1 June 12
Arrive in Phnom Penh after another shaky bus journey, although only a short 4 hour ride!
Staying at royal guesthouse, and this place is good - own beds (mines a double), air-con, and a nice bathroom!

Had dinner in a restaurant called Friends this evening - it is a restaurant that employees young students and teaches them to cook and work in a restaurant, helping getting children off the streets! The food was delicious here - tapas, cocktails and even chocolate cheese cake!!

Tonight visited a night market - this is a great market with lots of clothes stalls and souvenir gift. They even have a singer performing in the centre of the market! Stayed until it closed which was only about 9.30pm.

2 June 12
Difficult day today looking around the killing fields, learning about the Khmer Rouge and visiting S21 prison.
The killing fields were eye opening. I was shocked to learn that clothes and bones are still appearing through the soil from the graves, more shocked to see bits of clothes in the soil!
Listened to the history of the killing fields through an audio tour whilst walking around the site. The tour felt respectful as everyone was walking around silently, could reflect on my own thoughts. Got to see the killing fields, various graves (including women and children), artefacts such as clothes, and bones that have been discovered. Seeing the tower at the end with loads of skulls inside brought it to reality for me.

Also a snake dropped out of a tree onto a grave site, followed by a gecko. Snakes should not be allowed to drop down just like that!!

Next up was the S21 prison. Already feeling quite emotional before looking around the prison. There are four blocks which would have imprisoned people for various things in various ways, e.g for torture or to hold many people in one room. The pictures of what happened here were horrific. There were several rooms with photos of the prisoners - this was particularly difficult to look at.

A little retail therapy is needed after the emotional day experienced today, went to the Russian Market, which was fantastic for cheap clothes. Again the market closed before we were finished!!

More shopping required so popped into Friends the shop (same as the restaurant helping young adults of the street) and had a manicure!

Night out now required - first bar refuses to serve us alcohol - its the elections tomorrow and unknown to us a 48hour ban on alcohol is in place!!
Try the next bar and they are serving foreigners, in luck, if only it was busier!! Try another bar and that shuts on us, the club is empty and the next bar (24 hour walkabout) will serve alcohol on the second floor as police are patrolling the streets to make sure alcohol isn't being sold, but nobody is out! Bizzare - Back to guesthouse!!

3 June 12
Went to the Central Market today and guess what - it was shut!! Also a lot of the shops are shut too due to today being election day!
Off to the pool for a relaxing swim - small pool with all sun loungers taken (although they weren't in the sun). Had to spend $5 in order to use the pool - they said no food was available so brought drinks, only to see others order food when we were in the pool!! Never mind, had a good fun swim!

Noticed a lot of people with purple index fingers today. Asked what this was - its from voting in the election. They put their finger in ink and mark which party they want to vote for. They chose from pictures of the various parties. I guess this helps as you don't need to be able to read or write to be able to vote.

Next the corner shop refuses to serve us alcohol!
Heard the ban will be lifted tonight so attempt another night out!
Ban was lifted and found Tia Maria - first time in SE Asia!! :-) And had a good night talking to a transvestite.

After hours food - found a local street cafe selling food and ate with the locals - rice, meat, veg, egg surprise!

4 June 12
Back to the Central Market, which was now open. This is full of clothes, gifts, electronics, food and jewellery - everything!! It pretty big too!

Now the night market is shut!!

5 June 12
2 became 1 on the friends front today...I have been travelling with these gals for awhile. Saying farewell to friends is another difficult part of traveling!

Went to the central market again today, and went to a shop called Daughters of Cambodia. This is a great shop with lots of needle work gifts, jewellery, bags, and clothes. The shop is part of a project helping victims of sex exploitation to set themselves free of the sex industry.
I didn't realise how much of an issue this is in Cambodia, but the problem is huge. On the back of the door in the guesthouses there are posters warning of the unacceptable behaviour.

Went to the National Museum.

Cinema tonight!! The cinema was in a Mall at the top floor. The Mall was huge, with various open shops selling everything (food, clothes, electronics), it was a bit like a large Debenhams, where there are lots of stalls, lots of floors under one roof. They even had a child's ride (like the ones you see at the supermarket) but it was playing English songs - e.g. 12345 once I caught a fish alive...
Along with the cinema on the top floor there were other amusement, such as roller skate disco and arcade. They even had one of those roller coaster simulation rides - had to have a go, you pick a story for the ride. We went with a supposedly scary and nice story, but it was more funny and scary with 3D spiders and skeletons! Good fun!
After the film (What to expect when you are expecting), had to get out the Mall! There wasn't many people around, the escalators had stopped working, and some of the lights were off. Had to walk around to go in a lift - a very slow lift. And once at the bottom, there were people spraying smoke around, walked to the back street exit - very creepy, and scary!

6 June 12
Visited a few more sights today -
The Royal Palace (you can't go in the palace itself, but look around the other buildings). The buildings are quite pretty,
The Silver Pagoda - named from the silver tiles on the floor of the temple (5329 titles)!
Wat Phnom - temple on the only hill in the city.

Last night in Cambodia tonight and last night with my fellow traveller!!

My time in Cambodia: It's still a very poor country, lot of begging, litter on the streets, rats, poor roads, people showing their bellies by lifting up their tops to keep cool, openly weeing in street and the pockets of bad smells.
The amount of traffic of the roads (particularly Phnom Penh) was surprising. The amount of beeping from bikes and cars is crazy. They beep for everything!! Saw a new type of transport - a bicycle with a cart seat on the front, I want a ride in one!
The locals are so friendly here and willing to help, and the food has been great.
Had a fantastic time in Cambodia!