More Cambodia

---

After the last blog well found a load of good traveller friendly bars and restaurants and stayed up until around midniht, when we to back to the lodge we were able to watch some of UNited V Portsmouth until the wee hours, all the locals here support United and want to talk to you about Wayne Rooney its amazing. Have seen some great fake united shirts some very realistic, although Im on the look out for the fakest one I can find to wear back home.

We went out on motorbikes out of the city today with some tour guides from our lodge, we were out for the whole day for $10.

We went to the killing fields and S-21 prison. These are sites of some horrific massacres in the 1970s by the communist party and really made you sick, the horror of this is still around in Cambodia, it is rare to see people over 30. Around 2 million people were killed and the mass grave we went to had 8,985 corpses exhumed and there are still plenty of graves they have not disturbed. The bodys of women, children and anyone of vague intellect is buried there as the Communists tried to rid cambodia of anyone who would disgree with them and is truely horrifying, i felt sick being there but made me so much more aware of the history of this county. In Camodia the skul is very important and so we also saw a monument dedicated to the dead containing over 8000 skulls. Again disturbing, along with the s-21 prision where chains, tourture devices and blood stains are very visiable right in the middle of the city, a real eye opener.

After this we did need a bit of a cheer up so after some food we went out for a few quiet beers on the bars by the lake, but as we have been around a few days and got to know some bar owners it turned into quite a few and before we knew it we were heading home late again.

OUr second full day in the capital we decided to take it slightly easier, we headed out to the local markets and got myself some bargain shirts, flip flops and a hat. There was so so much real and very real looking fake designer gear. I think I might have to buy another bag before I go home to fill with stuff like this. Talking of bags, I found the same rucksack as mine for 80 pounds cheaper! Again we went out for a meal and intown the town again but not too late as we were up and ready at 8 a.m to take a 6 hr bus to Siem Reap in the West of Cambodia, its home to the Agkor Wat and surrounding temples which are some of the largest temples in the world, we are off there tomorrow so blog/pictures to follow. However we all agreed tonight to head down to the coast for some relaxing beach time after Siem Reap, we have certainly crammed a lot into the last week.

BTW for those complaining the weather is very sunny, very hot and the food is lovely we have made an effort to eat local specialities every night, its also very cheap. The laste guest house we stayed at was 11 pounds each for three nights four meals loads of drinks and bus tickets across Cambodia!

---

Photos

Massacre memorial
Skulls of victims of the communist regime in Cambodia

The killing fields
Mass graves in Cambodia, you can still see clothing and bone sticking out of the ground

The royal palace
Laura and Babs outside the palace, like the grand palace in Bangkok its stunning

Drinking at Beong kak lake
Me, Babs and Laura after a $6 bucket of vodka redbull

Comments

[Katie]

G'day!
Sharpeeeeee! Wow it looks just like you've copied and pasted our photos from our blog onto your so called travel blog...you're just sitting at home in England aren't you?! Hope you're having an amazing time and it's not too hot there, I think Cambodia was the hottest country I've ever visited! When / where will you be in Oz? I had trouble accessing your flight plans. Well look after yourself and hopefully we'll be seeing you sometime soonish. Big hugs xx

[Dan Cooper]

You travelled all that way to get pissed and watch football? You do know it's not really cheap vodka red bull if you spend over a grand to get there.

[James Sharpe]

Depends how much of it you drink, just spent a day on the coast, white sands and clear blue sea and off to a full moon party. I think the moneys worth it, what would I do at home? Something useless like learn to be a doctor, what have they ever done for me?