Phnom Penh

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After spending night at Victoria Hotel in Chau Doc (5star hotel - very nice), we travelled by speed boat up the Mekong River to the border with Cambodia. We had to disembark for customs out of Vietnam, then back on boat for another 5 minutes, before getting off again to go through Cambodia immigration post. Saw how people live along the river - fishing and using the water for the rice crops.

Arrived Phnom Penh around 4pm. Got a tuk tuk to take us to our hotel. A tuk tuk is a motorbike with a trailer type arrangement with four seats hooked onto the back. Very easy way to get around and very cheap.

Our hotel room has its own private swimming pool - nearly the same size as our one at home. so really nice to come in from a day out sight seeing and having a refreshing dip. Luckily no one can see in as John insists on going bolicky buff.

Phnom Penh is not what I expected. There are many very flash cars been driven around - Lexus, Merc's, Audi and top of the range Toyota's. Although there is obviously a wide gap between the rich and the poor, with quite a few beggars about as well. Went to a cultural dance show in the evening - beautiful costumes and entertaining renditions of some of the Cambodian folk tales.

The touristy area is along "the Strip", this is the road along the river side which has many eateries and bars. These are all very attractive as they all offer "happy hour", usually between 4 and 8pm. Here you can get cocktails for as little as US$2 - so consequently it is full of young tourists, and old farts like us living it up.

On the serious side we visited the Tung Sleung Genocide Museum and then the Killing fields - all of which was very graphic and very disturbing - horrible to think that Pol Pot and his regime could have been so ruthless.

In central Phnom Penh is the Royal Palace - this is all built in very traditional Kymer architecture - lots of gold and figurines of snakes, elephants etc. Inside the Royal Palace is the Silver Pagoda which houses all the silver statuettes of Buddha. Even the floor of the pagoda is paved in silver.

Also took a tuk tuk out to Silk Island where we could see how silk was made by the silk worms, and then woven by the women there. Very interesting.

So today have left Phnom Penh by bus heading to Siem Reap. This 350Km trip took 7hours, along very pot holed roads. Also a bit scary as driver continually over take anyone in front, and was always on his cell phone at the same time - but we have made it safe and sound. Will update later about Siem Reap, as we have only just arrived - but again to a very nice hotel with a lovely looking swimming pool in the centre of it.

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