Sun 5th Mar
Minibus to bus transfer for 10am departure to Phnom Penn . Bus trip slow but uneventful – made about 3 stops for washroom breaks and lunch stops. Mainly locals on the bus, but a handful of travellers too. Finally got in at about 4pm. Arrived at the Central bus station, right next to the Central Market. Tuk tuk transfer for US$3 to the Artist Guesthouse where we are staying for 3 nights (CA$110 for 3 nts incl breakfast). The GH is right next to the Palace – so nice and central even though the street seems pretty grubby it is a good location. We had about an hour before we were due to meet Gareth & Sue Pyne-James’ daughter Amy & her boyfriend. G & S are SA friends that we have not seen for many years but go back to when Alan & I first met in Greece and spent time in the UK with us too. S & G had seen on fb that we were in Cambodia and really wanted us to meet Amy who is working in Phnom Penn (capital of Cambodia). We were due to meet up at the FCC (Foreign Correspondents Club) which was close to where we were staying. We wandered down there and as we were early we walked along the river front walkway . There was a lot of traffic and the big park in front of the Palace was packed with people having picnics and playing games and families on a days outing. One of the shrines on the river front was packed with people who were buying flowers to offer to their Buddha, and the faster they gave over bunches of flowers inside the small temple, the faster they were being passed out of the window and being stripped of their petals – not sure what all this was about! It really was a very busy place compared to anything else we have seen in Cambodia. We walked in and just made happy hour at the FCC so had Ginger Mojitos on the 3rd floor of the building, with a gorgeous deck and bar seating all the way around the balcony, making the most of the lovely views over the Tonle Sap River. Amy & Jamie (Scottish boyfriend) arrived and so we had a drink and chatted to them about life in Phnom Penn. They certainly are enjoying living there and have a great lifestyle but work long hours, they both work for clothing company that designs and produces clothes for many of the UK chain stores like M & S and Next . A lovely young couple, very chatty and we suggested that we take them out for dinner somewhere. They thought we should experience a Cambodian BBQ restaurant – so we took Amy in a tuk tuk and Jamie followed on Amy’s scooter in the crazy throng of traffic. The BBQ restaurant was a huge one, absolutely packed and didn’t see another foreign face around! They helped us to order some very tasty BBQ food and convinced me it was fine to eat beef and that it would be beef! They showed us how to make the delicious sauce from black ground pepper (Kampot of course) and squeeze small limes into it to make a paste – then dip the beef bits into the sauce! Couldn’t believe how tasty it was! Def one to remember to try with steak at home! After a fun evening and getting to know them, we bid our farewells and got a tuk tuk back to the GH. Was a funky bright colored little GH with pictures for sale in the restaurant/lobby and our room all bright and fresh with bright red finishing’s! Had to ring the bell to get the security to let us in as the security gates close at 10!

Mon 6th Mar
Another 26’ day on the forecast today! Set off for the Royal Palace which is a striking structure near the riverfront and looks similar to the Palace in Bangkok . As we got nearer to the entrance we saw all sorts of very holy monks being whisked into their individual limo’s and driven off. Everyone around them bowing constantly so obvs VIP monks and then teams of other monks loading into minibuses! Found out Palace would be closed till 2pm! Rethink plan..walk the 3km to Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocidal Crimes (aka S-21). Passed by vast boulevards and monuments on our way, also threaded through narrow alleyways as Maps ME showed us the route. One problem we have found in Asia is that sidewalks are almost non existent – they are used for the street stalls or for parking scooters or aren’t even there – always making walking a challenge. Not suitable for elderly or wheelchairs or buggies! Took a few wrong turns but got there in time for the 10 movie we had read about BUT of course it had started at 9.30 so rushed over to the movie room, by now dripping from the heat and feeling like a wet rag! Nice to sit under a fan for 30mins! Entrance to museum is US$6 which includes a audio tour which is def a must as so interesting! Movie was old and hard to follow but seemed to be through the eyes of a survivor of the genocide and trying to find reconciliation from those who tormented and ruined her life! “In 1975 this high school was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and turned into a prison aka Security Prison 21 (S-21) . It became the largest centre of detention and torture in the country. Between 75 – 78 more than 17,000 people held at S-21 were taken to the killing fields of Choeung Ek. It is now a museum which serves as a testament to the crimes of the Khmer Rouge”. It is kept as it was found – torture rooms with beds and equipment used, as well as graphic pictures on the walls of the dead bodies found in the rooms when the Vietnamese army liberated Phnom Penn and found 7 prisoners alive and only due to their skills being needed by the Khmer Rouge! One of them is an artist who has painted many pictures of life in the camp and the memories of terror he holds in his mind (Vann Nath). It is a profoundly depressing place to remind you of human atrocities performed! There are rooms of photographs of those murdered as the Khmer Rouge were meticulous about record keeping and these were saved from being destroyed! Feeling thoroughly depressed now we went for a bite to eat and a cappuccino to revive our spirits and get a tuk tuk back to the Royal Palace! About US$3 entrance and masses of MLC tourists shouting and pushing and posing for endless selfies – always dolled up to the 9’s! The Palace is the official residence of the King Sihamoni so a lot of the buildings are closed to the public! We could view the throne hall through open doors and windows – very impressive large gold gilded hall used for coronations and ceremonies . The gardens are immaculate and full of colour so nice to wander around, from shade tree to shade tree of course! The only other building you can visit is the Silver Pagoda, just outside the main complex. This Pagoda got its name from the 5000 silver tiles covering the floor (most covered over by rugs to preserve!) (Weighing 5 tons in all). Many treasures from inside this building and the Royal Palace were stolen or ruined when the Khmer Rouge were in power – but they preserved the silver tiles of the Pagoda to show the world they weren’t ruining the countries heritage! Inside is an Emerald Buddha believed to be made of Baccarat crystal. In front of that sits a life-sized gold Buddha decorated with 2086 diamonds – the largest being the one in the crown – 25 carats! Wow! The complex is surrounded by extensive murals but most are severely damaged or patched with concrete where the building is cracking! Sad to see! Decided to walk back along the riverfront and happened to walk passed a theatre advertising free Film Festival movies so popped in and a young man told us a movie was about to start so we welcomed the reprieve from the heat and watched “The Good Life” in aircon, comfy seats. Was a good movie – French but subtitled! Rejuvenated we walked along the promenade by the river. Went for happy hour drinks at the bar opposite FCC which also had great views of the river, the opposite bank and the promenade. Entertaining watching all the street life and driving below! Found a restaurant in the street behind our GH – seemed to be a local pick up street too as many bars and older farangs with their young Cambodian ladies.

Tue 7 Mar
We had organised for the tuk tuk driver who picked us up from the bus, “Van”, to pick us up at 8.30 and take us out to the killing fields of Choeung Ek. This is where the 17000 who had been tortured at S-21 were bought to be murdered – mostly by being bludgeoned to death as didn’t want to waste bullets! 43 or the 129 mass graves have been left untouched. Bits of bone and teeth and old clothes were found everywhere at the site. Almost 9000 bodies were exhumed from the 43 graves and most of these skulls are displayed behind clear glass panels in the Memorial Stupa. The audio tour contained stories from survivors of the Khmer Rouge. This is also a very depressing place and the very worst is the large tree that now has 1000’s of coloured twine bracelets adorning it – this was the tree that they smashed the babies and children against to kill them. This alone cripples you and tears are a reflex for the horrors that you don’t even want to dwell on. For what was such a horrendous place they have tried to build a sanctuary of peace and contemplation as fruit trees and a pond lined with willows prevail. Even though we knew what we were going to, you are still very moved and humbled by the experience! Van then drove us back into town – that drive itself is an experience in itself – the filth and garbage and polluted streams (black water), stench just make you feel you have visited a totally surreal place! We drove back through the pretty boulevards and memorials in town and had a quick stop at the Central Market to browse for ½ hour before he took as all along the riverfront promenade and then dropped us off at a lunch stop. Lovely to sit have a cold smoothie and reflect! Rest of the afternoon coddlewomping (as Paula would say!) (wandering around aimlessly) – and then ate at the same St 172 we’d eaten at the night before. We are glad we’d made the effort to go to Phnom Penn, if only to educate ourselves on the history of Cambodia and the atrocities that happened during the rule of Pol Pot!