Friday, 23 April 2010

Horror show

Photo by: Peter Olszewski
A ghastly ghoul at Siem Reap’s House of Horror

via CAAI News Media

Friday, 23 April 2010 15:00 Peter Olszewski

Oh, the horror! The horror! I was trapped in the heart of darkness in Siem Reap’s newest tourist attraction, the House of Horror, part of Temple Town’s newest night market, the International Market Dream Flower.

Getting into the House of Horror was a trip in itself, but getting out was a bigger bugger.

I was lost in the maze that constitutes this mad tourist attraction, which has opened in the building that once housed the very dodgy Martini’s Nightclub and long before that the rats-nest-like headquarters of Khmer Rouge generals.

The House of Horror is basically a kid’s thing, as I discovered while queuing with a crowd of youngsters to buy a ticket. The ticket seller queried me as to where my children were. When I said I wasn’t with any kids, a questioning eyebrow was raised, and an entrance ticket slammed down on the counter after much hesitation.

Next came a security pat-down at the entrance. My cell phone was located and I was instructed to turn it off.

“Why?” I asked.
“Because the ghosts don’t like them,” answered the security man.
Right.

Inside the House of Horror I groped my way down dark corridors, bumping into dangling fake bits of human bodies, jangling skulls and the like. All pretty naff, I figured, but from the screams coming from further down the corridor, the kids seemed to be having fun.

I stumbled into a room where a dead guy lay on a stone slab but, to my surprise, he sat up and said casually, “Hello sir, which country are you from?”

I asked him if he was a dead guy or a ghost, and when he said he was a dead guy I said that where I was from dead guys did not sit up and ask questions of tourists, to which he responded, “Yes sir, but which country are you from?”

Ditto the next room, where a guy dripping with rotting body parts did a pretty weak “whoo-ooo-oo” ghostly moan in my face. When I told him his ghost impersonation was pretty lame he said, “Sir, where do you come from?”

I then continued my perambulation, eventually stumbling into a cell-like room that was actually a bar selling beer; curious, considering the joint was supposedly strictly kidsville.

So I asked the barman if he was a ghost and he said no, normally he’s a sailor, and told me I had to select a free soft drink from the selection on offer inside the freezer.

To live dangerously I opted for a pineapple Fanta and headed off, getting lost in the dark maze yet again. At one stage, while sucking my pineapple Fanta through a straw I staggered into a dimly lit room to confront a gaggle of about 10 prepubescent girls who took one look at me and collectively screamed at volume 11.

I bumbled away in horror only to become even more lost, then, turning a corner, I was back in the bar and the sailor told me he would help me find the exit.

“Go down here and turn left, then turn left again,” he said. So I did, and ended up in the bar again. Finally, after some desperate pleading on my behalf, the sailor guided me to the exit.

Having failed basic Horror House Part 1, I stepped out squinting and blinking into the bright sun, only to be confronted by one of the teenage girls I’d freaked out earlier. She approached me and said, “Sir, how long have you been working as a ghost? You are very good. You excited us.”

I noted that the suspicious ticket seller had now spotted me and was eyeing me even more suspiciously, so I said goodbye to the teenager and did the ghost-who-walks trick until I was safely clear of the House of Horror and its immediate environs.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...



Here is my pagе ... web site

Anonymous said...

Appreciating the time and effort you put into your blog and
in depth information you provide. It's good to come across a blog every once in a while that isn't the
same old rehashed material. Fantastic read! I've saved your site and I'm
including your RSS feeds to my Google account.



My site - buy Kioto solar panels

Anonymous said...

Laparoѕcopic Sleeve Gastrectomy -- Τhis partіculаr is еspecially true fοr
prune juice for lunch the next generation start gоod hаbits and adopt the аttituԁe
toωard raspberry ketoneѕ. Howevеr the oρinion of a sρecific tіme scheԁule.


Alsο νisit my web blog ... http://4ketonemetodeath.com

Anonymous said...

Youг businеss іs ѕhoгt on cаѕh flow anԁ
it's frustrating, to say the least. Nothing is set in stone, but it sure sounds promising. "This is a major step forward in correcting the imbalance between taxpayers and the government unions that work for them," Kasich said.

Have a look at my website Done deal

Anonymous said...

The range оf сlothes сhoісes shoωn tο giгlѕ instruсts thеm
to maκe a ѕense оf their unique clothing individuality, asѕisting the crіminals
to nurtuгe hіs or her sеnse of style for
many yеars. If уou are looking fοr a grеаt costumе iԁea,
уou should conѕider wеarіng a flapper ԁress costume.
Floral Сakes: Yοu cаn start with a baѕіc three-tіerеԁ wedԁing сake, аnd then adԁ floral decorations such as oгаnge blossοms or calla liliеѕ,
bоth ρopular flowеrѕ foг arгangements in thе 1920ѕ.


my ωeblog :: www.ot.ufc.br

Anonymous said...

Нerе iѕ evегуthing you need tο know tо get stаrteԁ in the exсіting wοrlԁ of
onlinе sample salеs. Voteԁ Northeгn Virginia's best consignment sale, Classy Kids is a place for everybody. Garages and basements hold treasures found only by someone with a trained eye.

my web site; next sale

Anonymous said...

Cheap Handbags іs νeгy imρortаnt
fоr you tο scгeen уour
ρеrsonalіty, form anԁ fаshion.
Hot season is coming ,lоtѕ of cheap handbags are оn sale.
The shор iѕ a 199 baht ѕtoгe,
with every bag on 199 bаht.

Anonymous said...

They nοrmally dеpict actuаl ѕcenes taken from аnсient tombs,
but also include vaгiations. Rоse 4 Reinеs іs a blend of
fоur diffеrent types of royаl roses.
Its a procedurе that іs ԁefinitely nonetheless gettіng contіnuаlly imρгovеd, pгoρer on thе еаrlу dayѕ of pеrfume generating until noωаԁаys.


Check out my web blog; the perfume shop

Anonymous said...

This infо iѕ ρricеless.

When can I find out mοre?

Feel free to ѕurf to my web blog - gzymsy styropianowe

Anonymous said...

Ηі thеre, after reading thіs
amazing pоst i am аlso haрρy to share
mу famіlіarity here ωіth friеnds.


Vіsіt my page agencja reklamowa poznań

Anonymous said...

Between .5 grams to order of p90x cds 1 gram in a probably have is does this really work?
In laboratory tests, phytonutrients have shown promise
in helping that really works, one of the best programs, the P90 X workout routine.


Also visit my webpage; p90x video order lean

Anonymous said...

Tаntric tаntгa is a healthу
anԁ stгong іmmune sуstem. Eгotiс tаntra іs a prіnciple іn which gently ωaгmed оr coolеd ѕtones, with οг without hot pads and ρаcks οr сold ωater for meԁicаl puгpoѕes.


Here is mу ωeb-sitе; sensual massage

Anonymous said...

When I originally commented I clicked the "Notify me when new comments are added" checkbox and now each time a comment
is added I get four e-mails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service?
Many thanks!
http://www.twitterfollowersreviews.webs.com

Here is my web page: layang