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Ok, so Phnom Penh. It was another of those long stop everywhere to pick up everyone asian bus journeys. Ive realised on these journeys that on almost any length journey a food break is required by someone almost every hour. Im thinking come on guys if we just stopped eationg, drinking an peeing and just drove we would have got there yesterday. Oddly I have fould that the travellers are much happier to sit on the bus for longer then 2 miles straight then the general population. Anyway we got there.
Our first evening we met up with our Belgium friends again for food and drinks before they set off to continue their travels elsewhere the next day. Ok now we firstly had time to kill in PP as our Vietnam visa did not start till the 11th so we decided to cover it very slowly so has not to run out of things to do by the 9th. We went round the markets, drank in bars, ate lots of food (i inparticularly had many amoks) and generally mooched. In between all this idleness we did do some things.
We went to see the Choeung Ek Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng s-21 museum. This was pretty intense. THe s21 museum is a former high school which under the Khmer Rouge was turned into a prison and place of torture. The killing fields is where many were slaughtered and buried in mass graves, the remenants of which can be seen today. It is truly horrific and the CAmbodian civil war is often reffered to as the 'sideshow' of the Vietnam War in several text books. It should be something we know more about, another terrible piece of human history we should try and learn from.
We also went to the National Museum which was good to go to after Angkor as there were lots of pieces from the temples. We also went to Wat Phnom which was really nice mainly due to the fact it was the only green space we could sit and not get hassled. One thing about Phnom Penh if you are planning a visit; dont go if you can't be hard as you will be skint by day 2. It is a city of huge differences. The huge brand new Toyote Hilux next to all the begging. You will be asked to buy lots of things by lots of children, landmine victims and others. You will also be asked just for a dollar by everyone going, often by very young children who probably only know the words '1 dollar'. Now its hard but unless you want to be very poor then you have to say no. If you want something they are selling then great but say no and not maybe otherwise they'll be back later as they think you said yes. This is hard.
In Phnom Penh we also got massages at Seeing Hands, which is all blind masseuses. Janec had foot massage which he enjoyed. I had a full body which I enjoyed but I have bad posture and I was only 80% relaxed. Janec says this is because I am rubbish at being relaxed, but I felt relaxed so poo!!
We decided to into Vietnam via the more scenic Mekong Delta, so tickets booked and ready to go.
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