Day 5..Phnom Penh
As we relaxed and prepared to turn in last night, there was a fierce lightening storm. Bahtman was able to get several great shots with his camera setup, I only managed one.



The morning arrived early as the sounds of traffic came resonating through the room around 5:30 am. I stepped outside and caught a good pic of the sunrise over the Mekong River.



I headed out to the Famous “Killing Fields” memorial. The history is long and dreadful, but basically, there was a dictator in power in the mid to late 70’s who so brutalized Cambodia that he set the whole country back 40 years. It is still recovering even today. His organization was called the Khmer Rouge.

They flat out murdered some 1.5 million Cambodians through torture, starvation, and execution. It is a tragic tale. The Killing Fields of Phnom Penh are just one of hundreds of such mass burial sites around Cambodia, and the S-21 Genocide Camp is just one of many as well. This was a horrible time for the Cambodians, and it is easy to see its impact in their culture and psyche.

The road out to the Killing Fields is a long, bumpy, muddy mess, but now that a Japanese company has purchased the Fields and runs it as an exhibit, the roads are getting better.
The $2 entry fee is reasonable, and the touts are much lighter. Security keeps them out of the exhibit itself, so as soon as you can get your ticket, the only touts you see are guides.

A few shots of the area. It is on the shore of a beautiful, serene lake, with fishing boats buzzing around and birds in the trees. A strange calmness still permeates this place. Some 8900 bodies were unearthed hear. Many were infants, children and women. The youngest were killed by holding their feet and beating them against a tree until they were dead. Many bodies were nude, many were buried headless. A shrine of memory is the prominent feature. In it are the skulls of the dead from the mass graves here. You can see on the skulls, the marks where many were killed the “cost effective” way…an ax, stick, or hoe beating to the head until they were dead.







Next up was the S-21 Camp. Here in this facility in Phnom Penh proper, some 14,000 locals were kept. Of the 14,000 that passed through this particular camp, less than a dozen survived the ordeal. The leaders of the Khmer Rouge were never punished for their crimes. Bribes to officials have kept them alive and out of prison to the present day. The Leader, Pol Pot, died of old age back in 1997 still free.







After the tour it was heading on towards evening. We went to a new place on the wrong side of the tracks, to a place we called the “old house”. This is an understatement. This dilapidated old place was three stories high and looked like it was only standing because it was wedged between two other decrepit fossils. I have been to archaeological digs that looked newer. There was a couch filled with holes in the corner, and as I looked up I say exposed rebar jutting from the decomposing concrete ceiling. Fearing that a .05 earthquake would take place within a 100 miles bringing this shamble down on my head, I passed on taking any of the admittedly cute gals. I might have been more motivated if the place wasn’t such a cesspool, but as it was I just wanted to get outta there.

We returned to the hotel and freshened up. After a while we went to dinner at the Jungle Bar. It is the middle place in the pic. It is on the river front, and is quite nice.



We went to another Brothel Somewhere in town. As with so many others, I did not see or hear a name for this place. You would never know these brothels were there if you did not have a driver who knew where they were. At his lace a found a beautiful Cambodian girl of about 20. I paid the $20 to take her back to my hotel for 2 hours. Unfortunately, after two hours, we still had not had sex. This gal, kissed, allowed her tits to be fondles, and sucked (she had an awesome rack), but would not go any farther. All efforts to get things done met resistance, so I ended up sending her packing. It was a bit depressing. The first girl I had found here who kissed and had a great rack I munched on, and she turns out to be a game stopper. The fact that she was gorgeous just made it more annoying. I was tired, and mad, and had not gotten much sleep for three or four days, and knew I would be up and out early, so I hit the sack for a little overdue shut eye.

A few shots from the area.

Buddhist Monks


Breakfast at the Hope and Anchor


We saw as many as 5 people packed onto a moped. This is a family of four.


A young tout takes a break to eat. She was one of 6 or 8 ever present book sellers on the strip.


Cars, mopeds, bikes, tuk-tuks, rickshaws, and elephants all share the same routes at the same time.


What an amazing place this is. I do not ever recall an experience as unique as this one and I have been to some 35+ countries. Truly an amazing culture.

Great report as usual Val. I plan to be there in Jan and am looking forward to my visit.

Keep us posted on the better places.

Also, you wearing shorts or jeans everyday?

Ben seems to have raised his prices. Last report was $20 per day!

Yeah, I was curious about that too, is he charging $30 a day now..if so, maybe time to find another guide. I really like the guy but that is steep for Cambodia. I also went to the KM camp in PP and it was pretty intense. It was strange seeing such death and depravity and then going to get a $5 ST at a guest house.

Yes, he is now charging $30 a day. He probably raised it to reflect rising fuel costs, but $10 a day buys far more fuel than we used.

Sandman, it was quite hot and humid. I wore shorts day and night and was still hot and sweaty. I cannot imagine long pants or any footwear other than flip flops there.

The KM burial site was sobering, but the S-21 Camp was really intense. It amazes me that we as a race are capable of such atrocities.

Val-Don't mean to beat a dead horse here but did you wear shorts to the clubs as well? I expect to wear shorts during the day but at night at Martinis and other places as well?

Sandman

Personally, I've only traveled to Asia ONCE with pants - and that was so I could get into Wat Phra Keo. Every other moment in any country I've visited I've only worn shorts (or less). This only proved a problem when trying to enter CM2 with WickedWilly in November 2003. Personally, you're better off with shorts that are kinda baggy as it's easier for a girl to snake her hand up your shorts and extract your unit for some HJ/BJ/FS action.

E

Epi...

I am appalled, I mean, I would never...

Baggy you say?

(Message edited by smitopher on October 19, 2005)

Epi-I can live with that! Right up my alley...er shorts that is.

His organization was called the Khmer Rouge.

Flashbacks to Jan Hooks in Pee Wee's Big Adventure.

excellent pics, tho.

Hi Val, great stuff my friend! I'm pleased you are reporting this extremely extraordinary country. I have enjoyed visiting Cambodia, I find the people both very friendly and fascinating. Regarding the genoside, I notice that the West didn't run to their rescue - no oil in Cambodia!

Regarding the genoside, I notice that the West didn't run to their rescue - no oil in Cambodia

US special forces were heavily involved in trying to stop the Khmer Rouge. I work with a Cambodian refugee who was an ex officer of Cambodian government forces fighting against the Khmer Rouge back then. He says he and his troops had a great deal of direct help from US special forces. His opinion is that his government was overwhelmed and the US help was ineffective not due to lack of effort but the US simply did not understand the basis of the conflict and did not know how to help effectively. The US tried to frame it as a communist issue when the real roots were much much more complex and probably impossible for westerners to EVER understand.

This is a great report. Of course, we like hearing about all the girls but when we can learn a bit of history as well it tends to break up the monotony of pure "poontang". Is that really a word? I have never been to Asia though I have screwed myself through the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Yes, I am sancho and the Vietnam War wasn't at all understood either. Like Val says lest we forget these atrocities and pray that they are never repeated in history.

A motodop I hired my first visit to Phnom Penh had a more philosophical outlook. He was old enough he was certainly around back then but his remark on the killing fields was "many tourist they want to see killing field....I don't know why....just green grass....look same same any other field".

How does this philosophical guy refer to the mountain of human skulls and the murder camps? Don't worry only 1.5 million people were slaughtered, and there are no ghosts left to haunt anybody!

Days 6 through 10 will be arriving shortly. I just got home to real Internet and am getting situated.

A bit more Phnom Penh, then onto Siem Reap, then back to BKK. I also spent a day layover in Nagoya Japan and have some great pics of Nagoya Castle. Here is a teaser...



Will finish up ASAP.

Val

Great report Valterreekian - I recognise so much of what you showed in Cambodia and posted almost the same pictures in my May Report.

Excellent stuff!

(Message edited by Rakit on November 28, 2005)

Nice Pics Bud! And your commentary is enjoyable as well! Thanks!