One day in Phnom Penh, so it’s all go. We have booked our boat trip to Siem Reap for tomorrow. Recommended by a very nice American couple we met at breakfast. Should be interesting, 6 hours up the Mekong and then across a lake to our destination. Only thing I’m worried about is the rails holding the luggage on board! They don’t look too strong!!
Then we meet Touc (“Small” in Cambodian) our friendly tuk tuk driver from yesterday. We had negotiated a day with him driving us. We were off 15km out of town to The Killing Fields. Not our favourite thing to do, but an essential part of Cambodian recent history, so we gritted our teeth and went for it. Forty minutes drive on a tuk tuk and we arrived.
Touc nee “Small “our driver for the day
The killing fields was a very moving experience, and as it affects everyone in Cambodia still, we thought it a must do.
The memorial to the 3million who lost their lives during Pol Pots reign of terror
From there we went to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, in for a penny ……. This was a former primary school taken over by the Khmer Rouge for detention and torture of so called dissidents. Another gruelling hour was spent here. At least we now feel we know some of what the Cambodians and Vietnamese have been through in the past fifty years. I think what has shaken us most is that it all has happened in our life time.
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
We now decided to shake off the past and head for the Central Market. Touc left us there for an hour, and we managed a little bargaining.
The outside of the central market
From here next stop was the Royal Palace. Buddhism is the main religion and within the Palace is the Silver Temple. Fabulous buildings in complete contrast to the rest of the city. In all our travels you get this huge contrast between the rich and the poor and the refined and the ugly. Huge skyscrapers owned by the banks and financial institutions next to squalor or religious icons next to squalor. Just the way of the world today but a bit difficult to get your head around when actually amidst it all. Butty getting a bit sentimental but not surprising after some of the sites/sights we have seen.
We had arranged to meet Touc at 5 pm at the FCC so had a bit of time to kill after the Royal Palace so had a couple of beers to wash down the dust of the days travelling around and out of the city.
View from the balcony of the FCC
Almost at the end of the very long day but we wanted to see the OLD railway station. A bit of an attraction because Cambodia no longer has ANY rail network. Too late is was closed. From there on the way back to the hotel we went passed some Government buildings that we understand were built or financed by the Chinese. They certainly had a Chinese look to them.
Back at the hotel and a well deserved swim in the pool. We couldn’t face more tuk-tuk drives so we decided to eat in the hotel and were very pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food, only because the menu did not “read” that well. This is a delightful little oasis in the middle of you know what.
Fantastic day in Phnom Penh.
If you are not too squeamish see “Gallery”
