(this happened on) Tuesday 8th December 2009 in Siem Reap, Cambodia
So our last full day in the Kingdom of Cambodia. Today we are all up and raring to go, I was up at 7:00 and was soon down by the pool writing up my travel blog.
at 10:00am we ll jumped in Lee’s car and were off, first stop was further away today and was the ‘lady temple’ it was a very impressive place, with nice lakes around it with water lilies, the only problem we had today at this temple was the large numbers of Japanese travelers all in groups and seemingly traveling together, they all want to be photographed at the same time, at the same place, one at a time seemingly oblivious to people waiting to get through or stepping right into a picture you may be about to take.
They’re still better than the Russians who are everywhere nowadays and lack respect for anybody or anything. I watched four of these idiots cavorting around the delicate temple climbing up walls and striking stupid poses, failing totally to consider where they are, sadly I have to say I think the russians are as a whole the most obnoxious people whenever I come across them on holiday.
Incy Wincy Spider
We enjoyed a nice stroll around the surrounding area looking as we always do for snakes, lizards and spiders, Sofia found a couple of very large colorful spiders, sadly again we saw no snakes, and then it was back to the car.
We then went to a much quieter temple, it only had a handful of other travelers, it was not the most intricate temple, but, it still was worth a good couple of hours. Again Sofia seemed to be the victim separated from the herd by the hunters selling their trinkets they recognize her as the weakest. she is incapable of saying the word NO! instead she will say yes very nice, or, I have already got one, a sure sign that she can weaken and be tempted to buy.
It gave us much to laugh about as poor Sofa would be besieged.
After this temple we asked Lee to take us to the Land Mine Museum, this is a must do for everybody, it will firstly make you realize the still ongoing daily struggle these people have to endure thanks to the fact there are still maybe 3 to 5 million land mines in the country plus untold numbers of other ordinance including booby traps, trip wires still dot he jungle areas, leading still to this day to death and serious injury.
The person that set the museum up Aki Ra, has the most amazing story, sad but filled with hope and ultimately the man is a true hero, much more deserving of medals, Orders of the British Empire and other bullshit trinkets that our pathetic Royal Family are happy to pass onto so called pop and tv stars, but of course somebody like him is not eligible. Or the fact that Obama gets a nobel peace prize for what?
This man is deserving of all these things and more. his parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge before he was five, by ten the khmer rouge gave him a gun and he became a soldier fighting for a cause that he never understood, he only knew war and believed war was the natural state of things at around 14 he left the Khmer Rouge and fought against them for the Vietnamese army, over his life he laid thousand of land mines, considering them his friend as they protected him, sometimes helped to feed him.
When the wars were all over he started clearing mines to help his community, this was unpaid, he claims to have cleared over 50,000 such items many of which are on display, his name spread far and wide ad he was soon being asked for help by other villages.
His story from there is amazing and more information can be found HERE:
It was a very interesting and informative visit and a suitable way to end our trip.
Our visit to the Temples of Ankor Wat was over, butt his is the most spectacular place I have ever visited. I am sure we will be back. I want to take so many more photographs and interact with the wonderful Cambodian people who despite everything they have been through are still so amazingly friendly.
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