Dara Reang Sey Hotel Phnom Penh

... we were only spending two days there. When we arrived at our hotel, River 108 (http://www.river108.com), we knew it was going to be a completely different experience than the one in Bangkok when the doors to the hotel lobby were opened for us. Talk about swanky. The entire place was decked out in a silver '"art-deco-ish" theme. Our room, which was about the same size as our old condo in Marda Loop, came complete with a balcony, king size bed, 37 ...

... skulls. as a memorial to the lost, some 6000 human skulls are on display in a central stupa, or tomb. we all visited a high school in the centre of town which was converted into a prison and torture chamber. the hrdest thing to comprehend for me was the fact that these attrocities were predominantly carried out against their fellow country men. the place is harrowing to say the least.

... FCC so much. We climbed the staircase to find a gorgeous lobby with big tables and chairs, but best of all were the stools against the wall so that you could sit above the craziness below and watch people or the currents of the river as the warm night enveloped you and the cool breeze lifted off the water and blew down from the big fans overhead.

To top it off it was happy hour, with drinks half off, making Gabe’s beer $1 and my ...

A Mandarin and I parted like two people that knew they would see one another again, but were just unsure when that would be. I think one of the harder aspects of our division was the fact that I was off on an exciting journey home, a far off land that would be new and brillig, to see friends and family and have adventures through the streets of London, and on the streets of Cambridge…. Whereas she was still just in Kratie, in the house we had shared for 5 months ...

... move from the Thrashing Snakes me thinks!

We made it to Phnom Penh with little other adventure other than nudging the bumper of someones very flash car and deciding to do a runner and look for a hotel in another area of town! Opps!

Anyway the next few days where loaded with sad visits to the Killing fields and the Tuel Sleung Museum. So after a visit to the Palace we decided to lift the mood by heading to the beach for a few days of course!

... the palace is open as the royal family still reside there.
After some food we went to a bar which has a separate room where you can chose a movie to watch, so Mei, me and a few girls from Surrey watched the Hangover which was nice and relaxing, free and funny! (it was a pirate DVD of course!) After swapping a few traveling tips with the girls who had come from Vietnam and were going to Siem Reap ...

... adventurously, and quickly regretted our choices.

The next day, I walked across town to the major temple which sits on the only hill in the city. There are monkeys playing in the trees, couples canoodling all around, and a very strange temple at the top. I also wandered through the Central Market, an indoor/outdoor maze of stalls selling everything imaginable.

... by a sharp slap administered by her mother who had noticed the girl drooling over my right knee. I sought to reassure the anxious mother that this kind of thing was always happening to me and there was no cause for alarm.

It wasn't until 4:00 pm that we arrived in the old French riverside town of Kampot. Since we had set out at 5:45am, it had taken us over ten hours to travel 105 kilometres and cost us about 50 pence each. We were apprehended by some moto boys who soon had us ...