splendid

i must say, i am rather liking cambodia at the mo. it is a really pleasant place to be and the chaps here are just swell. they have smiley eyes and a hearty genuine laugh. they potter around in their daily lives doing what cambodians do, and having a damned good time doing it. and they're not just looking to make a quick buck out of you. they just want to learn english. and the food here is good. it contains a lot of coconut milk and it is not as spicey as thai food. it compliments my stomach well. as does the angkor beer. it is very nice (when it is cold). cambodia really is jolly splendid.

cambodians have had quite a rough time in the recent past. the extremely violent khmer rouge regime massacered over 2 million people between 1975 and 1979. it was rather uncivil of pol pot (the khmer rouge leader) to murder that many people. they used to make people climb trees. those that reached the top were seen as peasants and were useful for working the fields. those that didn't reach the top were seen as intellectuals and were useful for fertilising the fields - even the intellectuals had their uses, pol pot said. in order to save bullets they used to bludgeon the people to death with blunt objects. and they did this in the name socialism. goddamn crazy swine.

so i am in battambang at the mo. got here via a very scenic but very long 7hr boat ride from siem riep. there is not a hell of a lot to do here. except kick back and relax and read books and drink beer and eat quality cambodian food. jolly good show.