We drove down a long empty rode. Passing a few motor bikes and the occasional truck. The scenery was dry and boring similiar to a trip through Iowa, except for the occasional palm tree and grass hut. I looked closely and even though there were many crops, I could tell they were quite foreign to my sense of agriculture. We stopped at a market along the way. Tourist were everywhere being followed by poor Cambodian children carrying pineapples. A local had spiders crawling everywhere and had a plate filled with perhaps a 100 deep fried tarantulas. I figured you only lived once and tried one. Didn’t taste bad, more just wrong on principal. The drive was quick for south Asia standards. Only 4 hours from Phnom Penh to Siem Reep.
The city is peaceful and quiet. And our hotel is gorgeous. Of course this is just another constant reflection to the haves and the have nots. Being born, white, middle class, male , and in America is like winning the lottery. The people here have so little and its such a large problems its not like you can fix it by giving a begger any money, in fact that just makes the problem worse.
I saw the killing fields. Its quite touching to walk around and see dozens of empty holes where thousands of dead bodies were savagely laid to rest. There’s a pillar in the center filled with skulls that goes up maybe 50 meters. The S21 prison was equally horrific. Its the HS that was changed to a prison under the Khmer Rouge where people were tortured in to confessing or giving information. A survivor had all of these painting up of the different tortures done to the people. Unsurprisingly, one was of waterboarding. It makes me feel sad for anyone who thinks an interogation method the Khmer Rouge did to obtain information is acceptable for America. I think more people need to be exposed to the genocide of the world, so they can get rid of their insulation from all the horrors around them. Well unfortunately this entry was quite sombre. Tomorow I see Angkor Wat so that should lift my spirits.
Hopefully more on my birthday and Saigon later.
Comments:
Tarantulas?, eeeeeew!!! Weren’t you warned about eating things that could look back at you and about NOT buying “edibles” from street vendors???
Posted by anonymous at 12:14 PM on January 4, 2008
So let me get this straight… you voluntarily ate fried tarantula, but the trippa (a.k.a. cow stomach) in Italy grossed you out. This post was funny, then depressing – I didn’t like that.
Posted by George at 08:45 AM on January 7, 2008