Phnom Penh

While traveling in South East Asia your sightseeing experiences cannot always be cheery and whimsical, or even enjoyable. Often times the history of these Asian countries is unpleasant and depressing, and the reality of the past must be dealt with. In Cambodia the two places described below are far from pleasant, in fact they are brutal and horrific places, but imperative to knowing and understanding the country.

In Capital City of Cambodia the recent past of the Khmer Rouge cannot be avoided. This brutal regime that was in power in Cambodia from 1975 til 1979, brutally murdered over two million people in the name of creating a class-less agrarian society. Normal citizens were rounded up for being so called "subversive elements" and "threats to the state." These victims were not given due process or any legal rights what so ever, and were sent to S-21 to be tortured and ultimately to the "Killing Fields" to be murdered.

Visiting the "Killing Fields" and S-21, (Security Prison 21) also know as Tuol Sleng Prison was an experience I will never forget. Words cannot describe the gruesome experience of walking through these notorious places and thinking of all the victims.

Our first day in Phnom Pehn we biked to the "Killing Fields" which are essentially farm lands about 16 kilometers outside of the Capital. This is the sight of mass graves and where most of the accused civilians were brought to be murdered by the Khmer Rouge Army. The land is still littered with bones and remnants of clothing from the victims. It was horrifying. The brutality still lingers in the air in these fields, it is a place that rattles a person to the core.

The following day we went to S-21 or Tuol Sleng Prison. Tuol Sleng is right in the heart of town only a fifteen minute walk from our guest house. This prison and torture center was once a girls high school that was converted into a place of interrogation and carnage. Eerie, haunting, creepy, chilling; none of these words come close to the terrified emotions one feels walking through this school. I have never been so frightened walking down the halls of a building. The magnitude of the killings and that took place boggles your mind.

During our stay in Phnom Pehn we also had the opportunity to attend the current tribunal that is being carried out by the United Nations and The Extraordinary Chambers of the Court of Cambodia. It has been 30 years since the Khmer Rouge dictatorship took over the government and only now are the perpetrators being brought to justice. This tribunal made up of International and Cambodia lawyers and judges is attempting to finally make justice possible for the victims and their families. The court is trying those who are still alive and were once in positions of power within the Khmer Rouge dictatorship. This is a task becoming increasingly more difficult, due to the fact that so much time has past.

We were able to hear one of the few survivors of S-21 give testimony about his horrendous torture and imprisonment. The defendant on trial at the moment is called Duch and he is the man who ran the S-21 prison from 1975-1979.

While we were in Phnom Penh many of the locals we met did not seem to know about the UN and ECC tribunal and were indifferent to discussing the Khmer Rouge past. The new generation of Cambodians want to put the past behind them and forget about this genocide. I cannot blame, them this history is tragic. I only hope that what little justice can be done will help to ease the pain and help the families and the country achieve some form of closure.

After visiting these places and learning what I could about the history, I came to my own conclusion that even with the convictions taking place and justice being carried out (or the most feasible version of justice considering the circumstances), the Khmer Rouge should never be forgotten. The atrocities committed by their leaders and supporters should stay fresh in our minds. This is the only way that "never again" becomes a reality instead of an empty pledge.

Fortunate Son

As an American you cannot visit Vietnam without contemplating the 25-year war we fought there. We call it the Vietnam War and the Vietnamese appropriately refer to the struggle as the American War. Vietnam is an interesting place to visit not only because of its heart wrenching history plagued with war and destruction; but for me the history certainly added to the power of its beauty and the respect you felt for the Vietnamese people. This country paid a large price for its sovereignty and you cannot escape the evidence of war here. Vietnam was awe-inspiring for me as an American. I believe that the blatant tenacity of the Vietnamese people and the magnificence of the land is provoking and makes one very introspective. No matter what your politics may be, traveling through this beautiful country is a humbling experience. It brings you to terms with your own values and forces you to think about American Ideals and American politics and about who pays for our blunders. It also made me think about the American soldiers and the price they payed for this war. It seemed that every time I let my mind wander while I looked out of the bus window at the landscape, the same thought would cross my mind, "what the hell were we doing fighting in Vietnam?"

The scenery of Vietnam is absolutely mesmerizing: the glistening rice patties, the gorgeous green water and karst peaks of Ha long Bay, the lush plains of the Mekong Delta and the bustling hyperactivity of Hanoi and Saigon come together to create an image of extreme splendor. These places and others make Vietnam one of the most distinctive and glittering gems of South-East Asia.

But beyond the scenery, I felt the history and the strength of the Vietnamese made everything you saw much more sacred. These fields and cities were for me symbols of how much people are willing to sacrifice for their land. Everywhere you look there were reminders of what this scenery meant to the Vietnamese. The more I learned about their history and the numerous countries that attempted to dominate their lands, and the bloodshed that was spilled by men, women and children fighting to keep their country. The more honored I felt being here and putting the history in context. I felt that I understood their struggle a little bit better and it gave me a more accurate depiction of the place and the Vietnamese people to juxtapose with the image of Vietnam found in the American history books. I felt I could empathize with these people and their suffering and the sense of pride felt in their defeat of imperialists such as the French and Americans. I also learned to face my American misconceptions that we are always fighting on the side of democracy and justice. Sometimes we are just plain wrong. But for me visiting Vietnam and meant coming to terms with the guilt I felt about being an American citizen and facing the music about our governments actions in Vietnam. When visiting the Remnants of War Museum in Saigon, looking at the old U.S. tanks and Bombers they had on display outside the museum gave you a real understanding of what the Vietnam were up against and the strength of the U.S. military. The graphic pictures of the brutality of the war and the effect agent orange had and is still having on both Vietnamese and U.S. soldiers was enough to make you want to gag and cry at the same time. It made my heart hurt with sympathy for American soldiers and Vietnamese citizens alike.

After having to come face to face with the history of the Vietnam War and the destruction and death I realized that our single enemy, the most evil thing on this planet is war. That is true for Americans, Vietnamese and everyone else a like. Those of us who have not had to fight in a war, we truly are the fortunate ones.

The Proper Attire

In other parts of the world, fashion trends come from the usual sources: celebrities, fashion magazines, film, and of course designers. Here in South East Asia the fashion trends are a lot less refined. Here your attire mainly has to do with where in Asia you were last. Which is why, as you meet up with your fellow backpacker on the trail, you can easily decipher exactly where these vagabonds have been, just by checking out their apparel.

After a while you look around and realize that everyone is essentially wearing the same outfits. It is a little reminiscent of high school. But instead of Ugg boots and Abercrombie and Fitch, the South East Asian uniform is the t-shirt. The cheesier and more touristy the better.

If you have been to Thailand you for sure own a "Beer Chang" or "Singha" t-shirt. If you have been to Indonesia you most likely have something that says "Bali" on it. If you are a traveler that has journeyed to Vietnam you pick up some type of top that has the Vietnamese flag on it, or says "Good Morning, Vietnam" after the American film about the Vietnam War. The list goes on and on.

Well, here in Laos there is one shirt that every self-respecting back packer cannot live with out. That is the singlet that says : "Tubing in the Vang Vieng, Laos". Everywhere you turn you see travelers of all shapes and sizes reping this t-shirt. It is the holy grail of travel tees in South East Asia. Therefore being the fashion plate that I am, I was on a mission to get this necessary garment.

Vang Vieng is a small town in the North-West of the country that draws in the backpacking scene because of its beautiful river the Nam Song. Here you rent a tube and flow from a high point on the river down to Vang Vieng, stopping periodically at the copious amounts of bars along the river banks. At these river side bars they have set up rope swings, zip-lines, a water slide and other water attractions for you to enjoy, and for you to watch others drunkenly make fools of themselves on.

We spent three days swimming and tubing, jumping off the rope swings, getting rowdy and having a grand old time. It is beautiful scenery down by the Nam Song river and Vang Vieng is a complete blast of a town. But most importantly I am no longer a social outcast at the hostels and guesthouses we arrive at, I have the ultimate cheesy t-shirt: "Tubing in the Vang Vieng", Laos. Making my mama proud.

Go speed racer!

the monk who put my mind at ease.









Getting to Luang Prabang was an unforgetable journey. In South East Asia the one thing you can always depend on is the unexpected. Adventure always creeps up on you when you least expect it. We had decided to take a boat to Lao from Thailand in order to enjoy the breath taking scenery on the Mekong River. When you go by boat to Laos you have two options: the speed boat or the slow boat. We bought a ticket in Thailand for the "speed boat" naively thinking that this was the more rational choice because you arrive in Luang Prabang in seven short hours opposed to the "slow boat" which takes two excruciating days. Now the term "speed boat" conjures up the blissful image of a small but sturdy ski boat that you take out on the river, or lake every summer. Rooz and I thought we were making a wise decision, believing that the "slow boat " was some kinda tourist trap for families and old people. How naive we were....




Here in Laos the "speed boat" is a wooden canoe with a Toyota motor haphazardly strapped to the back, that is filled to capacity with people, luggage and random animals (fish, muskrats, the usual) that the driver decides to transport for a fee down the river. When this "speed boat" pulled up Rooz joked "there is our boat!" chuckle, chuckle. Then the driver motioned us to get in. The blood drained from my face, "Oh freaking A, that is the speed boat!" We rode for seven hours in the blistering sun wearing old deteriorating life jackets and helmets (as if these safety precautions were supposed to ease our worry) bumping up and down on the hard wooden seats. Fifteen minutes into the ride, Rooz screams to me over the deafening motor, "This is why everyone takes the slow boat!" Live and learn. Our only consolation was that our boat had a Buddhist monk riding with us. The whole time I just kept saying, "the boat is not gonna flip over, there is a monk on board!" Seven hours later we arrived in Luang Prabang, my knees and shoulders looked like slabs of red meat thanks to the lack of shade and my throat was so dry from the wind I thought I was going to die. Still we had made it to Laos wiser and stronger, and more thankful to that Buddhist monk, for the comfort he provided, than he could ever know. Hello Laos, good bye speed boat.

Our second day in Luang Prabang (the cutest little city colonialism ever created) we hopped in a pick up truck taxi and headed to the luscious waterfalls twenty five km outside of the town. We swam in the turquoise water and got pelted by amazing waterfalls. We even jumped off rocks with monks, who are ubiquitous here, in serene Laos. It was so picture perfect, I had to keep pinching myself. Good times.