Cambodia - Part 1

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Cambodia - Part 1

Phnom Penh
So we made it, that was the good news, the bad news was that we had a crap hostel. Tory managed to upset the staff within one hour by asking for new towels, sheets and to unblock the toilet - nice. We spent the next day exploring the city. We visited the national museum (beautiful building), the palace and Tuol Sleng S21 prison.

It is safe to say that the prison had a huge impact on all of us. It was an old school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a prison recognised now as a genocide museum. It was pretty much how they left it plus the rooms now full of photographs of those who were taken prisoner, their families and members of the Khmer Rouge. The most striking thing was how young the foot soliders of the Khmer Rouge were. We were lucky enough to meet one of only 7 survivors from the prison, he was really upbeat and open despite having been tortured there and having his wife and children killed there - it does give you a sense of perspective.

We decided not to go to the killing fields (too much death in one day) and there really wasn't that much else to do other than explore the restuarant and bars - in one of which Tory used her flip flop to kill a cockroach, disturbing a rock that a rat was hiding behind - nice pasta though.

Rainbow Lodge
We took a bus down south to the Kho Krong conservation corridor to Rainbow eco-lodge. We had a really great time there and managed to spend some of it relaxing and reading in a hammock. We went kayaking and nearly killed each other, we spent a morning trekking in the forest, swam at a waterfall and took a sunset cruise. The food was amazing real Khmer dishes with lots of flavour. They also gave us an electric mosquito bat that was very theraputic.

Otres Beach
We finally arrived at a beach - with sun and blue skies, horray!!!! We spent 3 days doing pretty much nothing. Otres beach was the hippy haven of all the beaches in the area so it was easy to blend in and relax - other than a mad dash for a malaria scare for Tory it was great! You will be pleased to know that post blood test Tory has not got it, just a bad stomach.

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Photos

Survivor
He is pointing at a picture of him taken after the prison was liberated

Everybody smile
or else......

Another sunset
Beware sunset photo overload

Burnt Will
Tory"I told you you should have put sunscreen on...."

Comments

[pgj]

Keep Travelling
Not much on in Uk ... so i would string it out till 2012 .... & then there's the Olympics ... so aim for a return to UK in 2013