Spoiled with home comforts in Vietnam we came to understand pretty quickly that perhaps Cambodia was going to be a little different. Arrived Phnom Penh in the early afternoon and were taxied to Lake-side, the main backpacker haunt and incidentally the place to go if you're into filthy rooms and hassley tuk-tuk drivers! It did have a very good Indian restaurant though, and a mosque that looked straight out of Baghdad. We eventually found a decent room to call home for a few days and set off to let Phnom Penh work it's charms on us.
The 42 degree heat probably didn't work so well with our decision to explore the city on foot. The sweat ran down our brows as we desperately looked for the charm... we looked, we really did! Maybe we missed something...
A tuk-tuk was the transport of choice for the following day as we were driven off on a small sight-seeing and hopefully charm-finding tour.
First stop the Killing Fields. This is a horrific and quite sickening insight to the mass genocide of thousands of people during the Pol Pot regime in the 70's. It's not a pleasant sight to see but an important one if you make it to Cambodia. The site itself contains several mass graves of thousands of victims who were often bludgeoned to death during the regime to save on bullets. There is also a spine-chilling memorial monument in honour of these victims, it contains behind glass thousands of skulls of men, women, and children that were massacred at the site. Faced with all of this it just seemed so unimaginable that it all happened in my lifetime.
Next the S21 Prison museum. Many of the cells, exhibited as they would have been with just metal beds and a few torture implements, were absolutely terrifying. In another building were mugshots of thousands of victims of the regime. Spent about 2 hours inside and learned alot about the backround and brutality of the regime. Up to 2 million people are believed to have died during Pol Pot's reign.
Feeling a little depressed and exhausted at this point we finished our afternoon on a more light-hearted note at the Royal Palace. Many parts are closed to tourists as the King resides there but the parts we were allowed to venture into were only lovely. Gold and spires galore! Not quite as grand as the one in Bangkok but we loved relaxing in it's grounds for a while.
Over the course of a few days I must admit the city grew on me a bit. It definitely doesn't have the draw of other Asian cities but the river-side area has a few nice places to hang out. On our very brief return to the city we checked into a nice room in the river-side area and saw that maybe it does have some charm. I think I'll give Phnom Penh another chance the next time I'm in these parts. Don't think I'll be trying any of the deep fried insects next time though, upset my tummy they did!
A trip to Kampot for a few days of relaxation proved maybe a little too relaxing for our thrill-seeking selves. The guidebook described Kampot as a place to feel and not do and they weren't lying. By the end of our stint there all I felt was a bit bored! It did have a few great cafes and bars though. Epic Arts cafe in particular was worth a visit with lovely staff who are all hearing impaired(you may have to shout your order!). We also visited a pepper plantation while in the area which was quite interesting. Oh and we caught a rather splendid sunset in Kampot too.
