Excited, overwhelmed, thrilled, nervous, exhilarating, and shocking….

Are the words I would use to describe my first day in Cambodia. Now this is Southeast Asia!

Goodness me, I knew what I was getting myself into but it doesn’t make it any less shocking to the system! The first thing I had to do was bargain to get a cheap ‘tuk tuk’ ride from the airport to the hostel. Now for those that don’t know, all drivers have deals with certain guesthouses and try thus try to sell you on the ‘best one.’ I was having none of it. I knew the name of 2 hostels and was keen to see if I could find some backpackers and didn’t want a guesthouse!

Getting to the hostel is a completely different story. Everyone has seen the crazy driving in movies and on tv. But let me tell you… when you have bikes, motos, tuk tuks (I don’t even know if they’re called that here), cyclos, cars, big trucks all vying for the same 1 or 2 lanes it’s a BIT insane! Lanes are not important, horns are. Beep if someone is going to slow or blocking your bit. It’s a case of the bravest and biggest win. To add to the craziness most intersections are a game of chicken. There are some more major intersections with lights (that are mostly followed) that have awesome symbols and count down the time til green/red, respectively. Now I arrived to the capital of Cambodia so that means CITY. If you recall, they aren’t my favorite thing! SMOG, dust and everything was insane! Many drivers of the aforementioned vehicles wear face masks, and I reckon it’s a good idea I start back on my allergy meds!! I had a huge smile on my face the whole ride to the hostel! What and adventure!

After setting my two feet back on solid ground (seriously, I was scared at the start of the ride!) I realized any adventure would have to wait until after a nap! A couple hours later I was refreshed, showered and ready to go with the two girls from my hostel on that adventure! What better way to start my time in Cambodia than visiting the killing fields. We hopped back in a tuk tuk for a 15 km ride South of Phnom Penh which allowed us to see industrial bits, some villages, and day to day life (well, as well as going by it allows).

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a big history buff, but not very up to date about anything in Southeast Asia. I know tid bits of info and stuff I’ve learned/heard over the years but that’s about it. The Choeung Ek Killing fields were used to mass slaughter prisoners in the late 1970s. Children were thrashed against trees and decapitated, men and women were often beaten to save bullets. They got off trucks, blindfolded, silent and often killed right away. Children and women, famous singers/actors/models, or being a foreigner (I believe 9 Australians) would not spare one the cruelty. Walking around the killing fields clothes and bone fragments are still visible in the dirt. A 17 story (I’m drawing a blank on the Buddhist monument name) was built to honour all those who lost their lives. Many of the mass graves were unearthed and the bones are separated by type (female/male/age) of skulls on level 2-10, clothes on 1, and the rest of the bones on 11-17. It was humbling to walk around and be face to face, literally, or so many innocent victims that didn’t have a chance. To realize this was happening the year my brother was born was a bit terrifying. (While not exactly within my lifetime, its only 3 years before I was born.) The only other time I’ve been as humbled was walking through Auschwitz. It really makes me wonder about humans and who we are or claim to be.

We then went to the Genocide (properly named- Tuol Sleng museum) which was a high school before it was turned into a prison. S21 as it was known was where people were kept before taken to the killing fields. Prisoners were tortured and the thoughts were that it was helpful and cheaper to not have to transport and deal with them anymore. What once had been classrooms had obviously hastily been constructed into cells.

After the humbling afternoon I decided to walk around the market down the street. I was on a mission to buy a Cambodian SIM card so I can communicate. On my travels I’ve had some amazing adventures having a local number! Funny fact the hostel owner told me; Cambodia has more cell/mobile phone companies than any other Country in the world. Its shocking to see all the different options I had. There are at least 10 different prefixes (011, 012, 089, etc) that I keep seeing around town. Makes me wonder why such a poor country needs so many mobile phone providers but I guess the competition makes it cheaper? I wandered through the food market, down to the river and up the park in the middle. My stroll brought me to the most bustling, relaxing looking place around sunset. The locals were all out playing badmitton, exercising, or playing a few other games in the park strip that runs across from my hostel.

Unfortunately, right as I was enjoying my stroll I started to feel really unwell. Good old anti-malaria pills got to me… a couple times! I had dinner and a rest to let my tummy settle, read about SEA and decided to write my blogs! This way they are written and when I get Internet connection they can go up, super fast! I know they are way long and probably boring to most. But I thought I’d get back into blogging… for now anyways! Well, sleep beckons as I know at sunup its going to be lively outside my window and I think that’s only 5 hours away… I’m not so sure though seeing as I’m in the Northern Hemisphere now!

Lets see what tomorrow brings!

(Sorry, I KNOW the pics are messed up, loaded on top of each other, etc. I can't go back and fix it.. so just pretend it looks normal! I guess my only option is to do 'no layout' and have them all in one line down the side.)