July 25, 2005
The Killing Fields
(Day 157) I remember in learning about Hitler's Nazis in grade school. The Holocaust, concentration camps, the atrocities that the Jewish population suffered. Never once did I hear about the Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge though, whose heinous extermination of Cambodia's population resulted in over two million deaths. Both are equally tragic, both need to be included in teachers' lesson plans. Covering one and not the other does a huge disservice to our education system.
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Posted by markyiin at 10:09 AM | Comments (6)
July 24, 2005
The Tonle Sap
(Day 156) People had assured me the road conditions to Phnom Penh were paved and in relatively good condition, but with the torturous ride between Poipet and Siem Reap still fresh in my mind, I opted to travel by boat.
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Posted by markyiin at 08:22 AM | Comments (6)
July 22, 2005
The Roluous Group (more temples)
(Day 155) Many people who buy the three day pass opt out of the final day. I can understand why. Scorching heat and strenuous ascents can really become taxing. However, I found the temples irresistable, and had enough left in the tank to see a few more.
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Posted by markyiin at 06:46 AM | Comments (6)
July 21, 2005
More temples...
(Day 154) "Sleep well?" asked Khorn, while I was eating breakfast.
"Yeah. My arm is sore though." The night before, there had been an impromptu arm wrestling tournament, in which the guesthouse's motorbike drivers and guests competed to see who was the most macho. The winner was no other than your M-whY host, taking on and taking down all challengers, including Khorn, who claimed to only lose a few backpackers every year.
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Posted by markyiin at 05:53 AM | Comments (10)
July 20, 2005
The temples of Angkor
Zhou Daguan, a Chinese diplomat, provided the only first hand account of the once powerful Khmer civilization. Arriving in 1296, he travelled the kingdom for over a year, living among and getting to know the local people. In his chronicles The Customs of Cambodia, he writes:
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Posted by markyiin at 02:17 AM | Comments (10)
July 19, 2005
Siem Reap
(Day 152) After a grueling journey, I was in no rush to visit the temples of Angkor. I could take a day to recuperate and orient myself with my new surroundings. I also wanted to check out other guesthouses and tour options. My current guesthouse was located a couple kilometers from all the action, and I was sure I could find a more convenient place to stay at.
Posted by markyiin at 05:10 AM | Comments (4)
July 18, 2005
An epic journey
(Day 151) I've heard so many horror stories about transportation organized by Khao San Road travel agents. Cheap tickets that would eventually get you from Bangkok to Siem Reap, but not without fitting in a nightmare in between. Ridiculously expensive visas. Bags becoming 'lost,' only to resurface with some valuables missing. Broken down vehicles and two hour lunch breaks. Arriving in Siem Reap at a guesthouse who has paid for you to be delivered there, at some ungodly hour at night, so they could intimidate you into staying at an inflated price. Perhaps not all tickets are scams, but I wasn't ready to find out.
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Posted by markyiin at 06:41 AM | Comments (2)