So, after 4 months at a job that was significantly less enjoyable than my experience at Wonderland, and a falling out with some of my friends in Korea, I decided to leave Korea. In December I put in my 2 months notice and told my boss I would be going back to Ohio in February.
Now, I'm home! I couldn't be happier. It was definitely the best decision for me. Korea was a fantastic experience for me, and there are definitely things and people I miss, but it was time for me to leave.
So, February 25th, with the help of my good friend, Nina, I packed up my things and got on a bus to Incheon Airport with my Korean cat, Charlie. I got to the airport early, my flight was around 10:30am and the animal control office was not open until 9. I had not gotten my quarantine and immigration papers for Charlie beforehand because I was told to do it at the airport. For anybody taking a pet out of Korea, make sure you have more time to get this done, or get it done before you get to the airport! At 9 I waited outside the office anxiously. Luckily, I had my paperwork and the fee ready and they did not actually inspect Charlie. So, they just handed me a piece of paper and I was able to check in for my flight.
I got lucky again when I got to the counter to check in my bags. I acquired A LOT of stuff in Korea. I had 4 suitcases and Charlie's cage. My allowance was 2, and the lady at the counter told me to get the other 2 suitcases wrapped together (there was a packing center in the airport) and she only charged me for 1 extra bag.
It all worked out. I was able to get Charlie's paperwork done, spent less money than I expected on baggage, and got through security with a little time to spare before my flight.
My flight was direct from Seoul to Washington DC. When I got on the bus in Korea my heart was saddened to be leaving such a great friend (Nina). But when I got off the plane, got my baggage, and saw Nick waiting for me at the gate, I was so happy. Nick was a friend at OSU and we kept in touch while I was in Korea. He took a week off work, picked me up, and drove me back home to Ohio. The day I saw Nick, he asked me to be his girlfriend. =) We got back to Ohio and I got to see all my friends and family. Nothing had changed, it was as if I had never left.
Though I am not traveling overseas as often anymore, I hope you all stay tuned! I will continue to write about my travels and experiences in America!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Pandas and a Great Wall!
February 2-6, 2011 marked vacation time for the Chinese New Year. To celebrate this holiday, what would be better than going to Beijing, China? I couldn't think of anything either...
So, my friend, Travis, and I decided to make our way to China for a few days. We booked a room at hostelworld.com for the Beijing Wada International Hostel. I would not recommend this hostel during the winter or when the owner is not around. When we showed up they had lost our booking in their computer system and would only give us a room with one bed, as opposed to the double room we had already booked. The room was fine, but freezing cold! There was one heat radiator, but it was mildly warm despite being the middle of winter in northern China. I had to ask for a second blanket, one I used to wrap around me like a sleeping bag, and the second was over both Travis and I...and I was still cold at night. We also had problems with hot water. There was not much available. On the second morning i let the water heat up for about 15 minutes and finally got a hot shower, and there was even enough for Travis to have a hot shower after me. We were not so lucky the rest of the week. We were able to get warm water one more time during our stay.
Also, the service kinda sucked, except for the owner. We encountered 3 people who "worked" there, but when we asked any questions (about popular sites, transportation, food...) the answer was usually "I'm not really sure". One girl tried to give us directions to a marketplace, either she didn't know what a market is or she made the whole thing up. When the owner was there however, which wasn't often, she was very friendly and helpful. With these two complaints out of the way, the rest of the hostel stay was decent. The room was clean, the bed was comfortable, and there was wifi in the lobby.
Our first night there we decided to walk around the neighborhood. You might notice we found a stairway that just ends. It would suck if you walked up it and weren't paying attention. On our walk we were able to find a bakery, a small grocery store, and a place for dinner. Everything was all in Chinese, so I have no idea what the name of the place is or what we ordered. We pointed to two dishes, one we could easily identify as shrimp and peanuts, the second one is up for debate. It may look similar to beef, but it certainly was nothing like anything I've had before.
When we were done taking in the sites of the crowded park we walked back to the metro. We did however get sidetracked by a frozen river. Travis would not have been satisfied until we walked across the ice, so we did.
The next day we made it out to Yonghe Temple, also known as Lama Temple. It is one of the largest and most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world. It was also one of the most beautiful temple's I have seen. Unfortunately, since it was a major holiday, it was packed with people and difficult to be able to see inside all the buildings, but I still really enjoyed being there.
We also went to the Summer Palace, which was gorgeous despite it being winter.
Pictures
So, my friend, Travis, and I decided to make our way to China for a few days. We booked a room at hostelworld.com for the Beijing Wada International Hostel. I would not recommend this hostel during the winter or when the owner is not around. When we showed up they had lost our booking in their computer system and would only give us a room with one bed, as opposed to the double room we had already booked. The room was fine, but freezing cold! There was one heat radiator, but it was mildly warm despite being the middle of winter in northern China. I had to ask for a second blanket, one I used to wrap around me like a sleeping bag, and the second was over both Travis and I...and I was still cold at night. We also had problems with hot water. There was not much available. On the second morning i let the water heat up for about 15 minutes and finally got a hot shower, and there was even enough for Travis to have a hot shower after me. We were not so lucky the rest of the week. We were able to get warm water one more time during our stay.
Also, the service kinda sucked, except for the owner. We encountered 3 people who "worked" there, but when we asked any questions (about popular sites, transportation, food...) the answer was usually "I'm not really sure". One girl tried to give us directions to a marketplace, either she didn't know what a market is or she made the whole thing up. When the owner was there however, which wasn't often, she was very friendly and helpful. With these two complaints out of the way, the rest of the hostel stay was decent. The room was clean, the bed was comfortable, and there was wifi in the lobby.
On the second day of our trip we woke up early and made our way to the Great Wall. We decided to do this on our own, but maybe we should have been a little more prepared. Supposedly, there are two buses that leave from Dongzhimen outer bus station to the Great Wall, we were going to the Mutianyu section of the Wall. We were running a little late so we missed the bus, but there was another bus that went to a town near the wall and you could grab a taxi from there. Luckily, we came across someone who spoke a bit of English and was able to tell the bus driver where we were going, since we had no luck at all getting the bus driver to understand us. They called ahead for a taxi driver for us and made sure we got off at the right stop. That was nice of them. They told us the price of the taxi would be equivalent to $50 round trip, but the taxi driver had different ideas. We could have easily grabbed the bus back to Dongzhimen station from the Great Wall, but the taxi driver waited for us so we just went with him back to the other bus station....don't do this. He charged us again. Another note, which I was not able to tell Travis before he did it, was do not pay before the trip is finished. Travis paid the taxi driver when we got to the wall, so I can easily see how we got ripped off and the driver thought he could charge us again. We got there and back alright, just spent $100 more than we needed to. So a note future explorers: don't miss the bus times!
The Great Wall was amazing though, great if you will. We took a lift up to an opening in the great wall and walked for about 2 hours. You can just walk along the wall through all the guard towers, but there are a lot of steps. The scenery was nice, mountains as far as you can see. I would have liked to have spent more time on the Wall, but we thought we had to walk all the way back to where we had started, so we turned around. If we had been more observant, we would have seen that there was another opening in the wall where you can take a toboggan back down to the parking lot and thus we could have walked a lot further before turning back. Luckily we noticed on the way back and we did take the toboggan down. It was fun, but there were three girls in front of us who were going too slowly. Once we got to the bottom it was time for lunch, at Travis' insistence, we ate at Subway. Yes, there is a subway at the base of the Great Wall.
I must be honest at this point and say, I am picking up this post at this point 3 months after it happened. The details and names here on out are fuzzy, so I will only state details if I'm sure about the names, locations, etc. I need to keep at this thing more regularly...
Anyway, After we finally got back into the city we were attempting to go to a temple, might have been Lama Temple, but we got distracted by a festival that was being held in a park. We walked around the park for a bit and it was similar to a county fair (minus the rides). There were booths set up around the entire park, some selling food, some souvenirs (all rabbits, of course!), and some were carnival games. You know, the ones where you throw darts at balloons and get a crappy prize.
We also stopped by the shop on the way back to the hostel to get some food and we were able to buy loads of food for a few dollars. I think it was under $5. We were really surprised when we got to the cashier and she told us how much it was.
The next day, we visited Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City.
We attempted to track down some Peking Duck for lunch, but after a debacle with a bike taxi driver, we were dropped off at the wrong place. So, again, we ate at Subway. They are everywhere!
We made our way to the Beijing Zoo via the metro. It was a cool zoo, but I must say, obviously, the highlight was seeing the Giant Pandas!
I also wanted to see the cats. Unfortunately, the tiger cages looked like jail cells. They were so depressing. Those poor animals.
After the zoo, we asked the information center where we could get Peking Duck. As per her directions, we went to the Donghuamen Night Market area. We found a nice restaurant advertising Peking Duck on the window, and it was delicious! What really made the meal worth it was the plum sauce that they served with it.
Walking out of the restaurant, we saw the food stands were being set up. We walked along the road, and I let Travis do the adventurous eating. You can find just about anything you could want in these stands. Travis chose crickets and seahorse. He said the seahorse wasn't good, but he did like the crickets. At the end of the trip, he said his favorite was scorpion. For those less adventurous eaters, like me, there are plenty of normal dishes at the stands too. There are a variety of noodle dishes, fruit, fried breads, and meat. The only adnormal thing I tried was starfish, and I urge everybody who has the chance to avoid it. It tastes like a bad, salty breading that has been burnt.
Outside the palace we got food from the street vendors. I never did find out the name of this snack, but there was one made of bread, egg, and some sort of sauce. The bread batter was spread onto the grill then an egg was cracked on it. A sauce was spread (an onions if you so choose, but I HATE onions) and a crispy piece of bread was put on top. It was then folded into a burrito shape and served. It was really good. They also sold grilled sweet potatoes and corn on the cob, among other snacks.
One last place we went in Beijing was Tea Street. Don't bother. It's a pain to get to and not worth it. There are a few tea shops that sell the same quality tea in more touristy areas, like in the Donghuamen market area. Also, be aware that tea from tea shops in Beijing is expensive. I bought some Green Tea from a shop though for about $40, and I am happy with the quality, plus I have tea from China! haha
Sorry for the lack of some details, both historical and subjective. But this is all I have at the moment. I might return periodically to add details though.
I want to end this post with a saying from a sign I saw at Lama Temple. Before I show it to you, just remember when you are traveling and enjoying all the wonders that this world has to offer, don't be selfish or careless. Take care of yourself, be kind to others, and don't do anything to destroy nature or monuments that should be kept around for future generations to see.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Angkor Wat
We left off in Phnom Penh, now off to Siem Reap!
Wednesday morning of my vacation I woke up early, packed my stuff, and went to the reception desk to check out around 6:30. Go figure, there was nobody awake! I put my bag down on a chair and just walked around the hostel until someone who worked there heard me and came out. It only took a few minutes before a guy was behind the desk sleepily getting everything in order.
This was a frustrating process. I had the hostel book my bus ticket and they told me to check out the next morning at 6:30. One would think after getting such instructions that they would have someone awake and ready to get you checked out. When he figured the cost of the room, food, and the bus ticket it came to a total just under $20. Of course, they didn't have any change available. He tried to get me to buy something, but I told him I wouldn't. He had to call his boss in to get me change. Once everything was settled they told me to wait in the lobby and the bus would stop for me outside around 7. It didn't.
At 10 minutes past 7 I asked if they were sure it was coming. The lady impatiently told me to just sit and wait. I asked again at 7:30, and began to voice my frustration at 7:45 asking if they even called the company at all to tell them to get me. They arranged for a tuk-tuk driver to just take me to the bus station and I got there in time to get rushed onto the bus just moments before it left at 8:00.
I guess I would add this as another reason I would NOT recommend the #11 Happy Guesthouse in Phnom Penh.
The bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Riep took about 5 hours, with a rest stop about halfway through. The scenery was pretty much the same as the other buses I had taken on this trip, though more river and field scenes. The rest stop was a bit more interesting than the previous ones I had been to. It was a tiny market area with a bathroom. They had a few tables selling fruit, chips, and water; there were also vendors selling fried tarantula, grasshopper, and cockroach.
We continued on our uneventful bus ride to Siem Reap and got dropped off at the bus terminal. Upon exiting, every passenger was harassed by about 50 tuk-tuk and motobike drivers. I even had one guy show me his name badge and said he was from the hotel. When I asked what hotel (being a smartass) he just said "What hotel are you staying at". I kept trying to walk away when he grabbed me by the arm to lead me to his tuk-tuk. Then a very nice guy from behind me politely asked where I would like to go and said he would take me anywhere for $3. I immediately said ok and he got the other guy to leave me alone. This turned out to be a wonderful decision. The driver's name was Taat. He is 25 years old and moved to Siem Reap to become a tuk-tuk driver to earn money for college, which he needs $400 to attend. He has been working for 2 years and still has not saved enough money. His parents are poor farmers in the country side. He turned out to be great company during my stay.
Anyway, Taat drove me to my hotel, but it turned out to be a lot further from the bus station than either of us had thought. It was about a 20 minute drive from the bus station. When we got there, he didn't charge me any extra money even though it was far. He asked if he could take me around during my stay and we agreed to $12 a day to go wherever I wanted around Siem Reap.
I stayed at the Paradise Eco Resort. It was a really nice place for $10 a night. It had a nice room, a good restaurant, a bar, a pool, bicycles, and a computer for use. I would definitely recommend this place, though its a bit far from the city you can easily hire a tuk-tuk or just take a bike there if you have enough time.
After checking in I had planned on taking a bicycle to find an ATM, which I was told would take about 20 minutes on bike. I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I had run out of money at this point so needed to visit the ATM. Luckily (or creepily, i'm not quite sure) Taat was still at the hotel. He offered to take me to the ATM and back to the hotel for no money. So he did, this was quite nice of him. After he dropped me back at the hotel he left and I had dinner, read by the pool, and got a good night of sleep.
The next morning I woke up and had a delicious breakfast of eggs, toast, baked beans, fruit, and orange juice. Just as I was finishing Taat arrived and we headed out for my first day around the Angkor Wat complex!
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat, meaning "City Temple", is not one temple, but a huge complex of temples that were built in the early 12th century for King Suryavarman II. Originally, it started out as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu. 27 years after King Suryavarman II's death, the temple was conquered by the Chams who were traditional enemies of the Khmer. Jayavarman VII restored the empire and the temple was gradually changed to a Buddhist site.
Angkor Wat is the world's largest religious site. It was built as a representation of Mount Meru, center of the world and home to the gods in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain cosmology. The temple complex is a source of great national pride of Cambodia. It is a beautiful temple of Khmer architecture and intricate reliefs telling religious myths.
While I was in Cambodia, I spent 3 days going around the complex. This is a sufficient amount of time to see most of Angkor Wat. I typically spent 6-7 hours each day. The first day I did the "Small Circuit" which takes you first to Angkor Wat temple and Bayon, then to Banteay Kdei and all the minor temples in the area. The second day I did the "Large Circuit" which I started first at Bayon because I wanted to see it a second time, then we went north to Preah Khan, then east to Ta Som and down to Ta Prohm, and all of the temples along that route. The third day I spent seeing the Rolous Group.
map
There are plenty of vendors around the entire complex selling snacks, food, drinks, and souvenirs at decent prices. I will note that this is probably the best place to buy souvenirs in terms of prices. You can haggle to get lower prices, but I found that even the asking price they give you is a lot lower than in the market.
Ta Prohm is a temple that was built by Jayavarman VII as a shrine to his mother. The main attraction of this temple are the massive trees growing out of the buildings. It is also famous as being a site where Tomb Raider was filmed, and you will hear tour guides constantly taking pride in this fact.
My favorite temple was Bayon, in the middle of Angkor Thom. Built by Jayavarman VII as a city, it is enclosed by a wall and surrounded by a moat. The roads that lead into and out of the city are lined with statues; 54 gods on the left and 54 devils on the right. Bayon is a temple of 54 towers with the face of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha) on all sides. 54 is a representation of the 54 days of the lunar calendar of the two circle moon and is considered a lucky number. (http://www.kimsoryar.com/DetailleftRight/Details.aspx?id=33)
I have also read that the number 54 was used because 5+4=9 and 9 is a lucky number.
Angkor Wat really is a beautiful complex. I am glad I was able to go and had 3 days to spend going around the complex during the day and just relaxing by the pool in the evenings. On my last day, after seeing the last set of temples, I went to the market, had dinner, and got a massage before going to the airport.
The food I had in Siem Reap was delicious. I mostly ate chicken and rice dishes or curry. I highly recommend the Khmer massage, especially after walking around the temples for 3 days!
All the pictures from the trip can be found on my Picasa site: https://picasaweb.google.com/aeihrig/SiemReapCambodia#
Wednesday morning of my vacation I woke up early, packed my stuff, and went to the reception desk to check out around 6:30. Go figure, there was nobody awake! I put my bag down on a chair and just walked around the hostel until someone who worked there heard me and came out. It only took a few minutes before a guy was behind the desk sleepily getting everything in order.
This was a frustrating process. I had the hostel book my bus ticket and they told me to check out the next morning at 6:30. One would think after getting such instructions that they would have someone awake and ready to get you checked out. When he figured the cost of the room, food, and the bus ticket it came to a total just under $20. Of course, they didn't have any change available. He tried to get me to buy something, but I told him I wouldn't. He had to call his boss in to get me change. Once everything was settled they told me to wait in the lobby and the bus would stop for me outside around 7. It didn't.
At 10 minutes past 7 I asked if they were sure it was coming. The lady impatiently told me to just sit and wait. I asked again at 7:30, and began to voice my frustration at 7:45 asking if they even called the company at all to tell them to get me. They arranged for a tuk-tuk driver to just take me to the bus station and I got there in time to get rushed onto the bus just moments before it left at 8:00.
I guess I would add this as another reason I would NOT recommend the #11 Happy Guesthouse in Phnom Penh.
The bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Riep took about 5 hours, with a rest stop about halfway through. The scenery was pretty much the same as the other buses I had taken on this trip, though more river and field scenes. The rest stop was a bit more interesting than the previous ones I had been to. It was a tiny market area with a bathroom. They had a few tables selling fruit, chips, and water; there were also vendors selling fried tarantula, grasshopper, and cockroach.
A guy I met on the bus picked up the tarantula for a picture, but I will note he did not eat it.
We continued on our uneventful bus ride to Siem Reap and got dropped off at the bus terminal. Upon exiting, every passenger was harassed by about 50 tuk-tuk and motobike drivers. I even had one guy show me his name badge and said he was from the hotel. When I asked what hotel (being a smartass) he just said "What hotel are you staying at". I kept trying to walk away when he grabbed me by the arm to lead me to his tuk-tuk. Then a very nice guy from behind me politely asked where I would like to go and said he would take me anywhere for $3. I immediately said ok and he got the other guy to leave me alone. This turned out to be a wonderful decision. The driver's name was Taat. He is 25 years old and moved to Siem Reap to become a tuk-tuk driver to earn money for college, which he needs $400 to attend. He has been working for 2 years and still has not saved enough money. His parents are poor farmers in the country side. He turned out to be great company during my stay.
Anyway, Taat drove me to my hotel, but it turned out to be a lot further from the bus station than either of us had thought. It was about a 20 minute drive from the bus station. When we got there, he didn't charge me any extra money even though it was far. He asked if he could take me around during my stay and we agreed to $12 a day to go wherever I wanted around Siem Reap.
I stayed at the Paradise Eco Resort. It was a really nice place for $10 a night. It had a nice room, a good restaurant, a bar, a pool, bicycles, and a computer for use. I would definitely recommend this place, though its a bit far from the city you can easily hire a tuk-tuk or just take a bike there if you have enough time.
The next morning I woke up and had a delicious breakfast of eggs, toast, baked beans, fruit, and orange juice. Just as I was finishing Taat arrived and we headed out for my first day around the Angkor Wat complex!
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat, meaning "City Temple", is not one temple, but a huge complex of temples that were built in the early 12th century for King Suryavarman II. Originally, it started out as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu. 27 years after King Suryavarman II's death, the temple was conquered by the Chams who were traditional enemies of the Khmer. Jayavarman VII restored the empire and the temple was gradually changed to a Buddhist site.
Angkor Wat is the world's largest religious site. It was built as a representation of Mount Meru, center of the world and home to the gods in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain cosmology. The temple complex is a source of great national pride of Cambodia. It is a beautiful temple of Khmer architecture and intricate reliefs telling religious myths.
map
There are plenty of vendors around the entire complex selling snacks, food, drinks, and souvenirs at decent prices. I will note that this is probably the best place to buy souvenirs in terms of prices. You can haggle to get lower prices, but I found that even the asking price they give you is a lot lower than in the market.
I have also read that the number 54 was used because 5+4=9 and 9 is a lucky number.
Angkor Wat really is a beautiful complex. I am glad I was able to go and had 3 days to spend going around the complex during the day and just relaxing by the pool in the evenings. On my last day, after seeing the last set of temples, I went to the market, had dinner, and got a massage before going to the airport.
The food I had in Siem Reap was delicious. I mostly ate chicken and rice dishes or curry. I highly recommend the Khmer massage, especially after walking around the temples for 3 days!
All the pictures from the trip can be found on my Picasa site: https://picasaweb.google.com/aeihrig/SiemReapCambodia#
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Phnom Penh
Ok, so we will pick up my journey from my hotel in Ho Chi Minh. I woke up and was transported by taxi (courtesy of the hotel) to the bus I would be taking to Phnom Penh. The bus left at 7:30 am. The route was actually more scenic than I thought (though, I really had no idea what to expect).
Roughly 2 hours later we arrived at the border. We had to take all our belongings off the bus and go through security and passport control. The bus driver had taken our passports when we got on the bus and handed them to the officials at the border who processed them then called our names. After returning our passports we could get back on the bus and drive to the Cambodian side of the border where we had to go through passport control again and show our visa.
The process was really simple and didn't take very long at all. We got back on the same bus and continued on. The scenery was pretty much the same the whole way, except when we got to the ferry port. At one point the bus was parked on a ferry and transported across a river, this took only a few minutes then we were back on the road and arrived in Phnom Penh around 1pm. (Don't remember the time, but it was somewhere around there).
My phone, which had worked in Vietnam, decided it wanted a vacation too. So, I wasn't able to contact my hostel which provided free pick up service. Instead, I took my first tuk-tuk! hehe, I must say I kinda enjoy travelling by tuk-tuk.
After attempting to convince me the hostel I had booked was no good, he finally agreed to take me to my hostel for $3. I stayed at the #11 Happy Guesthouse. Actually, to be quite honest, I'm not sure if that is where I slept. I'll explain. When I arrived I walked under this sign to see a bunch of Cambodian people just sitting around, but nothing that looked hostel-like. A guy came up and asked me if I wanted a room here and took me to an area next door. They had a sign with both the #11 Happy Guesthouse and another name. Maybe they have 2 names? I was slightly confused but still took the $5 room.
I must say, I was not impressed with this $5 room. I took it because I was tired and it was only 2 nights. The other places in the area were about the same. I didn't enjoy this place because the room was really dirty. I'm pretty sure the sheets were not clean, I KNOW the bathroom wasn't cleaned, and the second night I woke up to a cockroach running around the room. This little bug kept me up for a few hours, being paranoid about it getting onto the bed or into my bag, or even worse having some friends.
Oh well, it was $5 and only 2 nights. Oh, and the shower was freezing!!
So my first night in Phnom Penh I just ate dinner at the hostel and went to sleep early (I'm on vacation too after all!)
Wednesday morning I woke up and decided to see the Choeung Ek Killing Fields first. A guy who worked at the hostel took me to the fields by moto bike for $15.
Also, I highly suggest getting a tour guide for this site. A guide will be able to tell you the history and more details that you would get by going yourself. I tried walking around myself, and quickly realized I was missing out on a lot, so I got a guide for myself, and was really glad I did. The guides can be hired "by donation", they suggest $5, and I thought it was worth it.
Choeung Ek
Choeung Ek had been a Chinese graveyard until 1975 when the Khmer Rouge began to use it as an execution site. Between 1975 and 1979, about 18000 people were tortured and killed there. This was not the only killing field used by the Pol Pot regime, there were thousands more like it, but Choeung Ek was the largest site, killing the most amount of people.
The first thing you see and Choeung Ek is the memorial stupa where bones of the victims are kept. The bottom layer is filled with clothes that have been found, the next few layers with around 8,000 skulls, and the higher levels have the remaining bones.
Let's move onto the killing process. Prisoners were brought from the S-21 prison (more on this site later) in trucks. Two or three trucks were sent monthly with 20-30 prisoners. This was always done at night to hide the operation from the surrounding farmers. People who were killed at Choeung Ek tended to be people of higher status (doctors, teachers, politicians). They would be separated into 2 groups, one of men and the other of women and Children. Prisoners were led to a ditch and ordered to kneel down. They were then clubbed on the neck or stabbed and thrown into the ditch. After all prisoners were in the ditch, the executioners would scatter chemical substances over the body to both kill any prisoners still alive and cover the stench of the decaying bodies. They were then buried whether all the prisoners were dead or alive.
Sometimes, kids and their mothers would be taken to the "killing tree". Here, executioners would hold children by their ankles and beat them against the tree while their mothers would watch and then the mothers would be raped then killed.
Roughly 2 hours later we arrived at the border. We had to take all our belongings off the bus and go through security and passport control. The bus driver had taken our passports when we got on the bus and handed them to the officials at the border who processed them then called our names. After returning our passports we could get back on the bus and drive to the Cambodian side of the border where we had to go through passport control again and show our visa.
The process was really simple and didn't take very long at all. We got back on the same bus and continued on. The scenery was pretty much the same the whole way, except when we got to the ferry port. At one point the bus was parked on a ferry and transported across a river, this took only a few minutes then we were back on the road and arrived in Phnom Penh around 1pm. (Don't remember the time, but it was somewhere around there).
So my first night in Phnom Penh I just ate dinner at the hostel and went to sleep early (I'm on vacation too after all!)
Wednesday morning I woke up and decided to see the Choeung Ek Killing Fields first. A guy who worked at the hostel took me to the fields by moto bike for $15.
Also, I highly suggest getting a tour guide for this site. A guide will be able to tell you the history and more details that you would get by going yourself. I tried walking around myself, and quickly realized I was missing out on a lot, so I got a guide for myself, and was really glad I did. The guides can be hired "by donation", they suggest $5, and I thought it was worth it.
Choeung Ek
Choeung Ek had been a Chinese graveyard until 1975 when the Khmer Rouge began to use it as an execution site. Between 1975 and 1979, about 18000 people were tortured and killed there. This was not the only killing field used by the Pol Pot regime, there were thousands more like it, but Choeung Ek was the largest site, killing the most amount of people.
Going there now is a really moving experience. Again, I really suggest getting a tour guide as it will be more meaningful and you will get more out of the experience. Walking around you will see bits of bones, clothing, and hair sticking up from the ground.
They also have plastic cases where they put bones as they are discovered or uncovered after it rains.
The last thing you really see is the last grave they made. When the operation was about to be shut down, due to Vietnam finding out about the killing field and moving in on the Pol Pot regime, they did a mass killing of 450 victims.
I was really moved by the killing fields and the terrible history of Cambodia, but it by no means ends here.
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
Next the motobike driver took me to S-21, also known as the Tuol Sleng Genocide museum.S-21 was formerly a High School until the Khmer regime turned it into a prison and interrogation center. About 17,000 people were kept here from 1975-79, with 1,000-1,500 at any given time.
Prisoners were interrogated then arrested, often under false charges, and forced to sign a confession. They were kept in cells; some in small cells, and some in larger communal cells.
They were beaten harshly if they disobeyed any of the rules, which were displayed on a big sign..
Prisoners were kept here for 2-3 months until the were killed and buried near the prison or taken to Choeung Ek.
To get prisoners to confess to the bogus charges made up by their captors, they were tortured by various means, including pulling out their fingernails while pouring alcohol on their wounds, electric shock, and waterboarding.
Of the estimated 17,000 prisoners at S-21, there are only 7 known survivors and 4 are still alive today.
There are many books, websites, and documentaries out there for anybody interested in more information.
Now onto more cheerful aspects of my trip. After leaving the Tuol Sleng museum I took a tuk-tuk to the area of the Royal Palace. The palace was closed between 11 and 2:30, so I took this opportunity to walk over to the Friends restaurant. Friends Restaurant is run by an NGO that helps train Cambodia's street children in hospitality service. I ordered Khmer chicken curry and a raspberry shake.
It was delicious and the students and teachers there provided great service and spoke English well enough that I had no problem communicating. I highly recommend this restaurant for both the food and service as well as to support its work. http://www.friends-international.org/
After lunch, I walked along the Mekong River. I stopped in one of the massage parlors and got a 60 minute massage for $12. ^_^
Royal Palace
My last stop of the day was the Royal Palace. It was built in 1866 and has been occupied by the Kings of Cambodia since. It costs $6 to get into the Palace, and if your legs or shoulders are not properly covered you can rent appropriate clothing for a small deposit. I was wearing shorts so I had to rent a sarong to cover my legs.
The Khmer architecture was beautiful and everything was elaborately decorated. I will just show you through pictures about the palace.
^ The Silver pagoda, aka Wat Preah Keo. If you go to my pictures on Picasa and look closely, you can see Buddha's head near the top of the tallest spire.
^ wall painting
^ resident of the King
^Kantha Bopha Stupa
After ambling around the Palace grounds, I walked back to my hostel, stopping by one of the markets, and got to sleep early for my bus to Siem Riep. That is where we will pick up next time! Would love some feedback from any readers out there!
pictures can be found here
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