Journey to the land of the khmer Part 1

Back from Cambodia! With kinda sucks really since things were really fun over there with Brad, Joe and Max.
But now my splendid vacation is over, its time to brace myself for my LAST semester in INTI which hopefully will be very very memorable.....(and then i'll have to leave which always sucks.... leaving places and people sucks... it sucks sucks sucks....now i'm bummed)

Anyways, basically first day, stepped my first step in Cambodia and had quite a favourable impression since they did have an impressive arrival hall that was designed in Cambodian architecture. We gt stuck with the taxi driver we were with who wouldn't go away after persisting that we needed him (he tried to ditch him 3 times). however, we did get to see Ankor Thom and the Bayon and then it back to our 18usd hotel.
Next day was a visit to the outskirts of the Ankorian temples and we finished the grand temple tour with a magnificent tour of Ankor Wat. now this baby is HUGE... photos do not do it justice and i was totally not what I'd expected (damn Tomb Raider movies ruined that). Breathtaking is the word for it. The same night, we hit the Ankor What? bar for many many drinks. Also i had a slice of happy pizza (ask me.....;) )
Then it was a 5hour bus ride to Phnom Penh which was quite a sight. This time we settled for a 10usd hotel which was conveniently located next to a bar owned by a French lady who smoked pot and drank all night. (Crazy French people!)
Of course, this meant spending at least ONE wild night of drinking... which happened....(explained in the previous post). Someone got drunk and started doing wild things..(hahha)
Course we did get to visit all the other Phnom Penh sites such as the killing fields, Wat phnom, the river front, the Central and Russian market. Kinda cool. We all got a massage....hey hey.... i'm not going to post details here....
And today... went fo a bit of shopping and got myself the Hard Rock Cafe Phnom Penh shirt. Then my last meal (Cambodian food is the shit!) at the river front then its off to the airport
Now i'm back in Malaysia... kinda bummed since the trip was really fun...

Anyways, the history of Cambodia is bleak, filled with political and social turmoil when Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge forces tore up the entire country in a highly controversial social experiment where the Cambodians were marched into the rural fields and forced to undergo hours and hours of manual labour with little or no food. Mass executions were carried out and intellects and government officials were rounded up and shot. It was a social reform of significant proportions that turned the land of Cambodia into a dangerous, inhospitable land to be in.
However, after the downfall of the Khmer Rouge, the people nowadays are still smiling. Despite suffering from destitution and living in conditions with poor sanitary and educational facilities, the people are still friendly and helpful; surely an arduous task given their terrible history. However, victims of the unstable economy can be seen from the concrete streets of Phnom Penh to the rural villages of Siem Reap. This is understandable since tourism is such a big source of national income and presents innumerable opportunities for the people. I sincerely hope that conditions improve and education takes center stage among the government's priorities, and the eyes of the Cambodians will smile in sync with the mouths on their faces.

Labels: Events, Updates

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Exclamation_popcorn reflected on life at 9:51 PM