23rd Dec 2007 Phnom Penh

---

Happy New Year everyone.

After only a short time in Bangkok, we leave for the 16:10 flight to Phnom Penh in Cambodia, however at 12pm we realise the flight leaves at 15:10 (well done Caroline…lol), leaving no time at all. Luckily we track down a taxi and offer double fare to the driver if he gets us there on time, however Mr Molehusband appears not to know the whereabouts of the accelerator and is quite happy going along at his pace, but we do make the flight with literally 2 minutes to spare. Once at Phnom Penh we grab a taxi to the capital and while KJ and I settle down to a couple of beers and a game of backgammon, the girls go around town looking for accommodation. We have booked into the Nordic Guesthouse, we seem to have drawn the long straw as the apartment we are given is huge, while Caroline and KJ are put into the smallest room I have ever witnessed, but they are happy enough. Our room is directly above the busy street and its gone 3am before we manage to get some sleep but nothing could have prepared us for the alarm call at 7am, Alfred McAlpine on one side and Wimpey Homes on the other could not have made more noise than the local builders, I thought the Khmer Rouge had returned for part 2. Karen and I leave the next day and go to the Paradise Hotel which was very pleasant and had the double bonus of a Casino, however there were no signs of either Rick Mayall or Ade Edmondson.

Phnom Penh is a massive city with loads of markets selling everything and nothing, the most popular being the Russian market where all sorts of designer copies can be found for peanuts. No visit to this city can be had without visiting both the killing fields and the notorious prison camp - Tuol Sleng, otherwise known as S-21. As we arrive at the S-21 building, we are surrounded by older people who have various horrific injuries which brings to life the atrocities that must have taken place during the Khmer Rouge regime. Next day we visit the Killing Fields where almost 10,000 people lost their lives. It’s a very surreal moment as you walk through the grounds, you can see remnants of clothing and bones coming though the soil. The memorial building now houses nearly all of the skulls.

After so much depressing stuff we decide to treat ourselves, the girls head off for some more retail therapy while KJ and I head off to th barbers for a trim of the old hair. When I say haircut, we forgot to mention that we also had hair wash and head massage, cut throat shave, followed by a face mask, then our ears cleaned and finished off with a manicure and all for the sum of £2.50. I have to say it was the best 2 hours pampering we have ever had, however the girls were not amused at the time it took. One of the ladies seemed to have a fascination with my man boobs, every 2 minutes she had to have a feel much to the amusement of the entire shop.

Although most of the people of Cambodia have very little in terms of possessions, they really are one of the most polite, happy and endearing race we have ever had the pleasure of meeting. They cannot do enough for you and always appear to have a smile on their faces.

---

Photos

S-21
Prison which was formerly a school

Memorial
At the Killing Fileds

Victims
Remains of skulls from the Killing Fields

Pampering
How good is this?