While geographically neighboring, Thailand and Cambodia feel worlds apart to me. A few hours ago, we arrived at the Kho Kong resort right at the border between the two countries, on the Cambodian side. The hotel here is a huge post-communist palace with slot machines, gambling tables and lots of marble. Gone are the days of Ginger tea, warm smiles and Lotus flowers. Things are a lot harder here. I feel more watched here than in Thailand. Maybe my view of it all is tainted by what I know happened here 30 years ago. Or maybe it is possible that certain events and experiences can permanently change the collective consciousness in a country and therefore how we as visitors experience the place. Tomorrow will be my day for dealing with this: we'll be in Phnom Penh. We will visit the genocide museum at Cheung Ek...the killing fields where during the Khmer Rouge regime Pol Pot and his insane communist followers killed 2 million people. I hope I can manage to see past the image of this awful history and find beauty in Cambodia.
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