3rd Week in Cambodia

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The last 2 weeks have been really hectic. We moved from Siem Reap down to Phnom Penh, the capital; on to Kratie in the north east; then onto Kampong Cham on the Mekong; back down to Phnom Penh; then to Kampot in the south; on to Kep a couple of hours further and then onto Sihnoukville on the south coast.

Phnom Penh was a real shock to the system and made Siem Reap look like a sleepy little fishing village. The city is extremely dirty and unpleasant and our hostel was a hole which at night was barred up like a prison (slight fire hazard when locked inside) My room mate Emily and I had to change rooms after an awful first night hunting down and killing cockroaches in a room with no windows or air con and plastic panel walls. I went to the summer palace which is a complete contrast to the rest of the city's slums; the killing fields and the markets; and ate in the safer areas along the river front which were actually extremely good.

After 3 days in Phnom Penh I headed north on a coach to Kratie 5 hrs away to see the river dolphins (another 2hr boat ride). The village was tiny and undeveloped but cleaner than Phnom Penh which was a relief. I had been ill for the last 2 days which was not pleasant when stuck on a bus and boat for the duration.

Kampong Cham was the next stop and is somewhere i would never recommend anyone stopping over night. The hotel was an old military base with corridors so wide you could play a full game of football and was surrounded by huge concrete walls coated in shards of glass. The town (the 3rd largest in Cambodia) was nothing more than a small village with a market filled with live animals and large spiders bbq'd on skewers. The bamboo bridge was worth seeing however which crossed over to an island and managed somehow to support the weight of a car.

Kampot was the next stop in the south of Cambodia. A rural town on the river side of the Tonle Sap where I went on a trekking trip up Bokor National Park mountains to an abandoned French colonial town at its peak. The town is said to be one of the most haunted places on earth, destroyed by the Khmer Rouge only 30 odd years ago.

Kep is a small town/village an hour or two further south on the coast where I went rock climbing. I managed to get to the top of the beginners rock face but failed to get further than a few meters on the intermediate route.

Sihnoukville was a relief to reach finally, a town on the south coast jokingly known as Costa del Cambodia due to the beach front bars and restaurants. It seemed as though the people were either old men whom have not grown out of their backpacker hippy days or young backpackers heading in from Thailand by ferry. It was nice to have some beach, clean sand and clear water for a few days. I went trekking through Ream national park and the mangrove swamps as well as visit a few of the islands for snorkling and exploring. I managed however to be savagely attacked by mosquitos after forgetting to put on my DEET at dusk....I counted over 30 bites on my shins which kept me awake for a few nights itching. Men with missing limbs constantly came up to you at restaurants and on the beaches asking for money dragging themselves on the sand as well as hundreds of children all wanting you to buy their bracelets which are often the main source of income for the family.

I have just reached Phnom Penh again where I will be staying for a couple of nights to see the National Museum and other attractions i missed on the previous trip here but i will not be sad to leave it due to the smell and extremely scary roads to cross. Looking forward to the aid project beginning on Monday in Siem Reap but it is getting hotter here with every passing day (today was 36 degrees) so its going to be hard work.

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Comments

[Siggsy]

Sounds mad Sim and i thought it was a beach holiday lol

[Phnom Penh Rite]

Phnom Penh Hotels
Well guys, Next time visiting Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham, stay in more expensive hotels so you would find the cities more pleasant. $25-35 hotels will do. They are better than $40-60 motels in some big and unsafe cities in North American. Cheers!