Phnom Penh, Beaches, Beaches, Beaches!

I was supposed to leave Siem Reap everyday, but I stayed for another night every time. I kept on telling my friends, "I'm leaving tomorrow," only to find myself in the same town, same hostel, same bed. That's how comfortable Siem Reap was. I finished the tourism stuff in the first 2 days. But I stayed there for 6 days. Why? Not exactly sure. Except that, unforeseen circumstances came up everyday. So I ended up staying there taking pottery classes, going to the night market, watching traditional Aspara dancing shows, getting a fish massage, eating crickets, etc etc.







When I finally got up and left the town, I said goodbye to a bunch of the people that I've met there, only to find myself in a cramped bus to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. I had started reading a book called First They Killed My Father, a story about a family that was torn apart by the Pol Pot Regime. I had bought this book from one of the numerous boys and girls wandering the streets of Cambodia selling postcards and books. Here's what Pol Pot and the Red Shirts had done in the 1970's: This government decided that it would be a great idea to kill all doctors, businessmen, teachers, nurses, and anybody else that had any type of education. They put everybody in farm villages to become a self-sustaining country, free from Western influence. As I was reading the book on the bus, I found myself crying a little bit, a sight that had to be hidden away by my book from the strange faces on the bus.

In Phnom Penh, I met these 2 Chinese girls from Toronto at the hostel that I was staying. We decided to go out to eat at a traditional Khmer restaurant, and we ended up bumping into some of their friends from Vietnam. With an army of about 15 foreigners, we stormed into a bar, asked for a discount, sat down, and had a merry ol' time (although a group of 3 guys ended up spending about 30 dollars on beer, which was 75 cents each). As we were walking back to our hostel, it was kind of early still, and I distinctly heard hip-hop music being played. I looked around. I saw a lounge. I went in. I danced. And then, something interesting happened, which I'll keep to myself.

The next day, the Toronto girls and I went to the S21 prison, a converted high school that Pol Pot used as a torture prison, the Independence Monument, National Museum housing Angkor statues, the Royal Palace, and the Wat Phnom. The reason I wanted to come to Phnom Penh was for the S21 prison, so here are some pictures:





And a picture of a boy coming to pick up some schoolkids. A pretty normal sight in Southeast Asia, but still amusing:



After 3 days in Phnom Penh, I headed for the beaches of Sihanoukville, the closest thing to a beach resort in Cambodia. Unfortunately, the beach was a bit ugly, touristy as hell, and you could not read a page before some little girl comes up to you and asks if you want a bracelet (NO!). Fortunately, the nightlife was pretty good, and I met some interesting people, one in particular. I also spent a day going on fun dives, which was surprising good with nice visibility considering it was storming on the surface. On the trip, I met a wonderfully amusing and talkative Dutch family, who at the end of the day, invited me to have dinner with them. They took me out to a fantastic restaurant on the other side of town, and the sunset was just picturesque.



After a week and a half in Cambodia, I headed to Vietnam, to an island called Phu Quoc. I only have until August 1st in Vietnam, so I kind of need to hurry up (I'm not used to schedules and deadlines anymore). Phu Quoc was a beautiful place, with great beaches, and I practically did nothing but sleep, sunbathe, swim, and listen to music. I didn't talk to anybody. I made no friends. And that was quite alright with me because I needed this time alone. After all the bustle and socializing in the last 2 months, it was good to reflect and look back.



Next up, Ho Chi Minh City. I don't think I'll have much self-reflection time there!

- Ryoji