The dirty capital
Trip Start
Aug 28, 2005
1
3
37
Trip End
Dec 10, 2005
Phnom Penh,
Cambodia
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
I was fairly excited landing in Cambodia, unlike landing in KL when I was just so nervous. Cambodia looked crazy from the plane - more like a large swamp area with spots of land here and there. I had arranged for the Guesthouse I booked to meet me at the airport however the plane was delayed 2.5 hours due to a Royal Airshow hogging the airspace around KL Intl Airport so I was also 2.5 hours late touching down in Phnom Penh and to no surprise, my pickup was not there! After being mobbed by moto drivers and taxi drivers I choose the moto to take me to my Guesthouse.
The moto - Phnom Penhs choice of transport. Just insane the amount of motos on the roads
Backpacker centeral!
. From spending the past 2 days riding round on the back of one, I have still not figured out the road rules. As far as I can see there is no speed limit (my moto driver is very sensible!), passing can be done either side, honking horns is encouraged, 1,2,3,4 or even 5 people can ride the same 1 moto! Dogs and chickens can be passangers too! Age limit for driving a moto??? You can carry anyting on the moto as long as either it is secured or you can hold it, No need for riding gear - barefeet, jandles and no helmet is fine.First impressions of Phnom Penh - A little like Thailand however more poor. Dirty, overpopulated (well to a kiwi girl) and poluted. Still evidence of the recent war however obvious that the city is giving efforts to get back on its feet. The say the tourism helps bring money to the city. Appears to be so many people loitering the streets, shops, streetside restaurants, foodcarts and guys on motos all hoping to take you somewhere. Have seen quite a few landmine victoms around too. Some begging and others just getting on with life. I didnt know before I came that Phnom Penh city was actually evacuated during the KR reign!
Im staying in the Boeung Kak Lake area - a backpacking area away from the main drag. No paved roads here! Dirt road lined with guesthouses, restaurnats, beggers and moto drivers all wanting to take you anywhere! Staying at the Grandview Guesthouse which is great and fairly clean too. Cheap at US$3 a night for a single room with lake view, fan and bathroom - still no hot water. There is a great restaurant and lounge on the top overlooking the lake. Had 2 peaceful sleeps which is all good.
Anyway - Yesterday was my most full on day here. First stop was the Choeung Ek Memorial (The Killing Feilds). I had read a bit up on the sights to see in Phnom Penh but it still didnt quite prepare you for what you see
Independence Monument
. The killing fields were the excution site and dumping grounds of the somewhat thousands of Cambodia people killed by the Khmer Rouge. This particular site shows the Memorial stupa which contains the skulls of all the 17,ooo people who were burried on this site. Around the stupa are 28 large holes now all grassed over which were the mass graves. Quite a site to see - even now there are still bones and old clothing scattered around the site. In total around 2 million Cambodians were tourtured to death, killed or died due to starvation and poor living conditions leading to disease. Disgusting stats!And seeing the killing feilds wasnt the worst of it! Next was onto the Tuol Sleng genocide museum formerly the Khmer Rouge S-21 Prison. This complex used to be a high school until it was taken over in 1976 and converted into the interrogation facility. All of the people killed were held here at some stage before their final trip to the feilds. An unbelievable sight. Rooms have pretty much been preserved in the state they were when the Khmer Rouge abandoned it in 1979 - blood still spattered on the walls, ceilings, paper files still on desks, barbed wire out the outside of the cells to stop people commiting sucide by jumping. There is rooms now filled with photos of almost all of the people held here. A photo and written history of all those victums who didnt escape here were documented by the guards who were mostly children aged 10-15 years! Average length of tourture was 2-4 months and approx 1200-1500 prisioners were held at any one time. From memory, there was only 9 people who walked out of there alive at the end of the war!
Really scary to think that happend and finished in years that I was alive!
I needed some happy places after that full on morning. First stop was a quick 30min look around the Russian Market - Phsar Toul Tom Poung
Innocent faces
. Didnt buy anthing that visit but made time to go back. Then onto the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. After seeing the Grand Palace in Bangkok - I just sort of had a quick browse round there. In my opinion it wasnt quite as grand as the palace in Bangkok. Finally mangaged to grab a bite to eat down by the dirty river.Today has been more chilled out. Havnt really done much at all. Went for a better look at the Russian markets and bought a nice Cambidian silk bag, a magnet and a lonely planet for Nepal! My moto driver insisted I see the National Museum which was full with statues mostely.
I have booked a bus ticket for tomorrow with a Highway Limousine Bus that takes 5 hours and includes breakfast, a tour guide and loo on the bus. Will have to wait and see what it is really like! I have stocked up with pototo chips just in case I need a snack if the bus breaks down.
Must be about time for me to go chill out up in the rooftop lounge with a beer!
Sorry, no photos to load on as yet but hopefully I can load some up soon : )
