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Asia » Cambodia » South » Phnom Penh
November 21st 2007
Published: November 24th 2007
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So we'd finally arrived in Big Bad Cambodia and Phnom Penh the capital which I was expecting a stimulating experience from. We booked into the Grand view guesthouse which was in an area of Phnom Penh known as lakeside which seemed to be the main backpacker hang out. It was like a little subworld of Phnom Penh, street kids everywhere as young as 7 or 8 selling copied books, tuk tuk drivers offering lifts, copius amounts of drugs and boom boom in that order, a whole host of intricite little bars, and a lake that came right up to the guesthouse that looked over the city's skyline. It was one of the bext places we'd been to so far.

Had some really good nights out here and met up with some people we'd already met along the way including our dutch and norweigen friend, and our crazy scouser mate who was now working in the Sponge Bar which 1 min from our guesthouse. Had 2 nights visiting the 'Heart of Dartkness', which certainly had an attitude and an edge to it, but was mainly full of Khmer prostitutes looking to make some money, as well many pissed up westerners who were only here for one reason.

Our days were spent recovering in the Number 9 guesthouse which overlooked the lake (watched a couple of beautiful sunsets from here).

We took a trip to the shooting raneg where we fired 30 bullets from an AK47 which was immense but was over within 5 seconds on automatic and 1 shot of a hand gun which had some kick back. Then we visited the Killing Fields which was horrific, thousnds of skulls (some cracked through torture) all on display in a glass cabinet and open graves where you could see, human bones protruding the surface. Finally we went to S-21 the school which had been used as a prison during the Pol Pots regime. Our tour guide had several family members killed and this brought home the affect it had on many of the Khmer people. It was chilling to think that this only happened a few years before I was born.

On another day we vsitied an orphanage for kids who were HIV +, the orphanage was run by volunteers and recieved no government funding so we asked our driver what we could take as a gift for them. He said the kids wanted blankets as it ws cold to them this time of the year. So on route we stopped off at a local market and bought all 22 kids a blanket each and some fruit for them to share. When we first arrived the kids (who ranged from 5-13) were very shy and we were too, it was difficult to engage to start with because of the language barrier, but as we sat and spent some time with them giving out the blankets they began to feel at ease. Then the football and basketball came out, and all hell broke loose, these kids had a lot of energy for kids that were HIV+. Neal and I were sweating buckets by the end of the 2 hours and we'd had just as much fun as they did. The lady who ran the orphanage rounded up the kids to sing a song to us before we left and you could see how grateful they were. It was emotional leaving them, thinking that some may not have many years left to live, but I was glad we'd been and hopefully we made their day.

Phnom Penh was probably my favourite place so far and I could of stayed here for a month, felt there was to see but tie was ticking so we had to move on. Next stop Siem Reap.

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