Blogs from Phnom Penh, South, Cambodia, Asia - page 15

Even though I have the luxury of air, owing to the fact I’m quite a bit taller than most of those around me, it still feels crushingly claustrophobic as I surge and sway with the motion of the crowd. Over to the left a dozen or so people break through the barrier and make a run for it. Neither the police nor soldiers holding the line seek to chase them, deciding instead to hold their positions and stem the tide, lest there be more attempts to break loose. Seeing this opportunity I attempt to squeeze my way through toward the breach. Reaching the spot it’s clear the escapees have managed to jump the fence, which is now being fortified with extra barbed-wire and police reinforcements. Flying into Phnom Penh last week, we hadn’t known of the ... read more

Siem Reap to Phnom Penh by coach, 7 hours on a National Highway. Always a great way to see the country. Mostly rural, passing through the odd town, on a road that was in places concrete, but for significant stretches just earth, uneven at that. As we entered Phnom Pehn things didn't improve, just more vehicles/mopeds on the roads, so massively congested and polluted. It seems that people generally don't walk very far, so as soon as you outgrow sitting on the family moped, you get your own and that appears to be early teens. Our hotel, the 252 (in road number 252) is an oasis of calm, lovely room with air conditioning, restaurant/bar area next to the outdoor pool. With temperatures in the thirties, what in some places are luxuries (air con and pool)here are ... read more

Today was a difficult day, as expected. We had breakfast in the hotel this morning, then met the group at 8 am to head out to the Choeung Ek Memorial at the Killing Fields, about an hours drive from our hotel. There is a memorial here to the estimated 3 million people killed by the Khmer Rouge. The memorial stupa is made up of an estimated 8,000 human skulls and marks the site of the infamous Killing Fields. This wasn't the only location where Khmer Rouge victims were killed in large numbers; such places were located all over Cambodia. On the drive to the Memorial Sovann told us about the history of the civil wars in Cambodia and the political situation over the years, and how the Khmer Rouge came to power. His mother lost her ... read more

Geo: 11.5588, 104.917... read more

Mercredi 13 Août: départ de Sihanoukville à 6h45 du mat. Trajet toujours très bien organisé! On part comme prévu vers la capitale, avec quelques regrets de quitter Sihanoukville et ses îles environnantes... D'autant que la ville de Phnom Penh ne nous fait pas bonne impression à l'arrivée ! Pris dans des bouchons de camions à l'entrée de la ville, on attend de pouvoir arriver à notre arrêt et partir à la recherche de notre hôtel... On finit par arriver... dans une ambiance de poussière, de bruits incessants et assez insupportables, c'est l'anarchie partout, il y a des voitures, des motos, des scooters, des piétons, des cris, des odeurs... On prend un tuk-tuk en espérant arriver vite à notre hôtel, et là, c'est la délivrance! Un hôtel dans le centre ville, mais avec de la verdure, une ... read more