Sihanoukville in this time and place
So, unlike ourselves we find ourselves still living beach life in Sihanoukville. It's so hard to leave this place! Regularly you think; ah, no matter, I'll come back one day. But that is not the case here. This little wonderful pearl does only exist right here and now. Already you can see the skelettons of huge hotel complexes towering up over the white sand beaches. In a year or to this will be a charter paradise; but not my paradise. The days of calm and low scale, inexpensive business will be over. There will be no vendors selling lobsters on the beach (10 for 2 dollar) or bbqing squid on home made clay pots. The fishing villages will have surrended to golf courses and the people will be hotel staff, not farmers of fishermen.
It has already started, and I griev it thoroughly. At the same time I am grateful I got to see this place before it's too late.
Some people would say Sihanoukville is developing. I'm not so sure. Like the king who is the town namesake I hope it will retake the thone and develop in a way that is profitable for it's people. We will see in a year or two...
Tomorrow we are off anyway. We stop in Phnom Pehn over night and continue on to Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday. I can't wait to get back to Vietnam!
Furthermore we are both alive and well..
Keep your heads cool. Don't eat yellow snow.
Love Mickan
It has already started, and I griev it thoroughly. At the same time I am grateful I got to see this place before it's too late.
Some people would say Sihanoukville is developing. I'm not so sure. Like the king who is the town namesake I hope it will retake the thone and develop in a way that is profitable for it's people. We will see in a year or two...
Tomorrow we are off anyway. We stop in Phnom Pehn over night and continue on to Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday. I can't wait to get back to Vietnam!
Furthermore we are both alive and well..
Keep your heads cool. Don't eat yellow snow.
Love Mickan
Lao adventures
I have some news too. I got a position for a job as an English teacher! From the 3rd of Marh and three months onward I will work in the small town of Vang Vieng in Laos. Volontary of course. It will probably be a wonderful experience, it feels good to e able to give something back. Even if it is just three months of my life, at least it is something.
So now you know...
I kiss you all on both cheeks, French style.
So now you know...
I kiss you all on both cheeks, French style.
A piece of paradise
Jossan and myslef have really found a piece of paradise here in Sihanoukville! The beches are so pure and white; walking in the sand feels like walking in warm snow. The views are puifyng and the crowd is a nice, mixed bunch of people.
Today we took an island tour with a longboat, just cruising in the archipleago, stoping to snorkel at various places. I guess the coral reafs was nothing like the Aussi ones but they satisfied my imagination and hunger for adventures.
At noon we stoped on a beautiful, close to deserted island and enjoyed a rough game of volleyboll before eating some tasty barracuda that was bbqued right there on the beach. After a nice walk, we fell asleep in the sun; totally content with life.
For obvious reasons I think we will stick around here for a couple of days longer than we first planned. We have no rush to leave paradise.
This place is just waiting for the turist boom. I think we got here just in time to see the unspoilt Cambodian coast.
L'histoire du Cambodge
After spending two days in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Pehn, I already feel a bit more educated concerning the history of this (quite unfortunat) country. Of course I was familiar with some of it's history, the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot is not easily overlooked, but a visit to Phnom Pehn really puts the details into context. The town in itself is not very pretty,making an exception for the pagodas Wat Phnom and the Silver Pagoda and the river walk, but it holds an historical value and some significant and interesting museums.
We started our exploration of Cambodia's 20th century history with a visit to the Toung Slen Genocide Museum. Used under the name S21 during Pol Pot's era, mainly for torturing and executing "enemies" of the Democratic Kambuchea. The enemies coiuld be anyone with an education, or a high rank or even someone whos only crime was wearing glasses.
The museum in itself is not a very agreable experience, but as stated; educating and important. It is horrible to see the state it is in, the governement having no funds for renovations and with no external fundings coming in, this historical monument is falling apart.
After seeing pictures of people imprisioned here, Jossan and I decided the next logical step was visiting the killing fields at Choung Ek situated some 12km outside the city. We hired a tuck tuck and were on our way. Though there was not much to see the visit was an awarding experience. We visited the stupa raised here for the people who died under Pol Pot's era and lighted incence for the 8 000 skulls collected here.
Yesterday we went to the National Museum and to the central market, selling everything from deep fried cricket to jewellry. In the evening we watched a movie about the Cambodian Genocide and by doing so compleating our education. At least for now.
This morning we took an early bus to Sianhoukville and that is were you find us at the moment.. It seems like quite a good place. White sand and turquise water, fruit juices for 50 cent. A bit of a change and we are basically the only ones here, it's a bit of a diamond in the rough. I think we may like it here...
Just to make things clear to everyone. Trinity Collage is a collage in Dublin and where I plan to spend my next four years... Jackson, try googeling it and you'll see.
Bissous!
We started our exploration of Cambodia's 20th century history with a visit to the Toung Slen Genocide Museum. Used under the name S21 during Pol Pot's era, mainly for torturing and executing "enemies" of the Democratic Kambuchea. The enemies coiuld be anyone with an education, or a high rank or even someone whos only crime was wearing glasses.
The museum in itself is not a very agreable experience, but as stated; educating and important. It is horrible to see the state it is in, the governement having no funds for renovations and with no external fundings coming in, this historical monument is falling apart.
After seeing pictures of people imprisioned here, Jossan and I decided the next logical step was visiting the killing fields at Choung Ek situated some 12km outside the city. We hired a tuck tuck and were on our way. Though there was not much to see the visit was an awarding experience. We visited the stupa raised here for the people who died under Pol Pot's era and lighted incence for the 8 000 skulls collected here.
Yesterday we went to the National Museum and to the central market, selling everything from deep fried cricket to jewellry. In the evening we watched a movie about the Cambodian Genocide and by doing so compleating our education. At least for now.
This morning we took an early bus to Sianhoukville and that is were you find us at the moment.. It seems like quite a good place. White sand and turquise water, fruit juices for 50 cent. A bit of a change and we are basically the only ones here, it's a bit of a diamond in the rough. I think we may like it here...
Just to make things clear to everyone. Trinity Collage is a collage in Dublin and where I plan to spend my next four years... Jackson, try googeling it and you'll see.
Bissous!
Appropa Raul Wallenberg
Forst av alt; kara foraldrar och vanner, ni behover verkligen inte skriva pa engelska nar ni skriver kommentarer. Som bevisat har forstar jag fortfarande svenska. Valdigt sota kommentarer dock. Saknar er sa mycket!
De som vill kolla in my glory kan ga in pa www.lidingo.se eller http://www.gp.se/gp/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=361&a=322175 (GP) och lasa om det sjalva. jag kanner mig som en riktigt kandis! Sen far ni forstas lasa Lidingo Tidning nar den kommer.
Hoppas att ni som var pa ceremonin hade trevligt. Jag onskar med hela mitt hjarta att jag kunde varit dar, men det later ju lite cool nar det star att jag inte kunde narvara for att jag ar pa resa i Kambodja. Det ar ju en trost!
Wow, det har ar sa haftigt!
De som vill kolla in my glory kan ga in pa www.lidingo.se eller http://www.gp.se/gp/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=361&a=322175 (GP) och lasa om det sjalva. jag kanner mig som en riktigt kandis! Sen far ni forstas lasa Lidingo Tidning nar den kommer.
Hoppas att ni som var pa ceremonin hade trevligt. Jag onskar med hela mitt hjarta att jag kunde varit dar, men det later ju lite cool nar det star att jag inte kunde narvara for att jag ar pa resa i Kambodja. Det ar ju en trost!
Wow, det har ar sa haftigt!
The AC Minivan and a taste of Cambodia
Our jerney to Cambodia was supposed to take 12 hours, quite comfortable ones according to the travel agency, spent in an AC Minivan "Loads of space!". Not true.
Well it stared farely well, with four hours in an AC Minivan, through which Jossan and I slept most of the time. Then we got to a restaurant; "Short stop", we were told.
Three hours later the jerney recommenced, not in an AC Minivan. After that I think we changed buses five times and got off and on, showing visas, passports, leaving documents, entering documents, taking off bags, reloading bags, filling in forms etc. In short: A lesson in life. The last 8 hours we spent in an overcrowded magic bus. I mean it was magic it actually worked. The roads were not asphalt either I can tell you that.
Now; don't get me wrong, cause it might seem like I'm whining. Truth is: I love this! During those hours we acually saw Cambodia passing by through the dirty window. The real thing, dry and poor and absolutely wonderfull. We saw, we observed and atl east I will safeguard the images I saw.
Siem Reap is nohing like that. Allthough I must say I like this town anyways. Diversity; there you go; a word that tastes good. Despites it's constant powercuts this town has something.. extra.
Well it stared farely well, with four hours in an AC Minivan, through which Jossan and I slept most of the time. Then we got to a restaurant; "Short stop", we were told.
Three hours later the jerney recommenced, not in an AC Minivan. After that I think we changed buses five times and got off and on, showing visas, passports, leaving documents, entering documents, taking off bags, reloading bags, filling in forms etc. In short: A lesson in life. The last 8 hours we spent in an overcrowded magic bus. I mean it was magic it actually worked. The roads were not asphalt either I can tell you that.
Now; don't get me wrong, cause it might seem like I'm whining. Truth is: I love this! During those hours we acually saw Cambodia passing by through the dirty window. The real thing, dry and poor and absolutely wonderfull. We saw, we observed and atl east I will safeguard the images I saw.
Siem Reap is nohing like that. Allthough I must say I like this town anyways. Diversity; there you go; a word that tastes good. Despites it's constant powercuts this town has something.. extra.