We went from our highest high to our lowest low. From the Gili Islands, we arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Straight off the plane with little sleep we went to the Killing Fields followed by the S21 Prison Genocide Museum. It was a lot to take in. The Killing Fields was one of the many sites in Cambodia where hundreds of Cambodians were viciously slaughtered each day from 1975-1979. We couldn't believe how something this terrible could have gone on in such modern times. The worst part was the "mug shots" of all the prisoners in the cells of the S21 prison. Out of the 20,000 prisoners there, only 7 survived. We were privileged enough to meet one of them, however we were at a loss of words. What can you say to someone who has been through such suffering? For the first time in our travels we were overwhelmed with sadness. It was a well needed reality check. We had been in paradise, living on islands for so long it was nice to learn more about the culture of the people here. It was an especially touching experience.
After a loooonnnggg day we took the night bus to Siem Reap. Arriving at 7:30 in the morning we were off to the temples of Angkor. Keep in mind it has now been two nights without a good nights rest. These temples are HUGE. There are soooooooooooooo many to see and so little time. We rented a tuk-tuk to help us with this daunting task. They are breathtaking, each temple unique and beautiful in its own way. Our favourite one was Preah Khan Temple. It had gigantic trees growing in and around the ruins. It really signified how old these temples are. The history that these temples represent is like nothing we have seen before. Saturated with temples we headed back to Siem Reap for a night out on the town. We thought it very suiting to go to the bar "Angkor What?". We had an amazing, fun, and very cheap night. It was a nice change from the sombre mood we had been in for the past couple days.
The people of Cambodia are among the nicest we have met thus far. Everyone is always smiling, even when you aren't buying what they are selling, they will still talk to you and help you out with whatever you need. It was very refreshing after some of the pushy people we dealt with in Indonesia. The staff of our hostel have become our new best friends. Anyone who comes to Siem Reap we highly recommend staying at the Okay Villa Guesthouse (doesn't hurt that they have a pool on the ROOF).
We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here in Cambodia but look forward to our next destination: the 4,000 islands in Laos. Lets hope we make it through the border! (fingers crossed)
After a loooonnnggg day we took the night bus to Siem Reap. Arriving at 7:30 in the morning we were off to the temples of Angkor. Keep in mind it has now been two nights without a good nights rest. These temples are HUGE. There are soooooooooooooo many to see and so little time. We rented a tuk-tuk to help us with this daunting task. They are breathtaking, each temple unique and beautiful in its own way. Our favourite one was Preah Khan Temple. It had gigantic trees growing in and around the ruins. It really signified how old these temples are. The history that these temples represent is like nothing we have seen before. Saturated with temples we headed back to Siem Reap for a night out on the town. We thought it very suiting to go to the bar "Angkor What?". We had an amazing, fun, and very cheap night. It was a nice change from the sombre mood we had been in for the past couple days.
The people of Cambodia are among the nicest we have met thus far. Everyone is always smiling, even when you aren't buying what they are selling, they will still talk to you and help you out with whatever you need. It was very refreshing after some of the pushy people we dealt with in Indonesia. The staff of our hostel have become our new best friends. Anyone who comes to Siem Reap we highly recommend staying at the Okay Villa Guesthouse (doesn't hurt that they have a pool on the ROOF).
We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here in Cambodia but look forward to our next destination: the 4,000 islands in Laos. Lets hope we make it through the border! (fingers crossed)
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