Cambodia

Chou Doc
I went here to cross the border to Cambodja. I couldn't find anywhere to eat, so I ate in a place that looked like someone's home (complete with grannies in rockingchairs, blasting TV and pets).

Phnom Pehn
Go here by boat, that's quite nice. Talk to people on the boat and after and then meet up with Anouk, who I'm sharing a room with. It's always nice to see her even though she's stinks (I can smell as she is lying right next to me) and doesn't have the ability to say anything remotely normal. I wrote this little part when I was in my room with Anouk, I'm KL international airport right now and I must say that Anouk does not actually stink, I just wrote that because I thought it would be funny. In Phnom Pehn I (+ Anouk) go to the national museum (lot of statues), to the market, to Wat Phomn (small temple on a hill, with huge horizontal clock in fron of it) and to a stadium to watch people play sports. There was volleyball and I was itching to play but didn't.

Next day go to see the killing field museum an the killing field memorial at one of the mass graves. It wasn't as graphic as I thought it would be, but it left a big impression none the less. I read about Pol Pot and the strange thing is that on paper his ideas do not even sound that bad. He goes to France, studies at one of the best universities in the world, learns about Marx, figures out that class struggle is the problem in society, returns home, takes over, figures that to create a good society one must get rid of classes and then he continues to dogmatically follow through on that plan to the very last letter. This goes to show that theories are extremely limited when applied to reality.. especially when it comes to things such as society and morality.

Batambang
Anouk accompanies me on my trip to Batamabang, which is supposed to be chilled out and the boat trip to Siem Reap is supposed to be really beautiful. On arrival we find out that there's no water in the river, so no boat trip. The city is chilled out though. The place also has the best fruit shakes in the world (people drink a lot of fruit shakes in South East Azie). We go on a moto-tour of the country side the next day. Climb up and mountain where we see a lot of very large and impressive Buddha statues, talk to very nice monk and finally go to the killing cave. The killing cave was quite a special place.. it was used by the Khmer Rouge as a mass grave and there was still a room full of skulls to bear witness to this fact. It was however, also a place of Buddhist 'worship'. It was cheerfully decorated and there was a nun accepting donations and tying pieces of string around people's wrists. The nun, was a beautiful site to see. She was probably in her 80's. The level of compassion, calm and equanimity that she radiated was extraordinary. I have not see it to degree anywhere, not even in the Abbot's of the monastries I visited. The whole cave was an extremely peaceful place, which was paradoxical, due to its violent past. After we donated, Anouk commented on how she noticed how must pleasure she derived from giving.

Siem Reap (and the temples of Angkor)
Siem Reap is a nice trourist town, with a chill vibe. Every country seems to have a town like this (Vietnam has Hoi An and Laos has Luang Prabang). Siem Reap is the town next Angkor Wat, which is a world famous Khmer empire temple, which is surrounded by a large aount of other temples and settlements. First day I go see the far away ones, by tagging along on a tuk tuk with two of Anouk's friends, who turn out to be really nice. Second day I rent a bike and go see the closer one of which Ta Prom is the most famous one (Tomb Raider was filmed here). There was a lot of cycing and it was really hot at the end of the day I was completely broken. The third day I go and see Angkor Wat and the Bayon, which is the central temple of the city of Angkor Thom. Needless to say these structure are extremely impressive. And I toroughly enjoyed visiting them. I must say however, that the main thing they seemed to signifiy is impermanence. You can tell how they must've been extremely impressive when they were just finished, but they're all coming apart now (after a thousand years). So as great and permanent as they must've seemed, in the end they are also but a ripple in the ocean of reality, that is now on it's way to evening out again. When the Khmer empire was in full swing it must've been an extremely impressive sight to see though .

My hostel had a volleyball court and I played a litte on bear foot. After 10 mnutes I had developed really large blisters however :( So large in fact that it was more like the soles of my feet were coming off. Anouk put some pandages on me though and it was a lot better after. After two days it felt alright and I played some more v-ball while wearing shoes. It was good to play again, I do miss my sport.