Back to the capital

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We arrived back on Boxing Day and checked into a different guesthouse this time. One that has a better atmosphere with a room on the lake. We were quick workers and soon had booked a day trip for tomorrow and the bus to Vietnam on the 29th December. The rest of the day and some of the evening was spent chilling by the lake.

On Wednesday we went on a city tour, the first destination was Cheoung Ek (The Killing Fields). It is hard to believe that this kind of torture went on not that long ago. The first thing you see is the glass tower which is filled with skulls, it is upsetting to think that so many people have died and that their families do not have closure and that their relative has no grave. Next we walked around the field itself, some sections have fencing around them indicating there was a mass grave and other in other areas there are just holes in the ground. Walking around i noticed what appeared to be bones protruding through the earth and scraps of clothing, there was even saw teeth amongst the rubble.
Next we went to the Russian market where both Erica and i both managed to grab a memento or two.
Then for more misery, we visited Tuol Sleng (Former Khmer Rouge S-21 Prison). Tuol Sleng actually translates into poisonous hill, which is quite appropriate. It used to be a high School but around 1976 it was turned into a prison where its occupants were tortured before being taken to Cheoung Ek to be executed. Inside we got to see the extremely small cells and pictures of the many prisoners, including women and children, the youngest only looked about 18 months old.
The National Museum was our next stop, which was filled with buddhas and not much else. Then we went to the Royal Palace but that also wasn't as good as we had expected. We both agree that The Grand Palace in Thailand was much better.


On Thursday we walked to the Cental Market as we had read about the building being quite architectual, but it looked like a ghetto to me, scruffy, not very appealing and certainly not architectual. Even so we still we managed to purchase a few more items, so we are both going to have to send some more stuff back when we get the chance.

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Photos

The Glass Tower
At Cheuong Ek (AKA the Killing Fields)