Off to Cambodia
Well off to Cambodia tomorrow, this is really one country I don’t particularly like to visit. There are some fantastic temples in the Siem Riep area that are mind blowing and it is a very green and naturally beautiful country, but the poverty, corruption and overall sadness of the place is overwhelming.
The country is rich in minerals so it is in the interest of many countries to keep it destabilized so the smuggling of gems is easier for the gangsters. You wouldn’t believe the list of western and eastern countries that support their civil wars. Gems for Guns you know, good money for the bad guys .
If you don’t know anything about Cambodia’s recent history, there was this wacko guy during the Vietnam war era, Pol Pot. He decided that the country should become totally rural so he would kill anyone that was educated, and anyone with glasses, since he felt they could obviously read. Then he brainwashed the children and everyone was made a farmer.
Anyhow after something like 25 years of brutal civil war, and halve the population of the entire country being killed, it is a sad place to go. There are a lot of unexploded ordnance around and landmines still and many people including children are missing limbs. It is so corrupt, if you are a gangster driving a car you don’t even need a licence plate on it. The cops wont stop you for fear of being killed.
Anyhow I probably wont be able to post tommorow, see you all in a couple of days.
