One extreme into another...
Door: Ome Tim
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Bobby Tim
30 Juni 2007 | Cambodja, Phnom-Penh
I don't know where to begin...
Arriving at Pnom Penh after a long bus journey, the hectic city life fell raw on my roof (dutch expresion, red.). Tuk tuk drivers were almost agressive and the traffic (and all effects) was overwhelming.
Luckily I was dropped off at the multi functional (ofcourse Chinese enterprised) touroperator, which conveniently had a guest house, a visa arrangement department, internet service and ATM...
Although I am notoriously known for my independence and 'I'll find it out my self' attitude, after inquiries, the prices all seemed more than fair and it was 'pretty handy' at the same time. After all after travelling so much, I don't have to make it more difficult than neccesary, right?
The next day (I met two girls from Espain, what very good was for my spanish practising and a bit surreal in Cambodia speaking spanish all the time after more than 3 months) we started out to see the Pol Pot's prison of interrogation, called S21, or Toul Sleng. This former school was converted to a prison to question 'enemies of the state' after the Pol Pot Clique came to power. over 14.000(!) people (men, women and childeren) were torture in one of the cruelst ways possible...
It is incredible how humans can do that to one and another. Well humans...
I am glad we waisted too much time to also visit the mass graves or 'Killing Fields' just out side of the city, so I could do it one at a day. From the latter I just came back... and have no words to describe what I've seen the last few days. I will be needing some time to digest it all, which is almost impossible to do.
It's just too incomprehendible to imagine.
So in between some of the cultural highlights of the world and the richness of the history and religion, there hides also one the most horrific human tragidies, in the chaos and diversity of this huge city, with its -stiking- poverty, I sometimes find a smiling face.
What an amazing world we life in!!!
Love you, love you all,
Tim
Arriving at Pnom Penh after a long bus journey, the hectic city life fell raw on my roof (dutch expresion, red.). Tuk tuk drivers were almost agressive and the traffic (and all effects) was overwhelming.
Luckily I was dropped off at the multi functional (ofcourse Chinese enterprised) touroperator, which conveniently had a guest house, a visa arrangement department, internet service and ATM...
Although I am notoriously known for my independence and 'I'll find it out my self' attitude, after inquiries, the prices all seemed more than fair and it was 'pretty handy' at the same time. After all after travelling so much, I don't have to make it more difficult than neccesary, right?
The next day (I met two girls from Espain, what very good was for my spanish practising and a bit surreal in Cambodia speaking spanish all the time after more than 3 months) we started out to see the Pol Pot's prison of interrogation, called S21, or Toul Sleng. This former school was converted to a prison to question 'enemies of the state' after the Pol Pot Clique came to power. over 14.000(!) people (men, women and childeren) were torture in one of the cruelst ways possible...
It is incredible how humans can do that to one and another. Well humans...
I am glad we waisted too much time to also visit the mass graves or 'Killing Fields' just out side of the city, so I could do it one at a day. From the latter I just came back... and have no words to describe what I've seen the last few days. I will be needing some time to digest it all, which is almost impossible to do.
It's just too incomprehendible to imagine.
So in between some of the cultural highlights of the world and the richness of the history and religion, there hides also one the most horrific human tragidies, in the chaos and diversity of this huge city, with its -stiking- poverty, I sometimes find a smiling face.
What an amazing world we life in!!!
Love you, love you all,
Tim
-
02 Juli 2007 - 17:38
Mom:
Wat een indrukken weer, jongen! En dan vertel je het nog maar in een paar regels. Ik lees wetenswaardigheden die ik eigenlijk niet eens wist. Ben ook niet zo'n wereldburger als dat jij aan het worden bent. Ik begrijp dat je heel veel ziet en daar ook je eigen gedachten en gevoelens bij hebt. Ben daar straks als je weer hier bent, heel erg benieuwd naar!
En ik denk wel meer mensen!
LOVE YOU en pas goed op jezelf, schat!
Je MOM -
03 Juli 2007 - 14:02
Thees & Caroline:
Tempo!
je gaat hard! Thees is net terug uit Yogya (heeft zich o.a. verdiept in de subcultuur van de old geezers bij tante Lies - don't ask, you really don't wanna know maar zeer veel special moments met zelfgestookte arak, kretek en hoeren op de achterbank), dus mijn achterstand in Bahasa is zwaar opgelopen. De enige wijze levensles die ik tijdens zijn afwezigheid heb opgedaan is dat de gemiddelde Hong Kong Chinees niet kan bowlen, dus dat geeft wel aan hoe spannend het in Singapore en omgeving was.
Any news from Cris? We lost his e-mail address so hope you might have it. Let me know if you do.
Mail ons even als je nog naar Singapore/HK komt - juli en een deel van augustus zijn we "rundum Hause". Daarna waarschijnlijk 2 weken in Sarawak of Irian.
Ciao, Thees & Caroline
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