Monday, January 26, 2015

Phnom Penh ~ Temples and Killing Fields

“In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration.”  
     ~ Ansel Adams


    For us, real travel is the exploration of new experiences!  Of course, there is a certain envy of a Guided River Cruise, or being pampered on a guided safari in the wilds of Africa or other remote places ~ but in truth we enjoy the challenge and even the hardships of independent travel.

This being said - things have gotten much easier with modern technology  -  being able to book rooms on the fly, to Skype with Stuart and Sara as they continue on their own exploration, and even to document our travel with this very blog, yet not knowing what is around the next corner, or connecting with local peoples and other travelers,  or changing destinations on a good tip is really what makes it exciting and rewarding for us.

    After just 10 days in Cambodia - Carol and I have become very enamored with the country.  The people, the history, and the beauty of the countryside make Cambodia a place we feel strongly drawn to.  The people are very friendly and sweet natured. Our encounters with tuk-tuk drivers, hotel and restaurant employees, street hawkers, and even Cambodians who are fellow travelers have been really rewarding ~ people in general are amazing to each other - there is no explaining the complexity of traffic in Phnom Penh, yet is like harmonious chaos - there are no traffic laws. None. and yet there is no angry honking or road rage ~ just hundreds of thousands of motor bikes, scooters, cars, wagons, rickshaws, minivans, buses and pedestrians weaving in a harmonious symphony of traffic.  We have never seen anything like it!

    Along with all the beauty and wonder that one experiences with overseas travel, there is often a glimpse at some of the horror and sadness that is sometimes across the tracks or on the outskirts of a city or in some areas almost omnipresent.
There are three "negative" things you come across in Cambodia.  Their recent history under Pol Pot, widespread poverty, and sanitation/environmentalism.
In this respect the worst of the three is the history of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot.
You have to talk yourself into going to the Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields on the edge of Phnom Penh.  It is one of the darkest spots in human history and yet in our western mindset it has little relevance compared to the horrors of WWII or current atrocities by ISIS.  In any case we came, we saw, we wept.  It is a heart wrenching thing to see and learn about -  but.... that is all part of the human experience and it is important to realize how depraved that have to much power and might can be and how much evil they can unleash on the most powerless.
for those interested:
 http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/pol-pot.htm

OK ~ you still with me?  I won't go on but there will be some pics that try to capture some of that part of our experience in Phnom Penh.

So the Good Experiences??  Phnom Penh has many beautiful temples and the Royal Palace is awe inspiring!  We actually loved the traffic chaos/symphony, we hired the same tuk-tuk driver "Kim" for 3 days & a had a ball with him. The Russian Market.
We had some very good meals  including Luk Lak, Cambodian Soup, Amok, and Grilled Seafood ~ to name a few.  Nothing says "refreshing" like a cold Angkor Beer in the 90 degree heat of the city, and the boulevard along the river is great in the evening.
We even did a sunset cruise on the Mekong our last night there.

Well here come a bunch of photos if you have made it this far.  Right now we are in Kep, Cambodia (more on that next time), and will be going to Vietnam in a few days.

Cheers!  Don and Carol

                                           typical house on stilts on road to Phnom Penh

                       Our driver "Kim" safely negotiating our way through Phnom Penh traffic

                                                5 Photos of the Royal Palace Grounds




                                                           2 guys clowning around


              Our dinner at  Domrei Kitchen near the Royal Palace with our dear friend Cecelia
                                                         Grilled Seafood and Meat Plate

                                              Papaya Salad,  Amok, and Steamed Rice

                                                  May our paths cross again Cecelia!!

                                               some of the many temples in Phnom Penh
 

                                                The Russian Market in South Phnom Penh:




                                                                coconut grinder
Legumes
 
Sunset Boat Cruise on the Mekong and Fishing Village
                                                        Royal Palace from the River






         Across the River from Phnom Penh is a permanent Fishing Village

Contrast in Economy

5 comments:

  1. So... 2 things about this blog: the typo (with the correction below in caps) and by some weird happenstance ~ all the pics of the Genocide Museum and the Killing Field ~ disappeared off of our cameras!!!! Spooky!
    the typo corrected:
    ~but.... that is all part of the human experience and it is important to realize how depraved PEOPLE CAN BE, that have too much power and might, and how much evil they can unleash on the most powerless.

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  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNwC0sp-uA4&x-yt-ts=1421914688&x-yt-cl=84503534#t=119

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  3. Killing Fields, no thank you, EVER! I could not even drive by the holocaust museum in DC, had to take an alternative route! Other than that your trip is so wonderful as are you. Your photos are incredible, especially fond of the clowns on a bike in the midst of all of that awesomeness! LOVE

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  4. Just awesome! Anne and I would never consider an adventure such as the one you and Carol have undertaken. No hair dyer, bathtub, uncertainly, someone to tell us where to be and when, language, 40 pounds of luggage each, food tasters, need comforts of home?...just dial the front desk...and most of all the length of the trip. Our wiring would overload and we would be left stranded by the roadway or path staring at each other wondering how long it would take a tut tut to get us home. I want the first copy of your book when you get home. (count me out on the killing field and the holocaust museum..could not even watch Schindlers list and it was a movie)....Enjoy!....

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