Kratie and surrounding areas by bike

Today was a fun but hectic day. We decides that we would ride bikes which may have been the wrong choice. Not that the ride was far we probably only did 40km today but the bikes were not the best bikes in the world. We definitely did what we wanted to and more. We saw the fresh water dolphins of the Mekong. It was cool to see them. We went to the rapids area where we were charges .12 to enter. It's an area that crosses the Mekong with floating bungalows where tons of hammocks are hung up everywhere. We passed all of that and crossed over to a couple islands. It was kind of fun fording the Mekong and playing around. 

One of the evil monkeys 

Interesting Buddhist mural. 

We made friends with a Monk at a wat up in the mountains that had a cool view of the river and the surrounding valley. There we also saw a bunch of monkey's attack a dog. It was pretty vicious. 

When we finished looking for dolphins we had some cambodian guys ask us to come party with then. They tried to give us beers but we just danced in their makeshift dancefloor. It was a tarp. It was really pretty fun actually. They really enjoyed watching some white guys trying to dance. 

All in all it was a really full but fun day. 

An education on the Khmer Rouge

Today we are going to the killing fields and s21 genocide museum. We are at s21 which is a converted school the Khmer Rouge used to imprison torture and kill prisoners accused of treason. The Khmer Rouge didn't believe in formal education and so they shut down all forms of formal education. 20,000 prisoners came through s21 with only 7 survivors. Conditions were abhorrent and the means of torture were barbaric. The sad thing is there have only been three convictions from all the horrible crimes that took place. The death toll Khmer Rouge are estimated between 700k to 3 million people. Mass graves are scattered around the country and are still being found today.  The brutality was deplorable. 

It's estimated that as many as 3 million of 8 million were killed. The Khmer Rouge was a communist faction led by pol pot. Around 20k people lost their lives in the area we are visiting. It's sad listening to some of the stories. Conditions were so horrible for the prisoners. 

Mass grave 

It was a heavy day going through all the genocide memorials. We decides to catch a movie and then he's to a hostel where they were having an open mic night. It was lots of fun. A nice way to unwind. 

We are in another bus headed to Kratie. We are in for a ton of bus rides. We started in siem reap went down to the southern coast of Cambodia. We will go up through the northern border into Laos around four thousand islands. We will head north through Laos go in Vietnam in the north and then head to the south. Should be a good time. Hopefully we can catch some night busses. The buses are crazy. There is never anyone who speaks English and you are never quite sure what's going on. They regularly oversell them. The driving is insane and the roads leave much to be desired. I actually kind of enjoy them. I can for the experience and this is definitely a part of it. 

Beach fun and our first night in Phnom Penh

We are on a bus to Phnom Penh  after four nights in Sihanoukville I am ready to go. We had a nice stay though. Plenty of time on the beach. Our last day we Decided to go explore a bit. We walked through town and we also went to the end of the beach area and up into the forest. Sihanoukville was a cool little each town but not a ton to do or see. We were there for Australia Day which was funny. It didn't matter if you were Australian or not you celebrated. They had a booze cruise for the occasion so people were stumbly at a much warier hour yesterday. We had a really nice barbecue on the beach as well. It was $3. I had barracuda and beef both of which were really good.  I also had a fruit shake which is a pretty standard. Choice for me. The bus ride has taken is through some really pretty areas. Rice fields and rovers in some area. Fun fact about Cambodia they drive on the right side of the rode. So I have almost died a few times as I had become accustomed to driving on the left. It was interesting. Someone on the bus brought his motorbike with him so they loaded it on with the rest of the luggage. 

Food container

Our first night in Phnom Pehn we walked around a bit. Got some street food and went to independence monument. 

Sihanoukville

So we are on our was the Sihanoukville and the bus ride has been quite the experience. We get there and they tell is that they have oversold the bus so we are going to have to take another bus. So we get on another bus which is not nearly as nice as what we were supposed to get which was a full on bed. Anyway it's a frustrating experience. Then we have to switch buses at one point. We are on the bus now and getting pretty close to our destination. I got some sleep but could really have used some more. I don't think Brandt is a fan of night buses though. 

We have been here a couple days now and there's not a ton to write about. We are in a really cool little beach town but we haven't done very much. We went and jumped off the end of the pier a couple of times which was fun. We have met some really cool people. Seems like a lot of British and Australians. We also have met a handful of Canadians here. The Australians we met were really cool. They were both law students. Tomorrow is Australia Day so they were ready to have a big night and subsequently a big day on the booze cruise the next day. 

Food and accommodations are cheap. We are paying $10 for our room which is easily walking distance from the water. Meals run anywhere from $1-4. We had a barbecue on the beach for $3 last night.

Cambodian people are some of the nicest we have met so far. They can be a little pushy. Especially tuk tuk drivers who will offer tuk tuk, weed, and boom boom (prostitutes) usually in that order. It's kind of sad but a reality of the area. Prostitution is a real issue. 

Cambodia has been a ton of fun and still lots to see. 

Battambang

We just got to battambang and it's a pretty cool town. We were met at the bus stop by a swarm of tuk tuk drivers who wanted you Togo to their hotel. We went to a hotel where are room with two beds is $5. Try use the the US dollar here except change is there currency. We are going to go in the bamboo train and our driver is charging us for about 2 hours of work $3. The drivers English is actually really good. He has like an Australian accent. 

Well Battambang was a bit of a pass through town. We had fun riding the bamboo train and wandering the markets. I just got a massage from a blind guy that was far and away the deepest massage I have had. It's interesting the disables people almost always have to learn skills. Some play in bands at the temples, some massages, there is a group in siem reap who are artists. As a result it seems I'm the cities we have visited so far there is less begging.  

Quail

Cutest kid at a bus stop 

Street food 

View from the bamboo train 

Dance party

Gator farm

Live catfish in the closer containers and pig face in the back

Fruit and veggies market area.