We had just enough time to see the capital before flying to Lao for the next part of our trip. We visited the killing fields of Choeung Ek just out of the city where 17,000 detainees were executed during the Khmer Rouge. The suffering these people went through was beyond comprehension where many were beaten to death to save precious bullets. The Tuol Sleng Museum gave us further insight into Pol Pots exploits. This high school was transformed into a security prision and classrooms into torture chambers. They had photographs of the hundreds of people that passed through these walls. Only seven prisoners had survived when the Vietnamese liberated Phnom Penh in 1979.
Slowly getting used to the traffic. Since there are never any gaps you just slowly walk across the road despite the hundreds of cars and motos and the traffic will move around you. There doesn’t seem to be any rules except smaller gives way.
We got dooped once again by another transport scam on our way to the capital. We were given tickets to the wrong bus company that took much longer. It seems to be part of the Cambodian culture in the main cities where you can’t take anything at face value and just have to expect the complete opposite to anything anyone says. We are laid back about these scams now and just expect it as part of travelling in this country. It is still really sad though as its hard to see how a country like this will ever break out of the poverty cycle and move forward.
Checking out the city on another tuk tuk tour. Phnom Penh itself was what I would have expected New Zealand to be like in the colonial times. Small roads in and out of the city, some dirt roads and people taking things around in carts.
This is the memorial at the killing fields of Choeung Ek
These bones were preserved in the memorial to number of people killed
One of the many mass graves
The Royal Palace was very impressive by night and because of the recent death of the King there were many Cambodians paying their respects.
We stopped for dinner at Friends restaurant famous for its deep fried tarantulas. By the time we got there they had run out of tarantulas so we tried some of the other traditonal Cambodian dishes which ended up being the best food of our trip so far.
Independence monument. Built for Cambodias independence from France in 1953.
We had fun haggling at the markets picking up a few soveniurs and had a yummy lunch of fried noodles and springrolls.
We had a walk along the Sisowath Quay and saw where the Tonle Sap River meets the Mekong.
We flew to Vientiene, Lao with Vietnam Airlines
Today was the 12 of the 12, 2012. Thats a lot of twelves and deserved a picture.
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