Discovering Cambodia

We made it to Cambodia!!

Last Friday we hopped on the bus to the (unofficial) border crossing Laos-Cambodia. Crossing it was an experience on its own: a bus dropped us in a forest, near a small hut: Lao Border. We signed some papers, paid $1 and walked (!) 1 km through the forest to the Cambodian Border: tiny hut was the place to be! There again: we filled in some forms even though we had visas and paid $1...Sounds not to bad: and it wasn't if you compare it with the day before that someone got robbed in the forest and that sometimes people have to pay $30-40-50 just to cross the border...Why that much? Don't know, just because they can I presume...

We hopped on another bus to Kratie (we had to changes buses another 3 times...) where we spend the night. Tiny town, hardly any tourists (great!), so we spend the night playing cards with some schoolboys (age 15-16) who wanted to practise their English while playing cards with us. Great evening!!

The next day we took a local bus to Phnom Penh (capital). During the stops we saw quite some disabled people begging for money; most of them got disabled because of landmines. And Cambodia does not have a good health system, so we give them money every time we see one. It's really shocking to see so many of them.
As most of you know Cambodia has a terrible history (Khmer Rouge / Pol Pot Regime: 1975-1979); Guusje and I both read the History Chapter in the Lonely Planet twice to understand the History, but it is quite confusing. We talked to loads of people, but our questions seem to confuse them as well. After 2 movies and an excellent book ('First they killed my father' by Loung Ung: I recommend it!) I sort of get it now. The most shocking thing to realise is that most people of my age and definately the ones a bit older than me, have all experienced the horrors. Everyone you meet on the streets has lost a relative...And the landmines are still their legacy.

Phnom Penh: absolutely lovely city! Great ambiance, nice people, beautiful buildings and just a great place to be (especially compared to Vientiane). Definately a cool place to live. Moreover, the S21 museum (old prison during Khmer Rouge) and the Killing Fields outside the city centre were truly interesting: we spend the entire day there.

Update on the belly: After 6 days severe diarrhoea (it got worse at the end...) and quite some 'shrinking' on my side, Guusje put pressure on me: either go to hospital or take medicine. So I took the easy way out: medicine. I am okay now, still bit stomach ache. Even gained some weight again. (and I always say: the more of Maaike, the better...)

Again some peculiarities:
- it has happened again: a Lao man asked me why I did not eat meat. Was it because I am pregnant...Cheers, thanks man...
- Cambodian people speak better English than Lao people
- Khmer food is superb!
- a guy we met on the bus thought Guusje and I were a couple. We found out three days later when we met him in the city by accident. It was hilarious: it was actually our first time someone thought that. When he found out we weren't, he started hitting on me...Go figure...
- Latest fashion for women in Cambodia is wearing pyjama's during day time. No kidding.

And now: Siem Reap. Place to be to check out the next World Heritage location: Anchor Wat. We just had a quick preview during sunset. Looks amazing. Suske & Wiske in Cambodia is nothing compared to the real thing...

Thanks for all the comments by the way: it is lovely to read them all!