3 Jan 2011

.Phnom Penh a.k.a. The strange depressing day.

We started with some good breakfast and a split up. I went to the royal palace and Nadia went to the national museum. Royal palace, by the way, is nothing `super awesome` bus nice. Museum is really good according to my new friend, so maybe you should check it out, if you once get here. We met again, so we could share a tuk-tuk to the killing fields. We chose this a bit annoying but complete sweetheart driver from our guesthouse and moved to the spot. The ride itself was very nice, we saw a different side of the city. Killing fields, however were far from nice. Much more depressing, actually. Watching those bones and skulls, massive graves, trees, that were functioning as a loud speaker or as a wall when torturing children was really hard to understand. Or to realize that all that mess happened just 30 years ago. Most of the time in there we were simply speechless.

And there were two monks walking in those fields as well. I was honestly shocked when I saw one of them looking and me and saying `hi, how are you?` for a second I thought he’s referring so someone else, but it turned out to be to me. One more surprise about the monks in this country – not all of them are so shy that they fear women as they were some evil.

After the killing fields we decided to take the edge off the depressing mood and entertain ourselves with some shooting experience. Oh, I’m not even sure if you can understand how good it felt for me to hold a gun in my hands, a real gun after more than a year of a break. I took AK47 and M16 for the trial. In the beginning I was shooting at the coconut [and I blew it!] and went on shooting to the regular target. Even Nadi was thrilled by all of the shooting thing, although she did not take a gun into her hands, so what to tell about me?

After the entertainment we went to the museum of genocide [as if killing fields were not enough] or the S-21 prison. In the middle of the city, if you can believe it and, if it wasn’t enough, in the ex school. And if I thought that killing fields were depressing, this one went through the roof. Torture rooms and pictures of the last 14 victims, tortured in them. Pictures of prisoners, torturing devices and paintings of torturing scenes hit me. When you think about it – people just died, with no specific or particular reasons. 3 billion all over the country in 4 years basically just because they were in the wrong place at a wrong timing, I guess.

So after this strange day full of cruel history and depression we decided to walk with almost no direction. Well, after a while we realized that the good direction would be `eating` since no lunch made both of us a little hungry. So without much of thinking we ended up in the same place we ate the last time with an amazing noodle soup and it still was the best.

After the dinner, the fun began. We went to sit along the river, took a beer, watched people walk. For some reason some homeless guy with his adorable little girl loved Nadia very much, that they have been wondering around for so long, tried to talk to her, kissed her arm. In a mean time there was an angel around. Some guy who appeared out of nowhere and disappeared the very same way. After those homeless mad us feel a lot uncomfortable we left hoping to find an angel. Well, angel was nowhere around but we sat back in front of the king, where less people starts coming to you.

That night we ended up in a bar next door with a beer, some nice people and `desperation` by Stephen King. Creepy movie, I have to add. And once again my plan not to have a short sleep during my trip failed completely. I woke up after only 4 hours of sleep and rushed for my bus to Kampot.

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