Day 13 monday 22nd december
Trip Start
Dec 10, 2008
1
13
22
Trip End
Dec 31, 2008
Phnom Penh,
Cambodia
Monday, December 22, 2008
Went next door to Elmundo the breakfast was nice actually. I had pancakes but they were more like crepes and coffee. Toast, jam, juice and coffee for DK. We started to call around looking for hotels on PHU QUOC Island, this was definitely harder than we ever imagined, still we kept on trying...and trying...and trying! The ones we did get through to were fully booked, so i think they were just picking up the phone to gloat:)
Maaan its frustrating and Im not happy but TBH its our own fault, we knew we should have sorted this out before we left the UK. Hey Ho! we will get somewhere, like a million and one people do every year :)
We did manage to get a room in HCMC though so thats good news - the BLUE RIVER
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We got a tuk tuk to the KILLING FIELDS - What a sobering experience
Phnom Penh waterfront
! I took some photos, part of me didnt want to... Its quite gruesome and fascinating at the same time. I cannot even begin to understand what went on here.
The surrounding area is really peaceful, lots of water and greenery, its surrounded by dykes which apparently have been built recently to stop any other graves from slipping and opening up! Not all of the area has been dug up and its believed that there are still many graves to be uncovered.
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From there we went on to the S21, the high school that was taken over by POL POT and the classrooms were made into cells and torture chambers. Some of the rooms still had iron beds in that people were chained to, blood stains on the floor... Again gruesome.
After looking aroud the first block we headed over to the second which for me was worse, it had photographs of all the prisoners the prisoners that walked through the door, row upon row of innocent people - when you see the faces... i hated it, it really upset me. Whilst in that block i noticed that i never heard anyone speak. its such a powerful place i defy anyone not to moved by what they saw ..
View from our room
.I think that its somethng that everyone has to see, theres a whole generation missing, a lot of hurt and anger and yet on the outside and back in PP you can see how people have built there lives up again. From there we headed back to PP the closer we got the lighter my mood although 7 months on its still with us and I know I havent written a lot about but i really dont think i could do it justice.
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we went to Beaujangles for lunch, we had noodle soup with chicken for me, pork for DK. It was really really good, delicious, so looking forward to having at again. Also had a fruit salad and a couple bottles water - $9!
After filling our bellies we went to the internet cafe to try and get a hotel in PHU QUOC again. We confirmed our booking at the BLUE RIVER and we think we may have booked a hotel, the confirmation hasnt come through yet so fingers crossed. Last chance - we tried to get a flight to PHU QUOC but all fully boooked so we looked through the LP and RG and planned the alternative route, we think we can get a bus from HCMC to Rach Gia late in the evening and travel overnight getting the early morning ferry from RACH GIA to PHU QUOC. That means we dont need the hotel room so how shady do we feel :(
