Blogs from Phnom Penh, South, Cambodia, Asia - page 3

We were up early as we had a flight to catch, but breakfast opened just in time so we were able to get something to eat before we left. The same guide who took us to the port and back was waiting for us in reception and then we had to face the rush hour Hanoi traffic, not that it was much different to any other time. It had clearly been raining heavily overnight, although we had not heard any thunder. Mind you, the hotel windows are probably well sound-proofed to cut out all the moped horns. The guide told us that no boats were leaving today because of the impending typhoon, so we were very, very lucky. On the way to the airport, we drove along a a substantial part of the Hanoi Ceramic Murals. ... read more

After a late night last today was a very lazy day. We had a leisurely breakfast and then spent the morning reading and booking accommodation for the next leg of the journey. For lunch we headed out to the luxury Raffles Hotel for afternoon tea. We were sat down in the very plush elephant bar and ordered a traditional tea (they also offer a Khmer alternative). The tea is just $15 each (that’s the same price as their cheapest drinks so a good way to get a nosey at the hotel). I was very impressed with it - we had plenty of tea, little sandwiches, warm scones and tiny cakes all served on 3 tired plates. It wasn’t the most filling tea I’ve ever had but it was delicious and very well done. After tea I ... read more

This morning was very interesting but upsetting and somewhat depressing. After breakfast we got a ‘grab’ taxi to the genocide museum. This museum is in the site of the old S21 prison, used by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. It was originally built as a high school and the plain buildings surrounded by houses in the middle of a city seem out of place with what occurred there. We chose to get an audio guide which was well worth the extra cost. The Khmer Rouge came into power by force in 1975. Initially most people were pleased the corrupt monarchy had been overthrown. Within hours the soldiers were ‘evacuating’ Phnom Penh and sending it’s inhabitants to work in the countryside instead. Families were split up and anyone who resisted killed. Once in the countryside people ... read more

In diesen Tagen findet das 3-tägige Wasserfest Bom Om Tuk statt, das vor allem in Phnom Penh, aber auch in einigen anderen Städten mit Langbootrennen gefeiert wird. Diese 3 Tage sind Nationalfeiertage, und angeblich befinden sich dann 2 Millionen Menschen mehr in der Stadt als sonst. Ja, es ist voll, und die Straße am Fluss ist für den Autoverkehr gesperrt. Aber wir haben für die Rennen einen Logenplatz, und das im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes: das Tourismus-Ministerium hat eigens für die internationalen Gäste eine Tribüne mit bequemen Polsterstühlen, kostenfreiem Wasser und Lycheesaft und Schatten aufgebaut. Das Ganze ist völlig kostenfrei und unkompliziert; man muss lediglich seine Taschen durchleuchten lassen; schließlich sitzt der König ein paar Pavillons weiter! Die Rennen sind wirklich interessant. Es gibt verschiedene Klassen: Sitzpaddler und Stehpaddler, von ca 10 Personen bis üb... read more

Fajn vyspati i ked hore uz od 7.00. Bolo trochu ocut aj premavku z vonku. Wifi mi rano neslo ale este vcera som zistil, ze grab k killing fields stoji 16k k (jeden smer) Po opusteny hotelu sa na mna vrha hned riksak. Tak zistujem cenu, 30usd. No nic. Nevzdava sa a ide se mnu asi 50m. Nakonec mu prcham. Hned sa na mna vesia motorkar, 10usd. Nezajem. No on ma stale sleduje, vravim, ze idem jest nech da pokoj. Nedal, cakal kym sa najem a furt za mnu. Spusta na 9, vravim 8usd. To sa mu nelubi, vraj musi jest a bla bla. Nakonec povoluje, cakacka dohodnuta na hodinu. Je to stary chuj, furt po ceste hundre, sak su to len dva dolare. Premavka hrozna, v meste by som si veru netrufol soferovat. Ideme na ... read more