Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Yep. Still hate it

Okay. Maybe I was a little hard on the city at first. Jane always said that a hot shower gives you new perspective on a place.

After a shower and some time to relax, I figured I would give the city another try. How better to start than going to the Tuol Sleg Genocide Museum. Quite a somber place, but a must see if you are in Cambodia. If that wasn't enough, I deepened my depression by following it up with a trip to the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek. I was reminded of going to the Dachau concentration camp in Germany when I was in high school. However, back then, all I was worried about was finding a remedy for my hangover. This time, it seemed to hit a bit closer to home especially since it happened during my lifetime.

After lunch at a trendy corner bar, I hit the National Palace and the Silver Pagoda. Virtually everything I intended on seeing in the city was covered in one day. There are a few things I have noticed about the city since my arrival.
1. I think there are 5 traffic lights in the entire town. You should see the intersections here! It's MENTAL!
2. Construction everywhere. Apparently there is a huge undertaking to help keep the capital from flooding. The riverside is all dug up and it doesn't look pretty.
3. No need to exchange money since prices here are quoted in USD.

The new guesthouse gave me what I think is a table cloth as a bed sheet. Sure it covers the bed, but it IS a tablecloth (one made of synthetic material which is like sleeping under a garbage bag).

I spent this afternoon in the US embassy adding pages to my passport. I can't believe I'm on my last page. Those Asian visas take up a lot of space. If you do this overseas, the service is free. If you do this at home, it will cost you $60 USD. I took some shit for the guy at the counter for the condition of my passport. It is beat to hell, but what do you expect? It has been tucked inside the front of my pants for the better half of 5 months!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I'm sure he didn't appreciate finding pubic hair in your passport either.