Hopeful... - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

It's been well over a day and despite walking all over the city, seeing some of the major attractions and trying like crazy to find a silver lining, sorry to say that this place did next to nothing for me. The saving grace has been the weather, which for the second day in-a-row, was overcast and at times, very bearable. I'll focus on that silver...

The killing field museum was not the emotional wallop I was expecting, though not to be confused with anything remotely entertaining. I think (and hope that in the future) that it is developed more to make it more visitor-friendly. The first thing that greets you is the tall tower (pictured) that houses thousands of skulls that were unearthed on the property. Behind it are dozens of mass graves that have been emptied, but are still open pits. The thing that is truly grizzly are the many, many bones protruding from the ground along with articles of clothing. The museum has purposely chosen not to hide these things for good reason: It's hard not to be moved when the evidence is literally underneath your shoes.

The hotel where I am staying is a very friendly place run by young Cambodians. They were really helpful. I told them I needed a bus ticket and a Vietnamese visa and presto! The thought of locating the Vietnamese consulate in this city was not something I was looking forward to. My room does not have A/C, nor hot water! Despite that, I slept pretty well in my mosquito net-draped bed and the cold shower felt absolutely perfect...seriously. They also have a cafe on the premises and the food has been very good there. It's $12/night...clearly the highlight of PP without a doubt.

So I am hopeful that Kampot will be nice. I suspect it will be. It's a laidback place near the coast. I will spend my last three Cambodian nights there before heading to Vietnam. So I am hoping that it's a winner because I want to leave this country with a good taste in my mouth. Speaking of things in my mouth, tomorrow I have to take my third anti-malaria pill...my fingers are crossed that some of the things I've witnessed the past couple of days in the museums I've visited don't work themselves into my dreams.

And I forgot to mention the dead skin-eating fish in Siem Reap. Yes, it was true and wacky all at once. Dangled my feet in a shallow pool and within seconds, hundreds of these weird fish about 2 - 3 inches long were nibbling on my dogs. It didn't hurt at all. It mostly tickled and felt very, very strange. The reactions of some of the other folks who took the plunge were the highlight. One woman from the U.K. could not keep from getting absolutely hysterical. She was great. So after about fifteen minutes, it was done. To be honest, my feet didn't really feel any different, nor look any different, but I can claim to have done something that I doubt many of you can...or would want to.

Tuk-Tuk Sir? - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

I had hoped not to whine about the overly aggressive nature of pretty much anyone with something to sell, but I can't help myself. In Siem Reap, it was bad enough. You literally couldn't go more than a minute without being accosted by a tuk-tuk or moto driver looking for a fare. The first couple of days I smiled and said, "no, thank you." By about the third day, it became pretty unbearable. Were it just the drivers, it might not be so bad, but it's also the restaurant people, the massage people, the souvenir shop people and on and on. I know, I know...I get it. I really do feel bad that these people are simply trying to make a living and doing what it takes to make it happen. But at the same time, it is depressing having to say 'no' every 13 seconds. Why the rant? Because since I arrived here, it's gotten worse. Much worse. I think I may just say yes to the next one that attacks me so that I don't have to deal with any others. Whew...I feel a little better now.

The ride on the bus ended up being about 5 1/2 hours. The highway, and I use the term very generously, was a 2-lane job all the way from S.R. to here. For most of the stretch, there wasn't even a line painted on the pavement dividing it. I sat right behind the driver and I have drawn two conclusions. First, sitting in that seat was one of the most entertaining things I've done in a while, far better than any video game could ever be because of the second conclusion: Driving is considered a blood sport here. This guy was quite good dodging all manner of other drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians, other buses, trucks, stray dogs, cattle, water buffalo and the occasional little kid. It was impressive. The scenery on the way was a true ying-yang experience. At times, there were miles and miles of picture-postcard perfect scenes of folks working the rice paddies...green as far as the eye could see...absolutely breathtaking. And then we'd go past a little village where the abject poverty that is evident just rips your heart out. A sobering way to spend a day.

The good news about PP is that at least all day today it was overcast and refreshingly cooler. By that I mean it was only in the low 80's, I'm guessing. It even rained a decent amount today, so I have not perspired buckets like normal. The bad news is that this city is not very pleasant at all. It was quite fortuitous that I only booked two nights here. It's dirty, it's crowded and the traffic here is riotous. Crossing the street is a challenge that is quite literally a death-defying experience. Nothing compares to this. Not Rome. Not Mexico City. Not Beijing. Supposedly, Ho Chi Minh City is worse. We'll see...

After checking in at my hotel ($12/nite), I dodged about 4 drivers that basically camp out in at the front door and walked across the street to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. This place was an elementary school back in the day, but during the Khmer Rouge regime, it was turned into a place where people were detained, tortured and murdered. To walk through hallways and peer into former classrooms that had been turned into cells where all kinds of atrocities were committed, was one of the more disturbing things I've seen. In several of the classrooms there are hundreds and hundreds of photographs of people that met their demise in this place. The pictures are simple mug shots in black and white. A sea of expressionless faces, mostly men, but also plenty of women and even kids. It was gut-wrenching. There was an exhibit about a Swedish guy that was one of the first foreigners to visit Cambodia during the seige. At the time, he was a believer in the aims of the Khmer Rouge movement, thus the invitation. His photographs are posted along with a poignant letter he wrote decades later in which he admits that he was very mistaken to support the movement and a humbling apology for anything he may have done to further the agenda. That was tough to take. I'm glad I went, however. I wish everyone could see for example, the actual hardware used in the waterboarding technique, especially those that think that America should be engaging in that kind of thing. Off the soapbox now...tomorrow it should only get worse as I am going to a museum that is on the grounds of one of the killing fields. By the way, if you are unfamiliar with what went on in this country in the 70's, do yourself a favor and check out The Killing Fields on DVD. It will blow you away.

I'll try not to be so morose when I post tomorrow, but no guarantees. Until then...

Z