Emotional Cambodia

Hi again everyone~
I kind of jumped back and forth on the last 2 entries because internet was not available...so, here is a separate entry just for Cambodia, as it deserves...
As I said after a day in Ho Chi Mingh, we left the next morning for Phnom Penh, where we were able to experience the National Museum, the president's palace~this one is one bldg on 20 acres!

and enjoy a sunset boat ride on the Makong Delta-no pics, too dark. We stayed at one of the most beautiful hotels right across the street from the US Embassy~so you can imagine that it was nice...I happen to have one of the beautiful suites which I shared with Amie-holly cow...here are a few shots of the room-more like palatial suite...it was a nice transition day to get into what then would become a very emotional day the second day...the terrential rains were amazing that night as we stepped foot into the hotel and which continued on throughout the night. I ended up having an hour message that night which allowed me to sleep well!
We woke up early to get to the killing fields, as it was outside of the city. The guide was concerned about the crazy roads and indeed they were not paved and very muddy roads. It took a little longer than normal from the rains the night before...take a look...

And then there were the killing fields-goodness gracious-everytime I have experienced seeing these genocides in a variety of locations in the world from different periods of time, I am always struck that "human being" would do this to another human being...and we, as fellow human beings, watch on...the stories of our guide about the Khmer Rouge had me in tears more than once throughout the day and I was a mess at the killing fields. Then the Tuol Sleng (genocide) Museum...I am still left with welling eyes as I write this now...we really all need to jump and down and do something when this is happening anywhere in the world, because it is our fellow human being and this just has to stop~AND NOW!!! Over 3 milion people were killed, tortued and multilated...they focused on the educated people and in many cases, killed off generations of lineage of families-one being our tour guide's family...his mother, father, uncle, sister and 2 brothers were killed-he survived after being at the camp, but his skills were needed and so spared-

From there we went to the the Toul Sleng genocide museum-more of the same atrocities but at a school that was converted into a prison...the killing stories continued-this was an incarceration point where folks were detained who might have worked for the KGB or other anti-establishment organizations-rooms upon rooms of pictures, stories are all documented~the hardest part for me? That this all happened in my 20's from 1975-1978~what were we being told, why did someone not do something? Why is this happening now, today...still?

From there, we were all fairly sober the rest of the day but went then to experience the Russian market-many russian people imigrated to this region to flee communist regime's and wars and somewhat like a "china town" in america, this was considered the russian district. Had lunch flew to our next destination, Siem Riep-it was only a 38 minute plane flight~from the airport, we went straight to see Angkor regionin the late afternoon. Another amazing incomparable set of temples built between 7 and 11 centuries ago at the height of the Khmer civilization. Angkor's 100 or so temples make up the sacred skeleton of an administrative and religious center which covers acres upon acres of land. These were designed by a a dozen or so Khmer Kings-the most famous being Angkor Wat, designed by SuryavarmanII who reigned from 1112 to 1152, to honor Vishnu and later for his funeral temple. There are towers upon towers carved with 4 faces facing east west north and south. Take a look at some shots here...

sorry about this, the pics are somehow not cooperating and will not download-I think it could be the internet is very busy right now because it is also taking a very long time-I will try again in the morning...it is now afternoon and again still having problems with pics...so I think I will try a new entry and hope that is the issue...follow me to the next entry then...love, ro