So after the temples I had a day I didn't really do much until getting the bus over to Sihanoukville. Unfortunately the pick iup driver was 2 hours late after we had been waiting since 0700! We got to the bus station and got the bus however it mean I missed the connection bus to Sihanoukville from Phnom Penh so stayed with the French couple for the night. We wandered around Phnom Penh along the river and ate a kebab! We tried to be cultured but the food was expensive everywhere we'd looked. We wandered some more, round the temple and outside the National Museum. There are some very nice places here! The next day I went to Sihanoukville. After meeting a girl on the bus we tried to find accomodation but unfortunately everywhere was full except one bed in the Monkey Republic (where I stayed) and beds in Utopia. Utopia is a COMPLETE dive. It's quite good fun to drik for a little bit but other than that, not nice to sleep in! Monkey was quite nice though there we beach shacks made of wicker and wood however the dorm, the door didin't close so it was mosquito heaven. After being bitten alive on the first night I got up and bought a mosquito net from the town the next day. Serendipity beach was the beach I stayed at however this beach is full of bars all along with very little sand that hasn't been taken over. That night though I went out with the dorm people (especially two crazy Preston girls) and we went to JoJo's which was literally on the sea. You had to walk through the water to get in the front porch. After painting ourselves with UV and doing the 'free' bar run- using vouchers all along so paying nothing or very little in every bar- cheapest night ever! We then headed to the main beach bars where people were jumping through hoops of fire- not a good idea whilst drunk- so a guy had an accident, but NOONE went over, everyone kept partying even his mates. Just myself and one girl went over after realising noone was helping. He'd burnt all the skin off his foot and some off his leg but luckily for his he was drunk and not really feeling the pain so we found his girlfriend and packed him off to hospital. The area was naturally stunning but was a bit ruined by all the building work right on the waterfront- I suppose it's inevitable though. The next day we'd met a really nice guy, and went to a beach further away called Sokha beach. This was a privately owned beach which we didn't realise and had to pay. HOWEVER it was the quitest most beautiful beach, a clean view of the sea and we got to use the hotel pool. The sea was the warmest sea I've ever gone in, you could just sit and lay and not get cold at all. Amazing day. After more eating, drinking and beaching with the guys I left to Phnom Penh.
I stayed in Okay Guesthouse. The first night I stayed in a broken bed in a corridor which was their 'dorm' room so moved into a room by myself which had no windows or anything so was a bit of a sauna but still nice enough. I spent a lot of time alone in Phnom Penh which was quite nice after such a manic Sihanoukville. I got up the first day and walked to the S-21 Touel Sleng Museum (the Kmer Rouge main prison). This was such a humbling experience. After reading, 'First they Killed my Father' (good book) I knew a bit more about the war. Such a horrid regime which we know nothing about in the west! I then got a moto (loving riding the bikes) to the Killing Fields- where every single prisoner of the Touel Sleng was taken and killed. Mass graves everywhere with material from clothing still visible coming out of the ground or stuck in bits of wood and rocks. The worst parts was the huge memorial they have built which is filled to the top with the skulls of the victims. But then you discover the killing tree- this tree was used as they flung babies by their arms into it to smash their skulls. It was a very hard day. I don't understand why we don't learn about it inthe West though? After this I went to the National Museum for some nicer thoughts, here they have a lot of the old Ankor statues and anime scultures. Interesting and in a very nice building.
The hostel showed films constantly so their was alwas something to do to kill time. Luckily through perfect timing Grace had replied to my e-mail and I rang to organise to meet the family the next day. I went swimming with the girls and Grace whilst Paul played basketball, all at a local newly built school. It was lovely to finally meet them, the girls were beautiful and bright. Then we went to their house and they filled me in on Cambodia and what it was like to live and speak the language and culture- very interesting. I also got to try the BEST fish rice dish (can't remember the name) I've ever had made by their house help lady. So good. Then Paul rode me home on his scooter.
Flying out the next day I wandered town and visited the 'Daughters' foundation which was an amazing place teaching young women to get out of the sex trade and teaching them professions and giving them a fair wage so they learn to respect themselves again. A lot of the women were raped or told to become sex workers by their families as they could not marry. Shame and loosing face is the main drive here which effects everything they do. I then visited the trust giving trades to street children and bought some of their goods. Great schemes, definitely worth seeing. I was with another lady who bought me a drink in this posh hotel with a view of the river, then I went to get my flight. Beware though, the airport has a sneaky tax of $25 which you have to pay which I did not know about, making my flight not so cheap! But I needed to fly in order to get a 30day visa again.
I stayed in Okay Guesthouse. The first night I stayed in a broken bed in a corridor which was their 'dorm' room so moved into a room by myself which had no windows or anything so was a bit of a sauna but still nice enough. I spent a lot of time alone in Phnom Penh which was quite nice after such a manic Sihanoukville. I got up the first day and walked to the S-21 Touel Sleng Museum (the Kmer Rouge main prison). This was such a humbling experience. After reading, 'First they Killed my Father' (good book) I knew a bit more about the war. Such a horrid regime which we know nothing about in the west! I then got a moto (loving riding the bikes) to the Killing Fields- where every single prisoner of the Touel Sleng was taken and killed. Mass graves everywhere with material from clothing still visible coming out of the ground or stuck in bits of wood and rocks. The worst parts was the huge memorial they have built which is filled to the top with the skulls of the victims. But then you discover the killing tree- this tree was used as they flung babies by their arms into it to smash their skulls. It was a very hard day. I don't understand why we don't learn about it inthe West though? After this I went to the National Museum for some nicer thoughts, here they have a lot of the old Ankor statues and anime scultures. Interesting and in a very nice building.
The hostel showed films constantly so their was alwas something to do to kill time. Luckily through perfect timing Grace had replied to my e-mail and I rang to organise to meet the family the next day. I went swimming with the girls and Grace whilst Paul played basketball, all at a local newly built school. It was lovely to finally meet them, the girls were beautiful and bright. Then we went to their house and they filled me in on Cambodia and what it was like to live and speak the language and culture- very interesting. I also got to try the BEST fish rice dish (can't remember the name) I've ever had made by their house help lady. So good. Then Paul rode me home on his scooter.
Flying out the next day I wandered town and visited the 'Daughters' foundation which was an amazing place teaching young women to get out of the sex trade and teaching them professions and giving them a fair wage so they learn to respect themselves again. A lot of the women were raped or told to become sex workers by their families as they could not marry. Shame and loosing face is the main drive here which effects everything they do. I then visited the trust giving trades to street children and bought some of their goods. Great schemes, definitely worth seeing. I was with another lady who bought me a drink in this posh hotel with a view of the river, then I went to get my flight. Beware though, the airport has a sneaky tax of $25 which you have to pay which I did not know about, making my flight not so cheap! But I needed to fly in order to get a 30day visa again.
nice story
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