ChinaTeacher

Today I hired a motodop (motorcycle guy) to take me to Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (otherwise known as the “Killing Fields”) which are located some 20km from Phnom Penh. It was here that the prisoners from Tuol Sleng Prison were taken, and then bludgeoned to death (they didn’t want to waste any bullets!). Fragments of human bone and bits of cloth still lie scattered around the mass graves, right where we were walking!  I even found a tooth lying on the ground!  I was shocked to learn that they don’t protect these areas – the bones can be easily seen, just lying in the dirt where we walked.  It was rather horrid actually. The government erected a Memorial Stupa here in 1988 which contains over 8,000 human sculls, visible behind clear glass panels. While some remains were exhumed from the mass graves, many communal graves have been left untouched; that means the bodies (skeletons) are still there. It is however quite a beautiful and quiet countryside location – it’s hard to believe such cruel and inhumane activities took place there.

My guide asked if I would like to go to a shooting range – I thought, why not?! Upon our arrival I was shown a menu (similar to a restaurant menu) of the various types of guns and grenades, rocket launchers, etc. to choose from – each one with a different price of course.  For additional easy reference, many of the guns and ammunition were displayed on the walls. For USD 13, I was permitted to shoot off one magazine (8 bullets) from a Colt 45. We headed into a brick building where a target was set up for me to practice on.  The distance was quite great, so we actually walked halfway down towards the target (not that it helped much!). The handgun was heavier than expected. When I pressed the trigger for that first time, the ‘kick-back’ really shocked me! Every time I took a shot, the man said – again, again!  But, I wanted time to ‘recover’ from each shot and time to line it up on the target again. After all that, I hit absolutely nothing! Given more time to concentrate, I am sure I could have figured out how to make up for the kick-back action and actually hit that damn target. But, to be honest, I really didn’t like shooting that gun at all. I will just chalk it all down to experience.  

We then drove around the countryside for 1-2 hours so I could get an idea of what rural Cambodia is like. The poverty and filth is quite unlike anything I have ever seen, even in China! But the natural beauty of the scenery is quite breathtaking. We passed vibrant green rice fields under blue skies, and saw lots of ‘skinny’ white cows (with their ribs showing and flesh hanging off their bodies), and deeply tanned children (stark naked), laughing and playing all the while. (I don’t have any pictures of the countryside because my camera died – I hope I can get it working by the time I get to Angkor Wat!). Tomorrow I am headed off to Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat, on a 7 hour bus ride. I wanted to take a boat up the river, but despite the rainy seaon there doesn’t appear to be enough water right now. Too bad.

Actually, the bus ride was really nice.  Uniformed personnel checked everyone in and we boarded the bus 15 minutes ahead of schedule.  It even had a bathroom onboard!  My seat was comfortable and even had ample legroom!  We left right on schedule and shortly thereafter the attendant handed out bottles of water and snacks for everyone.  All this for just USD 10!  For the next 7 hours I got to enjoy the passing scenery.  At times I even thought this could be Africa – the landscape is quite flat and dotted with extremely tall palm trees all the way.  I saw many varieties of stilt homes and am amazed at what the local people live in.  I have seen similar homes in the Caribbean but each one usually has a tv antenna sticking out of the roof, along with electricity – these don’t.

I am now in the city of Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat!  I didn’t like the guesthouse I found myself in yesterday, so am delighted to announce that I have found one right in the middle of town!  Location is everything for me, especially when I am travelling alone.  I am currently on a touristy street which has everything from internet, cafes, massage shops, etc.  I won’t have to worry about taking waving down a motodop to get home each day, and can come and go as I please!

 

Tags: Travel

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 23rd, 2006 at 2:00 am and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.