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Published: July 21st 2013
Arriving to Phnom Penh in Cambodia, opted for a tuk-tuk ride from the airport, weaving in and out of thousands of mopeds as we threaded our way through through the crazy, chaotic streets. Headed from the hotel to the nearby Royal Palace, admiring the impressive architecture, murals and gardens as dark clouds gathered overhead presaging another tropical storm.
The next day headed to the Tuol Sleng museum, on the site of a former primary school used as a detention centre by the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s, the site providing a powerful and sobering insight into the horrific regime and the suffering of the millions of victims. Also briefly met one of only 7 survivors found at the prison, who had written a book on his experiences. Afterwards headed on to the Killing Fields at Choung Ek, the peaceful lakeside setting belying the thousands of people who were killed there, an informative audio-guide gave context and told a few of the personal stories of victims and families. That evening headed to the excellent Romdeng restaurant - supporting the community by training street children to be waiters - and tried the tasty national dish 'fish amok', a flavourful curry cooked in banana
leaf.
Leaving the city caught a bus across the flat rural countryside passing houses perched on stilts above the green floodplain, and chatted with a friendly Chinese student en route to Siem Reap, enjoying a refreshing dip in the guesthouse pool on arrival. Joined a day tour of the world heritage area north of the city, starting at the immense Angkor Wat with its 190m wide moat (once filled with crocodiles to ward off attackers !), and its many bas-reliefs depicting Hindu legends including the famous "Churning of the Milk". Visited several more temples including the fabulous "Tomb-Raider" temple Ta Prohm, slowly being swallowed into the jungle, the roots of giant Spung trees roots entwining the moss-covered stone walls; and Bayon with its multitude of mysterious stone faces staring out over the jungle.
Next day hired a mountain-bike to explore independently, initially cycling around the "big circuit", stopping at the huge Angkor Thom complex and climbing the rebuilt Baphuon temple with its stunning 200m elevated approachway reflected in the pools below. Continued to Preah Khan, sheltering from the torrential rain in its crumbling entrance, before exploring further enjoying the spooky post-storm ambience as I scrambled along flooded corridors and around ancient doorways
blocked by fallen boulders. Stopped at a couple more temples, climbing steep stairways for views over the trees and beyond to flat paddy fields with grazing water-buffalo. Later headed further off-road down muddy tracks well away from the usual tourist trails, discovering Ta Nei nestled deep in the jungle, birds squawked overhead and giant ants swarmed across the forest floor as I clambered through the slowly decaying ruins...
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Tuk-tuk ride
