Beyond Siem Reap the Journey Continues...

Arriving late at night in Phnom Penh, the city is eerily quiet and deserted, but not so in the daytime, as I found out the next morning! Phnom Penh is a bustling place, but the wide expanse of boulevards serve to open up the city and make it a breathable and pleasant place.

Visiting the killing fields, 15 km out of the centre of town is something that undoubtedly leaves it's mark, to say the least. Almost 9000 bodies have been found in mass graves here from the times of the Pol Pot regime, and you are permitted to walk amongst these graves, some of which are marked out, most of which are not. If you look closely at the ground, you can make out many small bones and shreds of clothing - a horror you don't forget in a hurry. The S-21 prison is similarly confronting, with the faces of the many tortured and later killed in this place that was once a school, turned prison. Preserved with cells and scratch marks intact, it really does allow Cambodia's horrific and sordid past to hit home. These sights make for a fairly depressing day, but certainly hold an important place in allowing one to appreciate the recent and direct trauma every Cambodian has suffered. There is always room to wonder where the anger went, and how they continue to live on amongst each other with such smiles. Perhaps because they know it is the only way, and the only way forward.

With this to reflect on, I went about exploring Phnom Penh's other side. I liked what I found. Friendly and helpful people everywhere. I am riding my bike (my favourite and chosen way to explore any place), when a complete stranger asks me if I need help (noticing me frowning at my map.) How can I decline? He does not just offer to point me in the right direction, but hops on his bike and asks me to follow him. Trusting, I do, and when we reach the destination, he is gone in the blink of an eye, with a cheery wave and a smile. And sure enough, I am exactly where I wanted to be. This I find to be a daily occurence...another reason to love this country.

I discover Wat Phnom, set on the only hill in the city, shady and peaceful...a nice spot to wander to get away from the hustle and bustle. I explore the Central Market and it's well designed dome, which keeps the air flowing, avoiding the usual stuffiness a market in asia is often known for. I peruse the wide Monivong Boulevard (humming the song dad wrote in it's and my honour when we lived in this city in the early 1990's) and I find our old house...still there! And I have recently learned that the crocodile farm we lived on is still in existence too! I visit the National Museum with it's temple relics set amongst beautiful architecture.

One of the best things about coming (back) to Phnom Penh is seeing my ex-nanny Vanny for the first time in 15 years. She was my carer when I was 2-4, and the few memories I have of her are fond. She is still the same, lovely as ever. I visited her twice at her work (she is now looking after 2 young children), and when I was to return to PP after a short side trip she invited me to her home, which was a great experience, and nice to properly catch up with her. We chatted, looked at photos, and she cooked me lunch. I left promising to visit her when I return.

I decided to make a side trip to what is described as Cambodia's most obscure tourist attraction. The Bokor Hill Station, built by the French, and twice abandoned, remains today as a ghost town, dramatically perched on cliffs atop a mountain. As they (they always referring to a powerful second party who are never Cambodian, in this case the Chinese) are soon to transform this recently pronounced non-National Park into a large resort attraction for gambling tourists (third time lucky!), we were lucky to get up here when we did. They are redoing the road, so half hour bumpy truck ride, 3 hour climb, and another even bumpier hour long truck ride to the top was necessary. Ditto on the way down. Luckily there was a lovely waterfall to have a refreshing splash in on the hike up (and down.) We needed it. The old hotel/casino is a shell of what has passed, and wandering through it's abandoned rooms and hallways, gazing into the distance from its balconies onto the breathtaking view out onto the ocean, really was something to experience. And the effort taken to get up there served to increase it's value, and thin the tourist crowd: there were a mere 13 of us that day. The post office and the old church were similarly interesting; the whole scene delightfully mysterious. The town I stayed in itself, Kampot, was nothing fantastic to behold, yet the mountains it was surrounded by and the river running through it served it well. The real discovery was that of the amazing "Bodhi Villa" where I stayed on the third night. Packed to the rafters, I was given a mattress and mosquito net on the balcony. But no complaints, as this is probably the best place I will ever stay in terms of accomodation on this trip. And at $3 a night, this is saying something. The day was spent swimming in the river, soaking up the sun and chatting to the other travellers. The place is run by two amazingly hospitable, fun and friendly Australians, who are eager to let you share a piece of their paradise.

I went back to Phnom Penh to be affronted with the immense crowds of the water festival. The mood and the people were ubiquitous. The city was exploding. The bus dropped us way out of town...and, wondering where in the world I was, I stumbled out and luckily found help with an extremely friendly man who not only informed me that a moto was the only way into the city, but wouldn't rest until he found one that would give me a good price. With my enormous backpack wedged in front, we were off. After a while it became apparant that the centre of the city was blocked off by police and barricades. We managed to slip under the first five or so, my driver telling them a madame couldn't carry this bag all the way through, but in the end, the crowds got too thick and I had no choice but to pay and dismount. It was getting dark fast, and, as every response I had gotten when muttering "water festival" had been "pick pockets" or, "watch your bags," and as I was at that point in time carrying every worldly possession I had on me, this was not the most relaxed of moments. It did get dark, I did get lost, and people were mysteriously unhelpful and unfriendly. I eventually found my guesthouse and went into hiding. From the water festival.

I bravely emerged a few times throughout this period, but it was not a great experience, and the best (and only) way to enjoy it in any form is to sit well away from the slow moving, monotonous, bored-looking crowd traipsing their way through the streets, and simply observe.

After the water festival there was time for one more bike ride. Biking is my chosen form of travel withint a place. I went on an amazing bike ride over the bridge - a different world!! The slums of Phnom Penh have riverside locations and views, as I discovered.

Next I was off to Kratie in the east of Cambodia, about 7 hours away from Phnom Penh. This ended up being closer to 8. Local buses have quite a different way of working, as I discovered, through a painful day full of stops and starts, more stops, pineapple sellers, earsplitting, distorted and loud Cambodian screeching music through horrible speakers constantly, families of four in two sticky seats, people cramped in plastic chairs along the aisles...It was a great day on the bus! There is only one way to experience the local way!

It all paid off however. I was lucky enough to spot the rare, endangered and elusive Irrawaddy Freshwater Dolphins in the Mekong River, at sunset. It was amazing, and so unexpected! Dolphins in the Mekong...

Kratie is a nice little riverside town, with street stalls to eat at for dinner, and a bustling little market in the centre. I rented a bike and took a boat over the river (with the locals) to an island. This island is definately on the road less travelled, and riding around it was absolute bliss. It was quiet, minus the sound of birds and "hello"'s called at you from every direction. Absolutely stunning farmland, river views and interesting farm life was to be seen. Definately worth the extra effort of negotiating a boat, and of venturing a little off the tourist trail.

This was the perfect way to finish off in Cambodia. My memories of the place remain close to perfect. I am moving on to Laos next...

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