Saturday, April 19, 2008
okays so the bandwidth in cambodia sucks, but at least i can still access blogspot unlike in other parts of the world. however, if u wnana see the photos, u'll hafta wait..there's too much to sort thru!
its been quite hot and dusty, and we've climbed and seen enough temples i tink i've hit my bi-yearly quota. 'templed-out', as they call it.
and actually was quite disappointed at angkor wat n the killing fields. i guess i went with higher expectations..fr wat others have raved about. but i was suitably impressed with bayon and ta phrom. and we trekked to kbal spean! the killing fields n museum were sobering.. as is with anything related to death. but it was also peaceful.. tranquil even. there were sprigs of amethyst sprouting from almost all the mass graves..almost as tho they forgave their murderers for all the atrocities..pain..abuse..by offering to apease their killers' anger..with a tiny burst of life in the form of a morning glory flower. funnily..where there were more bodies in the graves..the more morning glories tat grew from there.. (of cos the scientist in me is tinking along the lines of more bodies = more fertile soil, but i shall jus tink of it in a less clinical method)
there was a photo at tuol sleng.. it was the side profile of a lady..about to be electrocuted. her face was emotionless..save for a single tear tat would run down her face. she looked so brave..resilient..staring at her killers..and at death in the face.. i wonder wat would have possessed someone to start..carry out..a genocide.. they had a magic tree.. where they hung loud speakers to hide the cries from those they were killing - truckloads of blindfolded, bound people who were absolutely silent upon reaching the fields. today u still see blood stains on the classroom floors of the detention centre.. u see countless of skulls..clothes..cranium fragments.. hollowed out eyes which stare straight at you. but not quite as unnerving as it sounds..
the streets are quiet at night..a stark contrast to the bustle by the day..not quite as mad as indo..or hcm..but sights like ppl pee-ing in broad daylight at a busy bus terminal (standing on a ledge somemore..liek a stage), children asking u to buy things..begging u for money.. digging in the dustbin after they see u throw something inside it..being harrassed by tuk tuk drivers..mozzies..flies.. these are aplenty.
and these sights are a story to be continued later..
its been quite hot and dusty, and we've climbed and seen enough temples i tink i've hit my bi-yearly quota. 'templed-out', as they call it.
and actually was quite disappointed at angkor wat n the killing fields. i guess i went with higher expectations..fr wat others have raved about. but i was suitably impressed with bayon and ta phrom. and we trekked to kbal spean! the killing fields n museum were sobering.. as is with anything related to death. but it was also peaceful.. tranquil even. there were sprigs of amethyst sprouting from almost all the mass graves..almost as tho they forgave their murderers for all the atrocities..pain..abuse..by offering to apease their killers' anger..with a tiny burst of life in the form of a morning glory flower. funnily..where there were more bodies in the graves..the more morning glories tat grew from there.. (of cos the scientist in me is tinking along the lines of more bodies = more fertile soil, but i shall jus tink of it in a less clinical method)
there was a photo at tuol sleng.. it was the side profile of a lady..about to be electrocuted. her face was emotionless..save for a single tear tat would run down her face. she looked so brave..resilient..staring at her killers..and at death in the face.. i wonder wat would have possessed someone to start..carry out..a genocide.. they had a magic tree.. where they hung loud speakers to hide the cries from those they were killing - truckloads of blindfolded, bound people who were absolutely silent upon reaching the fields. today u still see blood stains on the classroom floors of the detention centre.. u see countless of skulls..clothes..cranium fragments.. hollowed out eyes which stare straight at you. but not quite as unnerving as it sounds..
the streets are quiet at night..a stark contrast to the bustle by the day..not quite as mad as indo..or hcm..but sights like ppl pee-ing in broad daylight at a busy bus terminal (standing on a ledge somemore..liek a stage), children asking u to buy things..begging u for money.. digging in the dustbin after they see u throw something inside it..being harrassed by tuk tuk drivers..mozzies..flies.. these are aplenty.
and these sights are a story to be continued later..
thinking out loud at 9:16 PM
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