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Rows and rows of skulls found in the killing fields of Phnom Penh
This upsetting picture was taken at the site of the killing fields on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. These skulls were found in a mass grave, used by the Khmer RougeWe arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in one piece (just about!), after hour and half roller coaster minibus ride from where our boat from Vietnam docked (bizarely outside someone's house!). The journey consisted of us being crammed into a beat up minibus then being subjected to the worst potholed roadsclay dirt tracks right up to PP's city limits, where the roads miraculously turned to asphalt!
PP wasn't the best place in the world to be. Some area's were quite civilised with nice shopping centres and posh hotels, unfortunately we ended up in a back street in the middle of scumsville! Walking home through rat infested streets after a few drinks was an experience not to be repeated!
Whilst we were there though we got to see the Killing Fields and the S-21 detention centre from Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime. It was very moving and gruesome to see all the mass graves and the centre where they captured and tortured the Cambodian people believed to be against the Khmer Rouge.
Needless to say after all the emotion, vermin and hassle of the city we decided to make a quick get away to Siem Reap to get a bit
of culture at the Angkor Temples.
We spent three days wandering, clambering over and exploring the temples. We hired a tuk-tuk (motorbikes with a trailer on the back) driver to take us to the widely geographically spread temples. Each and every one was amazing with it's own specific characteristics. Angkor Wat was by far the largest of all the temples and it took us an afternoon to explore the corridors of carvings and climb the corn on the cob looking towers! We did get our fair share of hassle whilst moving from temple to temple - the place is mobbed with hawkers trying to get you to buy a tour book, drinks and fruit. We did buy a stash of lolipops for the child hawkers as bribes to leave us alone and suprisingly it did actually do the trick! The highlight was climbing to the top of a peak to see the sunset over Angkor Wat - who said romance was dead?!
We really enjoyed Siem Reap. The town is a bit touristy and there is alot of hassle from hawkers and beggars, but by the end of our stay we had become ammune to it all! The
Cambodian Khmer food is fantastic (especially if you're a curry person) and the Angkor beer is cheap.
Overall Cambodia was a great experience and we're really glad we visited it now before they corden areas of temples off the public.
Next stop is Vientaine, the capital of Laos. We're flying Lao Airlines - apparently it has no safety record!
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