Phnom Penh

Getting to Phnom Penh turned out to be one of the easiest stops we've ever done. On the way in, we were thinking about how we were going to get from the bus station to our intended guesthouse. Were we going to get a Tuktuk? A taxi? As as we got into the centre of town it began to pour with rain. Taxi firmed as favourite. Little did we know that the bus was to bypass the bus station and head to its company office, which turned out to be a block from the hotel. Easy!

The central Emerald Pagoda and Palace sprawl over large grounds in the centre of town. The buildings are just beautiful, and the grounds are well maintained. The Palace has a stately central building which is used for official purposes. Its very ornate in the Asian style. The Emerald Pagoda houses a 90kg pure gold Buddha encrusted with large numbers of big diamonds.

Phnom Penh does give you pause for thought. It makes you wonder at the power of information and the cruelty of man. Everybody knows about the killing fields, the Khmer rouge and the disaster that befell this poor country. To see it up close, the holes of excavated graves, the skulls in the museums and memorials, the graphic representations of what occurred and its victims, it just hits you. And all for some half baked idea of communism. Hard to fathom. But after seeing the horrors, its good to get some great food, a drink and check out the brighter side. You have to remember its the history of the country, not its future.



The city has little districts that specialise in things like art shops, restaurants. Its a big sprawling city that has these little gems of streets and areas that are great fun the wander around in. Tash even bought some silk cushion covers! But its on to Bangkok.....