Cambodia' s rain and sunshine
Door: Stephanie
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Stéphanie
04 Juli 2009 | Cambodja, Phnom-Penh
Although I already got acquainted with the rain season in the south of Vietnam, Cambodia's rain season was more like I expected a rain season to be: thunderstorm and a lot of heavy rain for just 10 minutes or for a couple of hours, once a day :)
I was lucky it always happened when I was somewhere inside. One day I was enjoying lunch in a place higher than streetlevel and watched everybody on their motorcycle starting to change themselves into colourful raincoats until the wind gave me an unexpected shower inside the building because I was sitting by an open window :)
Having been told not to walk alone late at night In Phnom Penh , I arrived there at exactly that time! So I couldn’t avoid walking alone through some dark streets where I only met helpful people. I found a nice room with TV and private bathroom for 5 dollars! Most of the time you pay with US dollars in Cambodia, so it is not in the US but in Cambodia that I received the first dollars in my life.
In Phnom Penh I went to Choeung Ek, one of the killing fields, where you can see and feel the hidden tears of Cambodia, caused by Poll Pots regime.
A man, who had been a monk and studied at different universities for a long time decided to create a purely agrarian-based Communist society in order to make everybody similar: no difference between the people in all aspects of life. If you were not like he wanted people to be, you ended up in jail (Toul Sleng known in Phnom Penh) to be killed sooner or later in a more inhuman way than happened during the WOII. This is called the Khmer Rouge period (1975 to 1979).
During this regime it was not allowed to:
1. live together as a family: children were separated from there parents
2. love somebody: couples were split up
3. have fun: forbidden to laugh
4. give or to receive, and so, and so on
I talked with some young Cambodians between the age of 25 – 30 years; born at the end or soon after this period. Some where not used to talk about it, others told me everything. They had heard what happened from their parents. One thing I was surprised about: they learnt at school about this period, but right now schools ignore the whole Khmer Rouge period in their history lessons.
After Phnom Penh and a small fisher- and coast -village named Koh kong, I went to Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat. In one day by tuk tuk, I saw the most important wats in this huge area, from the most famous Angkor wat to the one which features in different movies. I also visited some temples which were more of a ruin than a temple if you ask me. But it is amazing how some old, ancient, chaotic and broken stones can be so impressive and give you a peaceful feeling at the same time (see the pictures).
Cambodian people whose income depend on tourists like tuk tuk drivers or motor bikers are so enthusiastic they drove me crazy. Hardly turned a corner when they started yelling “you need tuk tuk?” and repeated this continuously so that it was almost like walking on a chicken farm!
The morning of my departure to my 'hometown’ Bangkok, I was for one moment not sure anymore to arrive at the right destination. The pick up service didn’t want to pay the fine he got from the police for parking his car 3 minutes in front of the guesthouse (where parking was not allowed!!). The truck that came to tow the car away came closer and closer to his car while I was still sitting inside it (and hoping to arrive the same day in Bangkok) until the driver finally paid the fine with the help of some donations from others (friends?) who had been watching the situation on the sidewalk. And me, I came on time to catch my bus and arrived in Bangkok, approx. 6 hours later :)
pictures tomorrow 5/7/2009 :)
I was lucky it always happened when I was somewhere inside. One day I was enjoying lunch in a place higher than streetlevel and watched everybody on their motorcycle starting to change themselves into colourful raincoats until the wind gave me an unexpected shower inside the building because I was sitting by an open window :)
Having been told not to walk alone late at night In Phnom Penh , I arrived there at exactly that time! So I couldn’t avoid walking alone through some dark streets where I only met helpful people. I found a nice room with TV and private bathroom for 5 dollars! Most of the time you pay with US dollars in Cambodia, so it is not in the US but in Cambodia that I received the first dollars in my life.
In Phnom Penh I went to Choeung Ek, one of the killing fields, where you can see and feel the hidden tears of Cambodia, caused by Poll Pots regime.
A man, who had been a monk and studied at different universities for a long time decided to create a purely agrarian-based Communist society in order to make everybody similar: no difference between the people in all aspects of life. If you were not like he wanted people to be, you ended up in jail (Toul Sleng known in Phnom Penh) to be killed sooner or later in a more inhuman way than happened during the WOII. This is called the Khmer Rouge period (1975 to 1979).
During this regime it was not allowed to:
1. live together as a family: children were separated from there parents
2. love somebody: couples were split up
3. have fun: forbidden to laugh
4. give or to receive, and so, and so on
I talked with some young Cambodians between the age of 25 – 30 years; born at the end or soon after this period. Some where not used to talk about it, others told me everything. They had heard what happened from their parents. One thing I was surprised about: they learnt at school about this period, but right now schools ignore the whole Khmer Rouge period in their history lessons.
After Phnom Penh and a small fisher- and coast -village named Koh kong, I went to Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat. In one day by tuk tuk, I saw the most important wats in this huge area, from the most famous Angkor wat to the one which features in different movies. I also visited some temples which were more of a ruin than a temple if you ask me. But it is amazing how some old, ancient, chaotic and broken stones can be so impressive and give you a peaceful feeling at the same time (see the pictures).
Cambodian people whose income depend on tourists like tuk tuk drivers or motor bikers are so enthusiastic they drove me crazy. Hardly turned a corner when they started yelling “you need tuk tuk?” and repeated this continuously so that it was almost like walking on a chicken farm!
The morning of my departure to my 'hometown’ Bangkok, I was for one moment not sure anymore to arrive at the right destination. The pick up service didn’t want to pay the fine he got from the police for parking his car 3 minutes in front of the guesthouse (where parking was not allowed!!). The truck that came to tow the car away came closer and closer to his car while I was still sitting inside it (and hoping to arrive the same day in Bangkok) until the driver finally paid the fine with the help of some donations from others (friends?) who had been watching the situation on the sidewalk. And me, I came on time to catch my bus and arrived in Bangkok, approx. 6 hours later :)
pictures tomorrow 5/7/2009 :)
-
04 Juli 2009 - 19:31
Charles & Maria :
Lieve Stephanie
Hartelijk gefeliciteerd met je geboortedag ,een fijne dag gewenst en geniet nog van jou bijzonder leerzame avondtuurlijke reis,
tot ziens, en natuurlijk
gezond en wel thuis komen!!!
Liefs en een dikke knuffel van Maria en Charles. -
04 Juli 2009 - 23:40
Erik :
Dag Stephanie,
Hartelijk gefeliciteerd!
Nog vele jaren met verre reizen gewenst en een fijne dag met zo min mogelijk regen.
Groet,
Erik -
05 Juli 2009 - 14:41
Nicole En Michel:
Dag Stéphanie!
We wensen je een fijne verjaardag! Wie had 26 jaar geleden kunnen denken dat je je nu zo ver van Nederland zou bevinden! Geniet volop van deze leerrijke reis en tot ziens!
Nicole en Michel uit Korbeek-Lo -
05 Juli 2009 - 15:57
Stephanie En Jeroen:
hi steph,
gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag. deze dag kon niet voorbij gaan zonder iets van ons te laten horen. zo te zien en te horen heb je het nog reuze naar je zin daar in azie? daar zijn we erg blij om. maar ik persoonlijk (steph) vindt het ook weer leuk als je weer hier bent. nog veel plezier voor de laatste maand dat je daar nog bent. veel liefst, knuffels en kusjes
xoxo
stephanie en jeroen -
05 Juli 2009 - 19:18
Gerard & Brigitte:
Lieve Stephanie,
Nogmaals van harte!Geweldig, zoals je ons allemaal op de hoogte houdt van je reis. Geniet van je laatste weken daar!! Veel liefs, G&B -
06 Juli 2009 - 09:42
Michel:
Stéphanie,
Tout au long de ton périple tu m'as habitué à des surprises mais celle du serpent à ton menu en Indonésie !!!!!
Je ne sais pas si tu pourras continuer ce régime en Europe.... à suivre
Bises
Michel -
06 Juli 2009 - 20:28
Laura:
Hoi Stephanie,
Gefeliciteerd nog met je verjaardag gisteren. Fijn dat je het nog altijd zo goed naar je zin hebt. Het is een machtig interessante reis als ik het zo lees. Kom je nog terug denk je, of blijf je liefst zo lang mogelijk weg?
Nou, geniet maar weer verder.
groetjes Laura -
07 Juli 2009 - 08:04
Karin:
Hoi Stephanie,
Ik ben een beetje te laat, maar alsnog van harte gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag. Geniet er nog maar even van de laatste paar weken!
Gr. Karin (& Patrick) -
08 Juli 2009 - 07:42
Yvette:
Lieve Stephanie,
Ook een beetje laat, maar nog van harte gefeliciteerd!! Nog heel veel plezier gewenst de laatste maand!
Liefs Yvette -
12 Juli 2009 - 09:53
Leonie:
Ik geniet toch elke keer weer van het lezen van je verhalen :)
Leuk dat je er ook wat informatiefs in hebt gezet ;)
Veel plezier!
Kusjes -
12 Augustus 2009 - 14:01
Supat Sutti:
04 juli om 22:30
Happy birth day steph.. I wish you happy birthday ;P
-
12 Augustus 2009 - 14:03
Zorica:
06 juli om 4:42
happy birthday dear! all the best and lots of great adventures!
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