kez & hay travels 06

We stopped off for a couple of nights at the second largest city in Cambodia before reaching the border.  We met up with a moto taxi driver recommended to us by a friend and he drove us around the surrounding area of the city.  We went to the Killing Caves - in similar morbid style to the Killing Fields, these were caves where the Khmer Rouge threw Cambodian civilians into the caves and left them to die, if they had not already died from the fall.  The rock is actually still stained from all the blood shed at the time.

We moved on to visit surrounding villages and saw fruit bats as big as dogs.  They are apparently a delicacy in Cambodia but these particulary ones had found safe-haven in a tree in the back garden of a monk's abode.  We then visited an orphanage run by a monk who welcomed us in and told us about his charity.   Run for the past 12 years a lot of the children were HIV sufferers, he spends a lot of time educating the surrounding community about the illness and to try and get past the stigma.  There is also a big drug problem with children from primary schools falling victim.   

The next day we left for Bangkok on the bumpiest roads ever - breaking down didn't help either!  At Thailand's capital we visited the Royal Palace where every building is decorated with such vibrant colours and with such intricate detail.  The reclining Buddha was built before the building that holds it, because it is so big.  Each foot measures 3 metres each!

After our quick visit to Bangkok we journeyed down to the east coast islands.

(For more photos on Thailand see our existing Thailand album.) 

From Siem Reap we visited the largest religious monument in the world - Angkor Wat.  With 2 motor bike drivers we left at 05.00 to see Angkor Wat as the sun rose.  Many tourists had the same idea, but the area was deftly quiet, everyone seemingly respecting the peaceful message that these collosal ancient buildings give.  The whole area of Angkor was more than amazing.  The numerous temples in the middle of the Cambodian jungle seems like something out of an adventure film.  We spent from sunrise to sunset exploring around 10 temples in an area stretching 40 miles, including Ta Phrom temple which is still surrounded by jungle vegetation with giant trees intwining the stonework.  We returned to Angkor Wat watching the sun set from the highest point of the temple.  This place should be on everyone's list.

After a day crossing into Cambodia by boat we arrived at the capital and quickly found a hostel around the lakeside, which is the "backpaker" area - the main road in this area says it all (see photo)! 

The next day we visited the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum which recounts the horrific true story of the imprisonment and barbaric torture and slaughter of thousands and thousands of Cambodians during the Khmer Rouge Regime.  The classrooms used as torture rooms still retain the metal bed and chains used and the tiled floors don't seemed to have been touched since.  Each prisoner, whom all but 12 out of 17,000 met their death, were photographed by Pol Pot's men, I say men but so many were children who had been brainwashed into following the orders of the Khmer Rouge.  Many of these victim's photos were on display, and to see into someone's eyes moments before they were carted off to the Killing Fields was numbing.
On leaving the school/interrogation camp, we were met by many victims of land mines.  It seemed everywhere we turned there was evidence of the suffering that this country has entailed and still does. As a tourist you feel guilty for enjoying your $4 meal when you see so much poverty around...but saying this everyone smiles and laughs, they don't want our pity. 
That evening we saw a documentary explaining the events before, during and after the Khmer Rouge Regime - another sobering experience. 
The next day we took a trip to the Killing fields, where the inmates of Toul Sleng were taken for a final beating.  An estimated 20,000 bodies lie here, with only half of the mass graves excavated.  A tall building stands in the middle of one field containing thousands upon thousands of retrieved skulls.  A final blow to the victims of the Pol Pot genocide is that according to Khmer belief, the human body must be cremated to allow the spirit to travel on to the after life.  So not only were nearly 2 million Cambodians killed, but they have been deprived their right to pass onto the afterlife. 

Later on that day we joined up with a newly organised volunteer program which brought around 40 street kids together, where we played games and helped them with art projects.