Disoriented David : Cambodia Part II: Acid Reflux

Since I last posted, I've been in Phnom Penh (the capital), Kampot (a quiet riverside town) and Koh Rong (an island), from where I now write.

The main reason I travelled to Phnom Penh was to visit Choeung Ek, just outside the city, one of the notorious killing fields, which has been dedicated as a central memorial for all the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge, and to visit the S21 museum in the city itself, housed in a prison used by the Khmer Rouge to hold and torture prisoners before dispatching them to be killed. As I arrived in the city overnight by bus, I decided to wait a day before visiting the aforementioned sites, which I knew would be emotionally heavy, and I spent my first day wandering the city centre, swinging by the art-deco central market and the misleadingly named Olympic stadium (the Olympics never made it here due to regional unrest). While I was at the stadium, there was a full military band procession, beginning with a march around the running track and culminating with a ceremonial flag changing. I couldn't for the life of me ascertain whether this was a daily occurrence or whether there was some kind of special occasion to justify the extravagance. The city itself, which I neither loved nor hated, is quite dusty, hectic and traffic-clogged, though the paths running alongside the banks of the river are relatively serene.

At any rate, on my second day in the city I went to the memorials which were as weighty as expected. While I already had a general knowledge of Cambodian history and the horrors of the brief but desperately cruel Khmer Rouge regime, I gained a far deeper understanding of the political background, as well as being exposed to many stories on a more relatable personal level. The atmosphere and mood is similar to that which prevails at memorials and museums for other tragic events, but one is shaken by the fact that it all took place so recently, as recently as 9 years before my birth. It's hard not to wonder which museums we'll be visiting 20-30 years down the line, for events taking place right now.

Kampot is a fairly sleepy town, with a lot of French colonial charm. I didn't do so much of note there, save for a day trip into the picturesque surrounding countryside. A particular highlight was a cave with a miniature temple inside. Outside the cave there were trees full of playful monkeys. I'm only 2/3 immunised against rabies, so I stayed about 33% farther away than I would have otherwise.

I spent my first few days on Koh Rong -
proposed tourism slogan "Koh Rong - but it feels so right" - at a secluded beach with limited electricity and no internet connectivity. The place was great, but I probably would have enjoyed myself more if I hadn't spent a day or so feeling violently sick, in a way I'd been lucky to escape thus far. Nevertheless, I still managed to get a lot of reading done, and the dark beach enabled me to see the incredible bioluminescent plankton in their full glory. The plankton sparkle as the water is stirred by moving limbs,in what is a memorably impressive spectacle.

I'm now on a more developed side of the island (hence the internet connection), but I'm hoping to head to the Northeast soon, to see a different part of the country before moving on to Vietnam.

Don't forget the 5th of November,

Love David