49. Phnom Pen - Cambodian blues.. and reds and several shades of *&%$#@ ed up :P

Woooha

So one week in Phnom Pen.. fun was had by all J What a crazy hostel, in a crazy city, in a crazy country. Cambodia is a weird country. A very strange place, that Cambodia. The history is devastating, as is the state of the country at the moment, still riddled with so much corruption and in justice – the second in command to Pol Pot is now the leader of Cambodia? How does that even happen? In South Africa we have this sort of ongoing (will it ever end) stuff and I haven’t seen it again elsewhere until Cambodia. I mean it is everywhere but not in an “in your face” way like this. And the paradox of being there is weird too – you’ll find yourself investigating the killing fields and genocide museum by day and then firing an AK-47 and drinking copious amounts of beer - ending up at a “ladies bar” by night. It’s very strange indeed. It made me think of people like my father, who were out there seeing these terrible things happen first hand and then drinking a beer with your friends afterwards – chatting about some show on you tube or something stupid a friend said that evening. At first I couldn’t, I was so shattered by everything I saw and learnt that I needed some space and time to get my bearings back but before I knew it I was back in the game, laughing and entering the next beer competition. Strange indeed.  Also almost every shop is run by an NGO for drug or sex trafficking, orphaned children, landmine victims and the general poor. This is a very good thing and I’m certainly happy to support but it’s an odd thing – and I’m at a loss to explain why.

There are also so many scams and traps laid on tourists that will leave the hair on your neck standing frozen. One guy came up to me and asked if I could please change dollars for his 100 rand note. How on earth did this dude know I was from South Africa, and how long had he followed me for in order to ask that question? Perhaps for the last twenty minutes since I was chatting to that lady at the fruit stand and told her where I was from? Creeeeeeepy. And if your reading mummy darling, no I did not exchange anything with him – I don’t know who would or who could be so stupid but it obviously happens otherwise he wouldn’t be doing it. And some stories are so bad, this one guy was taken to a local families house and eventually was caught up in a really bad situation and had to empty out his bank account (at gun point)it’s unreal but happens all the time. And my pony tail was literally just CUT OFF!! I’m still beyond devastated and feel so silly to feel that way since it’s just hair – not my entire back account or anything – but afterwards when I was told,”Ah. They are probably wanting to sell it. Lots of Gangs do that in hairdressers.” I was livid. So weird to think that that day I was looking at my hair and thinking how good it was looking – seems it looked even better that I thought. Anyway – I’m officially tying it up and will wait for mummy dearest to tell me what to do. Until then, it’s hot anyway so as long as I don’t think about it – who’s to know I have a hacked up head of hair that once was as one fellow traveler said,”Such full,lustrous hair.” Whatever. I’m alive and very well and so.. never mind then J

Needless to say it was a mad week – overloaded with tragic info of mass murderings and a history that could make a stone sob – and endless parties and madness in brothels – meeting crazy people and going to weird parties. I certainly stayed at a mad place, Velkommen Guest house – were beer is served for breakfast ;) But I still did the touristy things and had a great time there! I am definitely going to save the juicy details for my dearest back home – but let’s just say the evenings were filled with firsts for most, and moments of WTF were not far behind,”Excuse me, I don’t want to alarm you or anything, but your friend just fell out of the window.” (3 stories down that is.) It’s mass madness you maniacs! I’m happy I went there – and have a box load of memories to go through as I wish, but I too – was happy to move on and chill out on a hammock for a while.

Cambodia was a laid back, weird, crazy, sad and fun time – I’m happy I went but I don’t I think I’d like to go back. No I don’t think so. Some places you see and enjoy but then you’re done, and others will you to come back before you’ve left.  I’m not sure what I thought Cambodia was going to be, or if it was a place that I loved or didn’t. I do know that when I arrived I did – I LOVED Siem Reap, and the country side of Battambang and the villages were all veeery attractive - green, lush and all the rest that is to be expected :) but by the end – having seen much more, and getting an understanding of the people and the place - I don’t know why, but the country as a whole is not on my list of favourites or must get back to’s. Chatting to a lady yesterday who’s just come from a retreat in India - she put it so well,”Cambodia is funny place. It gave me a very funny feeling. I was there for six days and that was enough.” But as the saying goes, different strokes for different folks, a fellow travelling friend Andie (the one who fell out of the building) loves Phnom Pen, has been there for a month now.. with no intentions of going anywhere, anytime soon.. 

Anyhoo.. time for some Lao time :)