browsed. We go back to the Royal Palace to see the magnificant building. The architechture and structures of this place are amazing and very grand. It was all going very well untill we sat down to have a minute and seemed to draw a crowd. A monk...yes monk then approached asking if he could have a photo with us. All very strange as I thought that you were not supposed to take photos of monks but there he was asking us for a photo. I couldnt tell you why unless they dont see many blonde girls around but I agreed all the same. After several other tourists then asked for us to join them in a photo I started to feel a little violated and that maybe we should charge for this service! We made a swift exit all the same feeling very confused as to what the hell had just happened.
On our next day in phnom pehn we hire the Tuk Tuk driver (our sam) to take us to a couple of sights in the area. The first being the Killing fields. All very somber we turn up to see the monument dedicated to remember the victims that died in the hands of the Khmer Rouge those 30 or so years ago. For those who dont know the turbulent history of Cambodia they had a very rough ride in the hands of this party as they tried to turn Cambodia into a Democratic state, with the emphasis on cutting all ties and influences from the ''óutside world' Their radical and barbaric scheme was therefore to irradicate any people who would pose a threat to this manouver meaning that a third of the population was wiped out in a mass genocide. The killing fields show the mass graves in which the bodies of those bludgened to death were buried and the monument in the centre of the place holds the bones and skulls of the graves after they were dug up. I suppose it could be likened to Hitlers regime and demonstrates the evil that can be extended to this very peacfull and beutifull country. The next place on route was to see another eye opening encounter into this very sad time in cambodia as we stopped off at what was once a school before it was changed to a prison for the purpose of the Khmer Rouge, S21. The classrooms were turned to cells and blocks into torture cells to interogate prisoners. From witness storied the conditions were horific and torture was used to try to obtain information from prisoners before they were probably sent to a killing field. Its all very sad and horrific and is hard to comprahend how such maddness went on. Its history that should be learned just so the same brain washing episodes and mistakes are not made again. Very sad things to see. I will leave my blog on that note, sorry to be depressing and will fill you in with my further adventures soon, lets hope its on a happier note!
Love lots xxxxx
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