{"id":361,"date":"2020-08-10T22:40:50","date_gmt":"2020-08-11T04:40:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/braedonarmstrong.ca\/?p=361"},"modified":"2020-08-10T22:40:50","modified_gmt":"2020-08-11T04:40:50","slug":"hand-grenades-and-tuk-tuks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/braedonarmstrong.ca\/cool-beans\/2020\/08\/10\/hand-grenades-and-tuk-tuks\/","title":{"rendered":"Hand Grenades, and Tuk Tuks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A tale about Phenom Peng, Cambodia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

July 21 to July 22, 2012
*Updated Aug 10, 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In Cambodia, we stayed at some nice hostels and hotels. This one later on in Phenom Peng, (Royal Inn,#128D8, Sothearos Blvd, Tonle Bassac, Chamkamorn, Phnom Penh, Cambodia) we stayed at was on a fairly busy street, between buildings and was taller than the buildings around it, and quite skinny, as it looked squished. All the buildings on the street where squished together, lots of skinny buildings. With a large sidewalk out front, which was nice before venturing into the traffic and the city. We got the superior private ensuite to treat ourselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We applied for our Vietnamese Visas right away and needed to wait a few days for approval. With this process you had to supply actual photographs no paying off this government agency this time. We did this at some random store down the street. Big sign in the window saying Visa photos, and they took our photos and printed them off for us, seemed like a fairly regular thing, very smooth and easy. We went and signed the paperwork at the Vietnamese embassy, and then had to wait for them to process the paperwork and grant our approval for a travel visa. We used the same taxi Tuk Tuk driver for all this traveling and began to kinda know him as he always hung around our hostel, and was always available for us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very nice guy, and knowledgeable with the tourist destinations and places to go. He had the usual posters on the back seat in his taxi (Tuk Tuk). Popular touristy things for Cambodia and Phenom Peng, the killing fields, guns, bars, etc. We did decide on the guns as that was our plan for awhile coming into the country, and figured we would try since everyone we met talked about it. We went got a bunch of cash out of the ATM, did some research, so we knew some of the prices before hand. Found our driver and told him today we wanted to shoot some guns. He was very very excited! There was a smile and grin there, that told me that this would be fun, and he was more than happy to take us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We got in the Tuk Tuk and drove out of the city for quite aways. The houses became less and less, and it became more of an industrial looking area. We made this right turn down a gravel road, came to a gate, and once in went to this military looking barracks. Couple military guys just hanging around there. They sat us down at a table and gave us the “Menu”. M4’s, M16, grenades, belt machine guns, rocket launcher, etc. Lots of options to choose from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had a plan going in this and confirmed Jared was to shoot the rocket launcher, as that was his plan (dream!) for a long time now. We both choose the belt fed machine gun as well, no idea the make. However it looked very cool, so had to do it. I also went with the M4, instead of the rocket launcher so we could maximize our mix of guns for the day. Cash was all paid and up we got. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We walked to the range inside the barracks and I was shown and given the M4. I shot at targets down the range for a bit, until they switched it full auto and I emptied the rest of the clip very quickly. After this there was some waiting as they seemed to be getting things ready. We then where told to get in the back of a range rover with our Tuk Tuk driver and a guy from the barracks. Bigger guy, with the typical army style hat. However not as decked out in the camo and gear like the other guys around the barracks. He gave off the feeling that he seemed to hold a higher position, and was the guy for this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bag of ammo was in the back with us. Inside a couple rocket launcher shells and grenades, and lots of bullets. Then we where off to somewhere we have no idea where. The main guy told us they cant “shoot the big ones so close to town”. So We drove through towns and into the county. In total it was a good 45mins one way about. We then approached a restricted site, looked very military. And drove down a dirt road after being waved through by the guards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We then approached a group of Cambodians and 1 lone white guy who was aiming the rocket launcher way out to the distance from us. We waited in the car for him to fire it and the group to pack up and go. It was then our turn. First was the belt machine guns they set up, and got ready for us. We each had around a hundred rounds. For my shot I aimed at a dead tree in the distance and altered between shooting one bullet at a time and full auto. With this gun we where told to lay down with it, and bend our knee a certain way. The kick back on it did push you back quite a bit. I finished my clip, and then they reloaded for Jared and he shot his as well. After this now it was time for the launcher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jared was given the launcher to hold and we took some pictures with it. Then it was time to shoot. After stuffing paper in his ears like he was told, they went through a counting exercise with him, he aimed at the mountain in the distance and shot it up there. What a rush and explosion! After Jared shot and the adrenaline rush was around us. The main guy asked if I wanted to try. I knew they brought the extra shells for a reason. Jared said it was worth it, and I’m glad I did do it. Cause how many people can say they shot a rocket launcher. Only problem was we didn’t have the cash… They said it would be no problem and the way back into town we would stop at a bank and make the withdrawal. We agreed. I didn’t get my pictures with it, as they kinda wanted to rush it along, I stuffed the paper in my ears and followed him out into the field with the gun down a little dirt trail. We where farther out from were everyone else was. Jared was filming and did try to walk out to get a better shot with me, however the main guy yelled at him to stop and turn around. And that this was an active “mine field”. He went back the way he came very quickly. I had the gun over my shoulder, aimed where he wanted me to, did the counting exercise, and fired. The safety or something was on cause nothing happened. He looked at the gun did something and I counted again with him and this time it fired at the mountain. I shot a fucking mountain with a rocket launcher. However… My rocket spiraled a bit as it approached the mountain and barely exploded. It was still very cool and a crazy rush. Just not an explosion like Jared’s. I was still pretty happy with it. Our military guy that brought us did feel bad though, so he did offer to let me throw a grenade for an “explosion”. Free of charge and cause he “liked us”, haha. So off we walked towards the mountain through the field, I was careful to follow him as this was a mine field, wow\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We came up to a small hill in front of us and trees in behind that continued all the way up the mountain. He then made me take some rocks from the ground and practice throwing them for distance. After he felt confident with it, I was told that I was to throw and get on the ground. He handed me the grenade. It was small round, and brass in color. I was to pull the pin, aim and throw. I held the grenade pulled the pin out, and threw it. As I let it go it poped as it engaged. He them pushed me against the ground with his hand on my back. There was an explosion, then rocks, sticks, dirt landed around us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that it was time to go. We where out of money and had our fun for the day. The long way back took forever, I’m not sure where we where but it was a long ways out of the city. We stopped at a bank attempted to withdrawal the cash, however we couldn’t make a withdrawal. Cards where denied. Now there where some banks traveling abroad we researched and panned to deal with, as our bank back home had agreements and no transaction\/additional fees with them. So with this being some other random bank, we thought maybe that this was the problem. And we wanted to try the bank we dealt with before and was in partnership with our home bank. However… this didn’t work either. Now we owed the military guy $300 American, as he did give us a “discounted rate” on the second rocket launch. However we couldn’t get the money from any bank. We then learned that we had a hold for the day on our accounts, as we had taken out to much earlier in the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With no plan, and confused what to do, in the end our Tuk Tuk driver had the cash on him, and paid our debts for us. Some reason he trusted us, and really knew where we where staying at the hotel. So he paid the military for us and the Tuk Tuk driver drove us back to the hotel. We promised to pay him as soon as we could and where very grateful for the gesture. Thats alot of money in Cambodia. The next day we got up the Tuk Tuk driver was there outside, and thankfully the ATM worked and we where able to pay him right away. We thanked him for bailing us out. I don’t know why he trusted us that much with that amount of money but we where very very thankful, cause I’m not sure what would have happened next…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A tale about Phenom Peng, Cambodia July 21 to July 22, 2012*Updated Aug 10, 2020 In Cambodia, we stayed at some nice hostels and hotels. This one later on in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/braedonarmstrong.ca\/cool-beans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/braedonarmstrong.ca\/cool-beans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/braedonarmstrong.ca\/cool-beans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/braedonarmstrong.ca\/cool-beans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/braedonarmstrong.ca\/cool-beans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=361"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/braedonarmstrong.ca\/cool-beans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/braedonarmstrong.ca\/cool-beans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/braedonarmstrong.ca\/cool-beans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/braedonarmstrong.ca\/cool-beans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/braedonarmstrong.ca\/cool-beans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}