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Cambodia is such a lovely country but has such a grim history full of genocide. As we travelled through Cambodia we learnt more about what really happened and how it affected the Khmer people. In short, a educated man (who studied in France) known as Pol Pot took over and caused savage cruelty. Pol Pot is responsible for over three million Khmer deaths. Although this happened merely thirty years ago the people do not act as victims. On the contrary, Khmer people are the nicest citizens we have come across in South East Asia so far.
Kratie, the first town we visited, is known to tourist to have the best sunset along the Mekong river. After a very bumpy bus ride from Laos we arrived to find that there were very few tourists here. One day we hired a Tuk Tuk driver to see the few tourists sites in Kratie to visit. Along the way, we stopped at our driver's house so he could invite us in to share rice and water with him and his family. Although, his family spoke no english what so ever it was great to be invited into a Khmer home and socialise with local people.
As we continued on the road to see the Mekong dolphins we travelled down a very poor dirt track. Most homes were simply bamboo shacks with flax roofs. As we drove past we stuck out like dogs balls because we were the only white people around. The locals were waving and smiling at us making us feel very welcome in their small village. We were beginning to appreciate the kind nature of the Khmer people despite their poverty. It was great to get off the beaten track and experience the real Cambodia. Our next destination Siem Reap was completely different.
Siem Reap is famous for the temples of Angkor. Angkor Wat temple is Cambodia's pride and joy as it is plastered everywhere around the country including Cambodian's flag. There is also an Ankgor beer which Owen and I consumed a lot of which isn't a bad drop. When we arrived in Siem Reap we were stunned by how touristy the place is. The place resembled a mini Phuket where tourists go to see the seventh wonder of the world. The town is buzzing with pubs, restaurants and hotels all catering for visitors.
It took Owen and I several attempts to find an economical place to stay. After four attempts we finally found a place that met our budget and was nice enough to spend a few nights. Once again the people that were running it were lovely and where super helpful.
There are hundreds of temples in the Siem Reap province so we thought it would be great to see more than just Angkor Wat. Also, the Lonely Planet says "shame on you" if you not spend more than one day looking at them. So we brought a three day pass and hired an english speaking tuk tuk driver and off we went. The temples were built around the first half of the 12th century (113-5BC) so they are pretty old to say the least. My favourite one was Ta Prohm temple where massive trees grow over the temple itself. It is also where they filmed one of the Tomb Raider movies.
After spending two days looking and learning about the hertiage of the temples we were all templed out so we decided to go to the war museum. We hired a guide to take us around and tell us about the history of the Khmer Rouge. He told us his terrifying story about how the war has affected his life.
It began when he was ten years old when his whole family were murdered by the Khmer Rouge. After this he was forced to join the military and fight for the Khmer Rouge. This child was given a AK47 and told to shoot as many enemies as he could. Whilst fighting, he watched many friends get killed, lost his leg to a mine, lost his sight in one eye from another mine and was shot three times. He said to us " all he knows is war". As we moved through the museum he showed us a tank that had the soles of shoes inside. Accordingly, these belonged to a man who had been blown up inside. The temperature inside was so hot that the shoes melted inside the tank and still remain there.
Next stop was the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. We spent three days here looking around the markets, visiting the killing fields and S21 prison. The city itself is a typical dirty place that resembles Bangkok ten years ago. The killing fields were moving where once again we learnt about what happened during the Khmer Rouge. When you arrive you are given head phones to hear the history of what happened at this particular site. Afterwards we came back to our hostel, met some Aussies and had a few more Ankgor beers.
After Phnom Penh, we moved on to Sihanoukville on the coast of Cambodia. The wet season finally caught up to us because it was raining most of the time we were here. We decided to go to Koh Rong island which is a two hour boat trip from Sihanoukville. This island is beautiful! The beaches are gorgeous. We meet so many other kiwi tourists here and made some really good friends. Randomly, one group of kiwis turned out to be my cousins close friends! We spent a week here enjoying the cheap beer and enjoying the company of fellow New Zealanders. Furthermore, we volunteered our time building a school for the local children on the island.
Cambodia would be the poorest and most undeveloped country we have been to in South East Asia and because of this there is quite a lot of thief. Unfortunately, our camera was stolen so we lost the majority of our photos. We learnt the hard way that you have to take or lock up all your valuables everywhere you go even if it is in your own room. However, the people are always willing to help you the best they can (despite the language barriers) and always have broad smiles on their faces. Cambodia has to be one of my favourite places so far.
Next stop, Vietnam!!
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