Chivas Shack Phnom Penh

... murdered anyone and everyone who they saw a threat to take revenge. They did so by killing all intellectuals, anyone who spoke more than one language, anyone who wore glasses, anyone who had once been a student, all teachers, all military officers and soldiers, and anyone who they felt looked suspicious, oh and all of the children of any of those people so they could not take revenge when they got older.

The Khmer Rouge took control of Cambia on ...

... Sony Bravia, and separate rooms for the toilet and shower. Talk about foresight--how'd they know I would want to shower while Danny was suffering the consequences of consuming Cambodian tap water? (You read right, his guts were not as robust as he'd hoped. He even had to use the bathroom on the bus--twice). After we took the time to get all dolled up in our lavish hotel room, we went for a walk along the river in an area known as the French Quarter ...

... of white wine $1.75, hard to beat! After a while we ordered the most delicious garlic bread and then Dave and Katharina arrived. They’re such a fun pair and we had another drink before heading to a pizza/Thai place down the way. Dinner was delicious and the company was great. We sat for hours ordering drinks and talking the night away until at ten thirty we all began yawning. Then we headed home, the day’s events finally taking their toll.

... the same thing – Just minus a Rory. 6 months away travelling didn't seem like enough, and approaching 10, I was starting to feel the twang of absence and the pinch of a yearn, for home, Mum, Dad, Bro (bet he is still chasing horizon), friends, repartee, call and response.

The taxi to Phnom Penh was quicker than I have ever experienced. Not because of a well oiled crankshaft or favourable traffic conditions, but because of a little blue pill that begins with ...

Alright there folks, Before we get started on this blog I would like to correct myself on a point from the last blog where I said that Angkor Wat was one of the seven wonders of the world. While our guide told us this fact I checked it out there and it is not on the original seven wonders list but is included in the list of new wonders on some sites and not even that on others. So there we go. Anyhoo wonder or no wonder we spent another day at the temples ...

... were ready for bed.

8th August 2009
Woke up, got a pancake and hired a tuk tuk and drove to the Killing Fields about 30Km outside Phnom Penh. We knew the day would be quite sombre but some of the things we saw and heard were far worse than I originally thought. The Killing Fields were originally orchards but Pol Pott's regime turned them into a mass site of massacre. We first watched a ...

Well here we are, Phnom Penh, Cambodia! Another country, another currency to get used too. We get approx 7000 riel to one pound, but what makes it even more confusing is the fact they use us dollars at the same time. You can pay in Dollars and get Riel back in change...hmmm!!!

Our time here so far has been quite busy. Yesterday we checked out the city on foot, its small enough to walk around (it takes a while though) and saw some of the sights, including the ...

... had a nice vibe albeit a little bit seedy.

We spent the night in a hotel which clearly doubled as a knocking shop with its full length mirors, kareoke machines and "massage room". But the air conditioning was was very much appreciated.

In the morning we caught the bus to Siem Reap. More from Phnom Penh later.

... through the hot streets past decaying ochre-coloured French mansions that some people regard as a good enough reason alone to visit Kampot. We were taken to the Red Cross, which is run by Australians and also serves as a guesthouse. But by the time we had reached there Tim, an American travelling companion we had met in Sihanoukville and who had accompanied us on the train, had already found out that the establishment was temporarily closed due to a forthcoming wedding. The moto ...