Cambodia

After 7 nights in Vietnam we took a short hop across to Phnom Penh, Cambodia which is a big sprawling city.

We went to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (no photos allowed which is the right, respectful thing)  💔 which was educational, challenging and chilling – the Khmer Rouge (KR) regime put to death nearly two million Cambodians in the late 1970’s – that’s only one generation ago.

Our tuk-tuk driver had simply told us he had no family because his parent were teachers. He said no more because in his world that is self-explanatory – the KR having killed anyone of intellect or education.

I could easily have been one of those rounded up and killed either for being an artist or for wearing glasses (a sign of being an intellectual to the KR) people were killed for no reason at all.

It’s shocking it happened, was allowed to go on and that we still don’t reference it on a world stage to the extend that we can turn up in the country and learn the depth and modern-day reality of it.

There’s a faded sobriety here and it seems fitting while the older generation live through remembering the horrors of the past and the young work to develop the future. It will always have a special place in my heart.

We moved across to Siem Reap so that we could visit the magical Ankor Wat.

Starting at sunrise we toured all the hot spots including Ta Phrom the ‘tomb raider’ one.

These guys came off badly when Thailand invaded and took some away to sell.

Everyone’s had a piece of Cambodia – I wish the loving, peaceful Cambodians all the luck, magic and resources to rebuild their country, their civil rights and their economy and standard of living.  Go visit – they need your tourism and have a lot to offer.