Left delightful Vietnam and headed for Phnom Penh in Cambodia. For some reason experiencing a mix of emotions: nervous, apprehensive, excited. Even after 40 years of travelling it still stimulates the senses especially when the destination is new and carries such a checkered history. Visiting countries which, even within my lifetime, have been cut off from the wider world is somehow more exciting and certainly more enlightening. Algeria during the civil war in the 90’s, Lybia during Ghadaffi’s regime, Syria albeit pre ISIS, Iraq, West Bank / Palestine: all produced similar anxious expectations and all without exception demonstrated that the locals, mostly just want the same as you and I – a peaceful and happy life.

I guess it is not unusual for many people to think of the countries in South East Asia as being more or less the same, after all they are in close proximity to each other and share common borders. The reality is that they are very different- not only today but have very different histories which inevitably shaped who they have become. Colonisation (or lack of in Thailand’s case) played an important part in shaping the differences. Cambodia, for 2000 years has absorbed influences from India and China through extensive trade routes; Hinduism and Buddhism being prevalent religions with 20th century French colonisation adding to the mix.

Pol pot and the Khmer Rouge

Recent history has been particularly destructive. During the 3 years 8 months from 1975 to 1979 there were acts of appalling genocide causing up to 3 million deaths from a population at the time of just 8 million. Pol Pot’s pursuit of an extreme form of communist state sounds like it comes from medieval times not just 40 odd years ago…

First early morning visit was a 50 minute very bumpy Remorque (Cambodian Tuk Tuk) ride to Choeung Ek one of the more than 300 sites across Cambodia known infamously as the Killing Fields. Phnom Penh is a really cosmopolitan city now with all the normal western brands (Starbucks, KFC, Dominos etc) mixed in with local flavours and the inevitably crazy traffic. The road or rather tracks to Choeung Ek went through very different areas which reflected the poverty in many parts of the country.

Choeng Ek – Killing Fields

No need for words…

Tuol Sleng Genocide museum….on the site of the infamous S-21 Khmer prison.

Prisoners were tortured until false confessions were extracted and then transported to Choeung Ek to execute them…

There were only 12 confirmed survivors out of the estimated 20,000 prisoners in this particular prison; two of which were present today during my visit….really brings it home that this was not some centuries old event but very recent history….have we learnt form previous catastrophic periods….It would not seem so……Balkans and current situation in Yemen would suggest not…

Difficult one….so second photo should help, where was I?

For the fourth time in Vietnam I have just been asked where I am from and on hearing Faragistan…er…. ‘England’ the immediate response is “lovely jubbly ”! Where do they get this from? Is Del Boy a Vietnamese superstar? Weird… My own attempts at the local lingo are abysmal for sure, but I don’t think I have used any Hanoi rhyming slang as yet…

Mannequins & Marble statues. It seems to be compulsory that all shops selling some sort of clothing must have a plethora of pretty scary mannequins parading about on the street. Some full body versions, some with half a head and a few kids one’s straight out of a Stephen King novel…too scary to show here… then there are the blues brothers / men in black ensemble… but must be good ‘cos Tripadvisor says so…

Huge infatuation with marble statues / sculptures of all shapes and sizes. They are everywhere but seem focussed on tourist areas. I don’t understand who buys them though. Most, if not all, are way too big to fit in anyone’s suitcase or backpack. Some are 20 foot tall and must weigh tonnes, not to mention the price…they are not cheap for sure. Imagine shipping this happy chappie back to Cleckhuddersfax to put in your front garden…and he is a tiny one!

Unexpected sight amongst the hotels and restaurants in Danang centre… the Pink Cathedral. Built by a French priest in 1923, standing 70metres tall. Also known as Con Ga church or Rooster church…see weathercock. As you can see the recent New Year in China and Vietnam heralded in the Year of the Rat!

Designer face masks! Efficiency at bug prevention very doubtful though…

Dragon bridge downtown…

Left Hoi An and headed north to Danang. Small coastal city (only 1 million!) bang in the centre of Vietnam. Ex French colonial port, home to the Marble mountains which are limestone outcrops topped with pagodas often with hidden caves containing various Buddhist shrines…more of which later. Firstly the traffic system…I spent an hour in a cafe (actually a bar but I don’t want you to get the wrong impression) near a significant road intersection trying to work out the priorities and just why nobody died in that hour…maybe Buddhism is THE one… They use the wrong side of the road which I guess is the French influence, whilst Thailand use the correct side; however the use of one side is somewhat open to individual interpretation as you can be travelling down a road only to think that it must be a one way street given the multiple lanes of traffic heading for you and you are about to meet your maker but again they miraculously sort themselves out. Intersections are where most people do actually slow down but never actually stop, threading themselves between lorries, cycles and of course the thousands of scooters, I think that at roundabouts traffic entering has priority but then….?

Another thing…they have pavements…for walking on right? Wrong, they are for parking scooters on or opening a pavement cafe only, pedestrians take there chance on the roads with everyone else…

Going back to the French influence, forget the housing or road sense the biggest influence is this guy who seems to crop up everywhere…

Marble mountains… climbed one today…long trek up ancient stone stairways then into caves with Buddhist shrines and up through tricky rock formations back into daylight scrambling over a sort of rock pathway. Heaven knows what it would be like in the rain. Lots of pagodas and marble statues (laughing boy featured highly again..very popular that chap). Great views from the top across the city and out to sea.