A Day(tona) Trip to Phnom Penh

Because we had time on our hands, and were pretty much done with Siem Reap, we decided to take a 5 hour trip to the capital, Phnom Penh. And because it was a 5 hour trip one way and we were not staying over, we had to set off at 5am! Even though we started early, we only had time for 2 places - Tuol Sleng (or S21) and the Russian Market.

Tuol Sleng was formerly a high school, but was converted into prison cells and interrogation chambers by the Khmer Rouge Regime.





If you're wondering why there's a pair of legs amidst the pictures, they're actually mine. Upon getting out of Tuol Sleng, I realised that my calves and shins were all black and blue. RT insists that the prisoners of Tuol Sleng were responsible for them as they weren't too happy with my incessant photo taking.

Tsk.

Russian Market. Pretty much like Chatuchak in Bangkok. Lots of things to buy, but a tad too stuffy and hot. Despite that, we still managed to get a whole load of stuff!


At just 230pm, we had to head back to Siem Reap. If we had left any later, we would have had to drive back in pitch black darkness. There are no street lamps, no traffic lights, cyclists have no lights on their bicycles, a random bullock or horse drawn cart appears unexpectedly from the fields, and the drivers overtake like crazy, using their horns and flash lights as signals.

It was Daytona in real life.

Dinner back at Siem Reap was at Smiling Sun. It was Y.U.M.M.Y.... (The last dish you see is called Bonh Chhev. It's really good, like a crepe and pancake with vegetables in it. A typical Cambodian dish.)





... and fun playing with the owner's litter of puppies!