Eaten Alive in Phnom Penh

Trip Start Aug 15, 2006

Trip End Aug 13, 2007

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Where I stayed

Lazy Fish Guesthouse

(Phnom Penh hotels)

Flag of Cambodia Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tuesday, November 28, 2006

After a handy little flight we arrive in Phnom Penh. The first thing that hits you when you are driving from the airport is the vast difference between the rich and the poor. Some of the houses are absolutely huge (probably owned by a corrupt government official), they could be run as hotels they are so big and then next door some poor fecker is living in a shack. Brand new Mercedes are flying alongside clapped out tuk tuks and motorbikes. At first the people seem a bit stand-offish but once you give them a smile they are quick to smile back and if they get talking they could talk all day long. They are very easy to get to know as alot have very good English.
We had been recomended a guesthouse called the Lazyfish, which was located beside a lake. We checked in even though the rubbish was floating in the actual lake beside our room! There doesnt seem to be rubbish collection in Cambodia which leaves a nice smell around the place as you can imagine.
We spent the morning and afternoon visiting all the sights

01 Lazy Fish Guesthouse

. Started at the Tuol Seng Museum or S21 prison camp, where thousands of men, women and children were tortured during the Khmer Rouge regime. Grim viewing to say the least - very somber feel as you walk around and imagine the pain and suffering. Hard to think this went on only 30 years ago.
After this we went to a shooting range so Paul could get his hands on an AK47. The shooting range was in the middle of nowhere and did not look official at all, just a concrete shed as a firing range and a menu on the table which consisted of M16, AK47, Tommy gun, rocket launcher and a few other antiques. Paul seemed too much at home to me with that AK47 and with a 50% hit rate from 30 metres on his first go I won't be pissing him off anytime soon.
Then it was onto the Killing Fields - where most of the men, women and children were killed from S21 prison camp. Even though you are walking over bones which are still on the ground and looking at mass graves and 8000 skulls which are stacked in the memorial the place has a peaceful feel to it. You can hear the kids playing in the school next door to the fields which makes it hard to actually believe what happened here.
That night we had a very chilled out evening in the guesthouse - we played pool - Lin beat Paul 3-2 - that goes down in history. Which led to all the young lads at the guesthouse wanting to have a go - so Paul bet them all while I sat looking at sunset over the lake and without realising it was getting bitten to pieces by midgets. Not good - no skirts for at least 2 weeks, my legs look like they have chicken pox. Also watched Borat dvd which we bought in Laos for a euro - very very funny.

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02 Sunset at the Lazy Fish	03 Take your pick	04 I'll have the AK please	05 The Killing Fields
06 Killing Fields Memorial	07 The Magic Tree (not approriately named)	08 Mass grave	09 Stupa at Silver Pagoda