Tai Seng Hotel Phnom Penh

... experience I think I've ever had. It was at Choeung Ek in 1980 that the bodies of 8985 people were exhumed from a number of mass graves, all of them victims of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979. The victims were taken to this site to be executed and buried, many of them first having suffered prolonged torture at S-21 prison back in the city. The Khmer Rouge perpetrated genocide against their own people on a massive scale during their four years in power in an ...

... of the human spirit that lurks in all of us. <br><br>The next day I went to the Palace and the National Museum. The Palace was closed so I paid $6.5 only to visit the Silver Pagoda in the compound. But just to see some of the 5000 pieces of silver tiles that cover the floor of the building (together they weigh five tons), and the life-sized Buddha made from 90 kg of gold, adorned with 2086 diamonds (the largest one weighted 25 carats) probably made it worthwhile.

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&#8230;. Whereas she was still just in Kratie, in the house we had shared for 5 months ...

... wereldreis zonder duidelijk verloop of bestemming! De daaropvolgende 5 dagen reden we per moto langs de prachtigste rijstvelden, bergen en rivieren waarna we snachts overnachtten in piepkleine etnische dorpjes waar bewoners al te graag een kamer afstonden voor een beetje geld. De sterrenhemels waren de mooiste die ik ooit zag en de gastvrijheid van de bevolking was ondanks de onmogelijkheid tot communicatie grenzenloos. Het rijden in de bergen was fantastisch maar soms ...

... tears as he showed us the tree against which babies were beaten to death, and the patch of ground beneath that he had seen greyed and bloodied by battered and emptied skulls. He whisked us round quickly, visibly upset and hurrying to escape the course (I've read since that it is estimated that 60% of the current Cambodian population suffer from post-traumatic stress... go figure). <br><br>It's not that Finola and I are robots, incapable of tears - far from it! - but we ...

... image at all...I spent maybe an hour or so walking around, trying to avoid stepping on bones and clothing but it was a lost cause. Before it became 'the killing fields' it used to be a Chinese cemetary and an orchard. I took a couple acorns and hopefully will be able to plant them as a remembrance to all of those people.<br><br> After that, the ride in the tuk tuk back into town with the air cooling me down felt quite good. He dropped me off in front of Tuol Sleng but ...

... who have been living and teaching English in Japan, so we chatted to them and the time passed quickly.<br><br>While in Phhnom Pehn we visited a shooting range and both of us got to fire M16 Rifle's on single fire and rapid fire. Crazy!! We have video's of this, but can't seem to get them onto the computer. Bugger. Anyway, this gun was incredible to shoot, really powerful.<br><br>We then went to visit the Killing Fields where many thousands of people where ...

... boiling hot at 9am.... not sure what I'll get up to over the next few hours but will prob stay a few days in the city before heading to world famous temples at Siam Reap...<br><br>So far differences to note between Laos and Cambodia:<br>- In Cambodia, there are kids everywhere (apparently 50% of Cambodians are under 15)<br>- This might just be in rural Cambodia, but women wear pyjamas as day clothes!<br>- As soon as you come over the border you notice the dust... red dust everywhere ...

... No luck in finding any though - I had a little misadventure on my motocycle trip to the markets and ended up a bleeding toe, racing heart and nervous stomach that took away any pleasure I may have had in shopping. Friggin bag snatchers missed out this time - I highly recommend Tatinka brand of travellers' minipacks for their strength under pressure (Thanks to Shazz &amp; Tony for that little item some years ago).<br><br>Back in Phnom Penh for only a night before we headed off ...

... and, quite soon, no shore could be seen from either side. Despite its vast size though, the lake is rarely more than a couple of meters deep. As we skimmed along I noticed a number of dead fish, their bellies swollen up, floating on the surface. I thought maybe pesticide runoff was to blame but was later told that the water had probably got too hot and oxygen-poor for them. It was, in any case, well into the hot, dry season.<br><br>The sky looked threatening and black clouds ...