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Stu & Amy See The World!
Pretty popular place Phnom Penh
Monday 28th November.
Early flight to Phnom Penh PP this morning. Got up at 0430, ouch, and our driver was waiting to take us to the airport.
We travel with Asia's equivalent to Easyjet, Air Asia, which is not too bad really.
We arrive in PP at 0810 on schedule and one is struck by the feeling that it looks like a provincial airport a bit like one would imagine Bristol or Southampton.
It is pretty warm even at this early hour of the morning.
After getting through customs and immigration we get a taxi to the Boeng Kak area of the city right next to a big lake.
Aside 1
For all you underground station enthusiasts I forgot to mention that one station in Bangkok was called Bang Sue. I wanted to go there but Amy was afraid that I would catch something.
As soon as we get out of the taxi we are accosted by all and sundry wanting a piece of the action. Quite disconcerting and disorientating really, especially after our taxi driver had warned us of the locals taking drugs round this area of the city.
We refuse all attempts to bundle us into all manner of vehicles and head off for our intended guesthouse the brilliantly named Simons 2 (we later find out that no-one wanted to stay in Simons 1 as it was infested with mozzies and the rooms were too small).
Guesthouse is ok, like a massive colonial house, price with aircon was a slightly rip off 15 dorrar.
We set off for the killing fields (the slightly perverse No 1 tourist site in PP) which is pretty harrowing. Get there by separate motos (no helmet) over some dodgy roads.
Basically the place is where thousands of Cambodians were slaughtered and they have 8000 skulls on show in a monument come shrine. You have to squeeze quite tightly to get round this monument and I'm sure they have done this so you get really close to the skulls.
I saw a bullet hole in the forehead of one.
The place is very quiet and is even more disturbing when you find out that they have not even uncovered about 60 percent of the mass graves and have already found close to 90 000 bodies. Approximately ¼ of the population (2 million people) were killed during Pol Pot's reign.
So what better way to follow this up then a visit to the torture and interrogation camp, S-21. It is now a roasting 35 degrees or so again and I have slightly sweaty pits.
The sight seeing goes on when we next visit the Royal Palace which is full of splendour as one would imagine. Photos hopefully to come soon on website.
Aside 2
I forgot to mention that Amy managed to have a successful squat wee in Bangkok in the Grand Palace (this is a memorable event and has made the whole trip a lot easier, information on number 2's to follow in later emails.....)
One thing that strikes you as you walk around is just how friendly everyone is after the bustle of Bangkok. Sure they ask you if you want a tuk-tuk or a moto but they actually take 'No thankyou' for an answer.
It is also impossible not to notice the number of beggars with missing limbs (and in some cases eyes) which makes you feel awkward and really sad for them. Even so, they still don't pester you as much as the ones in Thailand.
Aside 3
We learnt that one of our moto drivers has 7 brothers and 1 sister (busy parents) but that another sister had been taken to S-21 and was never seen again.
Aside 4
Best beers so far - 1st place goes to Anchor Beer, 2nd Place Tsingtao (china) and 3rd place Beer Lao.
Get back to a bar just around the corner from our guesthouse and see a pretty good sunset just chillin' with a few beer lao. Nice Khmer meal to finish the day off too and a decent conversation with one of the waiters (also our moto driver for the day), we like this place.
Tuesday 29th November
Bit of a later start and surprise, surprise, our moto driver is waiting for us. Where you wan go today?
So we start at the market and buy some stuff, haggling like crazy. Best tip so far, don't take very much money with you so you are physically restrained as to how much you can pay for things.
Sights and smells are amazing (though not always good).
Then onto the National Museum full of sandstone carvings of Vishnu and stuff (bit lost on us really).
Touch of lunch then we decide to do the usual stupid Norman thing of going for a walk in the midday sun, (yes that's right it's 35 degrees still). 3km and a very sweaty Stu and Amy later we arrive at Wat Phnom.
Wat is ok but one feels there are better to come. I play football with a little kid who is having a great time (ok me as well) until his dad comes up to him and in Gary Lineker terms "has a word".
Suddenly football is forgotten and it's one dollar that we are talking about.
Return to hotel and go out for a quick meal, we have another early start for bus to Siem Riep tomorrow. Khmer meal again is pretty good, however, starting to get annoyed with just the Chicken, Pork or Beef options with everything.
So far we are really enjoying our stay in Cambodia, I certainly wasn't sure what to expect. It seems the people have a real work attitude and are trying to make their pretty poor existence into something much better.
One thing we have learned is that the schooling here is not state funded so already class divisions are starting to emerge, those that can afford it and those that can't.
All the best, keep the emails and messages coming, we love reading them.
Stu & Amy.
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