We're are going to Phnom Penh by today.
We were picked up by the free shuttle service from the hotel to the bus depot.
The interior was pretty cozy pink.
There were many hawkers around the depot, just like KL.
But this is the extreme.
Fancy buying a packet of crickets to munch along the way?
We had a pee stop and I can't help but guess what is the condition of a bath room in a place like this.
I endured.
I haven't seen a cow eat from a tree before in my life.
Before we all went back to the bus, we were greeted by them. So cute, right?
We reached the capital city after 6hrs.
The city takes its name from the Wat Phnom Daun Penh (known now as just the Wat Phnom or Hill Temple).
The modern Phnom Penh was named after Daun Penh (Grandma Penh), a wealthy widow.
We hailed a tut tut to sight see and passed by the Royal Palace, which was built in the 19th century with French technology and Cambodian designs.
And the poor area, with rubbish filled streets and large numbers of beggars.
The huge disparity of rich and the poor.
We stopped for some food within Russian Market, or "Psar Toul Tom Poung" by the locals.
Lots of fake designer clothing, fake Swiss watches and pirated software at low prices. Similar to Bangkok.
I don't know what they call this, and it was really delicious. Eliss and I had a bowl each.
This one is similar to friend mee tai mak.
Freshly squeezed orange juice. Extremely refreshing for a weather like this.
That's me after a very satisfying meal. All these for less that $US3.
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) was a school converted into Cambodia's most important prison in 1975.
The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, attempted to turn Cambodia into a classless society by depopulating cities and forcing the urban population into agricultural communes.
The entire population was forced to become farmers in labour camps. During their 4 years in power, the Khmer Rouge overworked and starved the population, at the same time executing selected groups who had the potential to undermine the new state (including intellectuals) and killing many others for even minor breaches of rules.
They did not believe in western medicine but instead favoured traditional peasant medicine; many died as a result.
Family relationships not sanctioned by the state were also banned, and family members could be put to death for communicating with each other. In any case, family members were often relocated to different parts of the country with all postal and telephone services abolished.
Even acts as picking wild fruit or berries was seen as "private enterprise" for which the death penalty applied.
As it's a very solemn place, so no laughing allowed.
Photos of genocide victims were on display.
Prisoners were locked behind tiny wooden cells, converted from classrooms.
Between 1-2 million Cambodians (and many thousands of foreigners) were starved, tortured or killed during Pot Pol's brutal reign of terror.
We left the place with a heavy heart, so we must go to somewhere happy.
This place is hight recommended by many travel books, and is run by and for a non-profit that rehabilitates Cambodia's street children,
It does international tapas and local main dishes.
The interior was pretty cozy, and I like the painting on the walls.
We both ordered local dishes, mine a curry and her's fried rice.
Food is cooked pretty well, considering that they are just students.
We reached the airport on a tut tut and pretty happy with what we've got here.
It's time to fly back to Singapore.
The trip has been an eye opener for me. And it prompted me how they people can live with such basic needs, and why do we have to keep chasing to update everything we own?
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