Swimming in Cambodia

Phnom Penh (which I now believe I've learned how to spell...) has lived up to all its contradictory hype and warnings. On my first day it blew my mind (which it's general craziness) and broke my heart (at the Killing Fields and genocide museum). As much as I think I will be eager to leave here in a day or 2, I can honestly say this is one of the most interesting places I've ever been. I seems like so many cities are the same, even here in Asia. Well, Phnom Penh is like nothing I've ever seem before. Probably the closest thing is Bangkok, but in comparison Bangkok seems orderly and comprehendable, which is funny to say because it really is neither.

Flying in to Phnom Penh, I was struck from the air how similar it looked to Sacramento: long, wide valley, big winding rivers surrounded by houses and flood planes. But as I got closer to the ground and realized all the roads I could see were dirt, I got my first indication it would be pretty different. Maybe more like West Sac! (Haha. Sorry, inside joke for us "valley people.") I believe that PP is over 1.5 million, but it feels smaller as there no buildings over 4 stories or so. I never thought I would say this, but the craziness on the roads exceeds anything I saw when I visited China. Almost no lights or stop signs at any intersections with only marginal slowing down through intersections for anyone. They drive on the right side of the road here (yipee!!) except for sometimes when everyone seems to switch sides for no apparent reason (oh no!!). All sorts of vehicles on the roads together (from pedistrian and bikes through Semi-trucks) with all sort of passengers and cargo (I saw a guy on a scooter yesterday with no less than 50 dead (i hope?) chickens.)

For the most part things are cheap here and you know exactly what you spending. The currency of choice: US Dollars! Pretty surreal getting greenbacks out of an ATM in the PP airport...Even though it is pretty cheap, everyone really is out to make a buck (literally this time...) off you. I have found that it is somewhat less frustrating it consider this a "service fee"rather than being ripped off. (Example: my tuk-tuk driver helped me get a new SIM card. he acted like he was just being helpful. The reality is i paid more than normal at the phone shop and he got a kickback. this rip-off pissed me off, but this "service fee" was more understandable...)

Yesterday was pretty active with the genocide museum (which is at a site where over 20,000 people where tortured to death) , the Killing Fields, and the Royal Palace. Like I said, the genocide museum/Killing Fields were stunning. I did everything I could before to prepare myself, but you just can't be prepared. You walk through there and all you can do is say "Why? Why?"to yourself over and over. It was truly haunting and heartbreaking. The evil of man and the fear it can create is still tangible here some 30 years later. I'm not the most intuitive person, but I could even feel it just stepping off the plane. That said, the people here are remarkably friendly and upbeat. Not surprisingly (since 3 million people died between 1974-79) most of the people you meet are younger- most under 30 and thus born after "the events."

Today, I'm going a little slower - catching up on a few things and then maybe going to a massage place where all the masseurs are blind. Suppose to be really good and supports blind people. Also hopefully going to a market and the city's main temple. Tomorrow or the next day (haven't decided yet...) heading off on a long bus ride to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat.

More later. Sorry not too many jokes this time. Hard to do when talking about genocide I guess...

-erik