"IT'S A FREE FOR ALL MAN"
Oh yes, the land of Cambo has its ups and down and mix that with a hint of anarchy combined with non existent laws, add a spice of chaos of Phnom Phen and what do you get:
"IT'S A FREE FOR ALL MAN" as Tim would state every now and then. It is really a contrast between old and new considering the recent historical events in Cambodia. The people of this scorched land are some of the friendliest you will meet in the world as well some of the poorest. The countryside is filled with amazing souls greeting strangers on bicycles with friendly 'Hellos' and 'Good byes'.
Within cities a darker side comes to mind. The hordes of prostitutes tend to attack tourists 24 hours a day and people with missing limbs are a frequent sight. The constant harassment of motorcycle (moto) drivers offering lifts, ganja, massage and boom-booms can get a bit annoying at times, but hey "IT'S A FREE FOR ALL MAN" and everybody is trying to make a living, no matter what it takes. Traffic on the streets is something you have to get used to. You are being attacked from all directions and there are no road rules as well there's no road rage. Imagine pickup trucks driving on the wrong side of the road, moving aside hordes of motorbikes, bicycles and cars. Making a turn or going through an intersection is a life and death situation every time, you see an opening and essentially you just go for it, otherwise you get stuck in the middle of the intersection.
On the brighter side a huge German Shepard tried to take a bite out of my ass the other day. I was strolling along casually when the dog jumped and tried to bite into my buttock. Fortunately it was on a leash and it barely scraped my skin, I think I'll hold off on a rabies shot. Figures, dogs can not get me when I'm on a bike but they go after me when I'm walking.
Today I visited 'The killing fields' outside of Phnom Phen. The gruesome site of thousand murdered souls during the Pol Pot era (total genocide figure is quoted around 2M people, although the number is speculative). Having some stomach problems from drinking too many Red Bulls a couple of nights before, the sights of thousands of skull and bones sticking out of mass graves made me feel nauseous and rather sick to my stomach. Cindy mentioned that one thing which really puzzles her is how so king and beautiful people could be driven to such atrocities, I couldn't not agree more. But somehow I get the feeling that the genocide is slowly being forgotten, especially by the younger generations who seem to be more interested in fashion, computers and motorbikes. There's a feeling that the country is getting better and there are plenty of signs pointing to that.
We’re heading south to the beach tomorrow to relax from Phnom Phen for a couple of days, I know tough life. Since it is the new year I wish everybody good luck and may all of your wishes come true. Let’s hope that 2005 will be kinder to the human race than 2004 was.
Signing off from Cambodia.
Robert
"IT'S A FREE FOR ALL MAN" as Tim would state every now and then. It is really a contrast between old and new considering the recent historical events in Cambodia. The people of this scorched land are some of the friendliest you will meet in the world as well some of the poorest. The countryside is filled with amazing souls greeting strangers on bicycles with friendly 'Hellos' and 'Good byes'.
Within cities a darker side comes to mind. The hordes of prostitutes tend to attack tourists 24 hours a day and people with missing limbs are a frequent sight. The constant harassment of motorcycle (moto) drivers offering lifts, ganja, massage and boom-booms can get a bit annoying at times, but hey "IT'S A FREE FOR ALL MAN" and everybody is trying to make a living, no matter what it takes. Traffic on the streets is something you have to get used to. You are being attacked from all directions and there are no road rules as well there's no road rage. Imagine pickup trucks driving on the wrong side of the road, moving aside hordes of motorbikes, bicycles and cars. Making a turn or going through an intersection is a life and death situation every time, you see an opening and essentially you just go for it, otherwise you get stuck in the middle of the intersection.
On the brighter side a huge German Shepard tried to take a bite out of my ass the other day. I was strolling along casually when the dog jumped and tried to bite into my buttock. Fortunately it was on a leash and it barely scraped my skin, I think I'll hold off on a rabies shot. Figures, dogs can not get me when I'm on a bike but they go after me when I'm walking.
Today I visited 'The killing fields' outside of Phnom Phen. The gruesome site of thousand murdered souls during the Pol Pot era (total genocide figure is quoted around 2M people, although the number is speculative). Having some stomach problems from drinking too many Red Bulls a couple of nights before, the sights of thousands of skull and bones sticking out of mass graves made me feel nauseous and rather sick to my stomach. Cindy mentioned that one thing which really puzzles her is how so king and beautiful people could be driven to such atrocities, I couldn't not agree more. But somehow I get the feeling that the genocide is slowly being forgotten, especially by the younger generations who seem to be more interested in fashion, computers and motorbikes. There's a feeling that the country is getting better and there are plenty of signs pointing to that.
We’re heading south to the beach tomorrow to relax from Phnom Phen for a couple of days, I know tough life. Since it is the new year I wish everybody good luck and may all of your wishes come true. Let’s hope that 2005 will be kinder to the human race than 2004 was.
Signing off from Cambodia.
Robert
posted by Rob at 11:22 PM
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