Hey there people,

So I know that it has been a long while since we have posted our blog up on the web. So after Dave posted recently about Siem Reap, Cambodia I wanted to keep up the momentum. So as Dave left it we were on a bus heading South for the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. We had heard a lot about this place as it was the central focus of attention of Pol Pot during his reign of terror during the 1970's and 80's. Dave, Ben and I all knew that this was going to be a very mixed and emotionally charged visit to a place that must have suffered more than any other in recent history.

With this in the back of our minds we acended on Phnom Penh in (by this stage) an almost ritualistic comical/arduous fashion. It just so happened that our visit to the nations capital coincided with the countrys largest festival, the Water festival.

Every year Cambodians celebrate the changing of the direction of water flowing down and then up the Mekong river. As myself you may think this is trivial but it has actually kept millions of Cambodians fed and alive every year by providing fresh fish from the sea to be caught by the huge numbers of fishermen. This celebration attracts 4 million people to the city every year doubling its population so it is certainly cramped to say the least. The roads are no exception to this. However with foriegn tourists also looking to share in the celebrations it presents a money making opportunity for the locals. For us on a bus we were subject to one of these well organised scams.

Road blocks are set up 20k and 10k from the city limits, with police explaining that buses cannot go any further and that all tourists have to pay for tuk tuk's for the rest of the journey. When we arrived at the first road block and told of this predicament, we were having none of it sensing that this must be some kind of scam, we were told that if we do not get a tuk tuk we will have to wait till 10pm that evening to move, all others on the bus got tuk tuk's.......apart from us! 20-30 minutes later we saw our bus pull off, we jumped on and had the entire bus to ourselves on our way to the city.

Eventually we got into the City after having to get a tuk tuk the final 10k, we found a cheap place to stay that was reasonalble (when i say cheap I mean £1.20 per night each, and when I say reasonable I mean unbelievably basic! 3 beds and a toilet which was seperated by a sheet of plastic!)

The city was absolute madness, I have never seen so many people in one place in my life. The roads are 10 deep of mopeds, motorbikes and the occational open backed lorry carrying 50 people. There are no road crossings at all, so when crossing the road you literally take your life in your own hands. With blind faith you walk out hoping that everything will swerve around you, apart from being slightly disconcerting it was also exhilirating seeing mopeds speed past as you gingerly walk across.

Once we had enjoyed the lighter side of Phnom Penh at the water festival, it was time to go and see the the more serious and sinister side of Cambodia's history. As a preface to the explaination to our visits, between 1979 and the early 1990's the exceptionally fascist communist leader Pol Pot sort to cleanse the country of huge parts of its population to continue the security of his leadership. He believed that all Cambodians that had 'foriegn' blood or influences should be eliminated, this included anyone that was remotely educated or intellectual. During his reign of destruction over 4 million Cambodians were murdered, 40% of the population!! This huge number of people killed still leaves it mark today, as it is very difficult to find any elderly people in Cambodia, its as if there is a whole generation completely missing!

Our first visit was to the killing fields 5k south of the city. This is where the unfortunate ones were sent to be brutally murdered and eventually buried in mass graves that cover a massive area. It was a horribly harrowing place that none of us will easily forget. At this particluar site over 5000 people were murdered and buried, with more bones being found with the rain wearing the soil away. It wasn't long before we, I, couldn't see any more and we left for our next harrowing destination.

Schools in Cambodia during the rule of Pol Pot were closed down, and the largest school in Phnom Penh was turned into a prison that was later called S21. It was a place were suspected 'criminals' were taken for interogation and torture. This was essentially a horrific waiting room for the killing fields. Lots of the torture tools were still there for show and a number of graphic photos placed in the tiny cells where Pol Pots supposed countrymen sat waiting for their eventual brutal fate.

After a very intense day we all knew what was needed....a good drink, and whoa did we do that. We met with one of our friends from Thailand, Will, and got on it hard and experienced the delights Cambodia's capital had to offer. We had a well needed drink fueled awesome night that ended with a massive hangover in the morning.

We were in need of a 'break' and we were all missing beach life so we decided to make a break for the south coast in a beach town called Shinokville, so another bus was booked and off we went!!

Well thats it for this installment, sorry for the morbid nature of it but it kind of wasn't the brightest and jollyest places we've ever been in our lives. Anyways I hope you found it interesting at least?

Missing you all loads, take care and speak to you soon.

Ben x x x