Reflection and some pictures from Cambodia

So tonight is my last in the Kingdom of Cambodia. Tomorrow, Brad and I head to Chau Doc and hopefully all the way to Cantho on the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Then after some floating market browsing we will head up to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)) where we have a couchsurfer lined up. The plan is still to try to buy motos and drive them up the dragon's spine of the countryside but truthfully this plan is in jeopardy due to finances. I'll let you know how it ends up.

Since my last textual post, I headed south to Sihanoukville on the beach on the Gulf of Thailand. There I met Brad who left BFC while I went trekking, and Dave Cook, a friend of mine who studied abroad in Siena with me over two years ago. Dave is now teaching English in Beijing and convinced a friend of his, Jimmy, to take a 6 week tour of Southeast Asia with him.

The four of us spent a couple days lazing on the beach and drinking at night. One night got a little out of hand but that story will not be told here.

Brad and I came back to Phnom Penh two days ago and have been exploring the city since. There is a horrible recent history to this beautiful country and this is exemplified in the chilling Tuol Sleng (S-21) Genocide Museum. This former high school was transformed into a prison of torture and death by the Khmer Rouge from 1975-1979. From here thousands of innocent people, and entire families of men, women and children, even babies, were kept and tortured until their final trip outside the city to the infamous Killing Fields. It has been estimated that more than 1,000,000 people were murdered by the regime during its short reign and the country is still recovering from the terror and devastation of their rule.

Cambodia has been an incredibly diverse place to visit in the last 3 weeks. I never would have expected this from such a small country, nor the fact that I really enjoyed myself and even see myself spending some time here working for a non-profit or even somewhere in the metropolis capital. I never would have thought this before coming here, but I might just end up coming back to this varied nation. However, with the way that development of tourism has been going, I'm not sure that BFC won't be lost forever. Too bad.


PICTURES!!!




Roadside in Phnom Penh.

View from my lakeside guest house, Phnom Penh.

Best shower in the Kingdom.

Enjoying a waterfall swim with my Dutch friends on our jungle trek.

It can get a little dusty in this region of Cambodia.

Ready to go for a spin on my moto!

Taking a swing into the waterfall pool near Ban Lung

Me Tarzan, you Jane.

Enjoying the Cambodian Jungle. Yes my skin is that white and my eyes that blue.


Thats me on my moto ride to BFC.