Phnom Penh

Cambodia

August 2005
5 days

Gavin wrote:
Our first night in Phnon Penh was interesting as it turned out we were staying in a brothel! No, we didnt have to pay an hourly rate but we did get our own
(effectively) pool table which was cool except at night cos our room is right next to the pool room. We moved mainly because the room was a bit smelly but also we found a much nicer hotel down the road.

Phnon Penh is an interesting place, very different to anywhere i have been before, but it is also particualy gross as people dump their rubbish on the roads every night and it basically stinks!

We went to S-21 which was a school converted into a torture/prison complex by the Khmer Rouge. Its a very sad place and of the 20,000 people imprisoned here only 7 survived which is just insane. There were lots of pictures of the prisoners some were just babies. We also went to the killing fields which are a bit outside of the city and there is a memorial of 6,000 skulls which is very moving. Unfortunatly for us whislt we were there, there was terrential rain so we didnt really have a proper look around at the mass graves (which were basically really big muddy puddles).

We spent longer than planned in Phnom Penh because we were waiting for our Laos visas, but when they finally arrived we left for Siem Riep.

Lorraine wrote:
Anyway, got to Phnom Pehn relatively easily. Spent the first night in a v. cheap guest house - it turned out to also be a brothel. The room was slightly smelly so moved to a better one. Phnom Pehn is a bit of a dump - people dont use bins - they dump all the rubbish straight onto the street so its always smelly and disgusting. Also there are so many beggars - lots of hassle, and when it rains (ie all the time) the streets get really flooded so Ive had to wade through dirty water almost up to my knees in the street - with lots of slimy thing brushing aginst your feet - yuk! Went to the killing fields but chose the day to go with the most torrential rain ever - got soaking wet and the kids hassled for money all the time - so had to rush it all - but not much to see anyway. Also went to a prison called S-21 where the Kymer Rouge imprisoned about 20,000 people but only 7 came out alive - bit of a grim place with the horrible cells and pictures of the dead people and all the rules they had to abide to (eg, if they changed the position they were trying to sleep in without permission they would recieve some electric shock treatments). Also went to the grand palace. Spent about a week there - way to long but were waiting for visas for Laos.

A hallway at S-21

Photos of victims
some pictures were of babies and infants - as well as women, children, adults, so many faces - all dead.

S-21 Detention & Torture center
Its a converted school where some 20,000 people lost their lives during Pol Pots murderous regime in the 70s - incredibly moving and sad place to visit.

Some fruit at the market
pretty colours!

Meat at the Market
Very hygenic - hanging raw meat in a tropical climate - i hope my steaks werent from here!

A market
It stunk! It was always busy - but it was pretty interesting

A beautiful building
Cambodian Architecture is SO similar to thai architecture. We went around the grand palace (no pics cos you had to pay extra to take a camera in) which was incredibly similar to the thai grand palace