Phnom Penh - Monday 16th

We took the bus trip south to Phnom Penh, which is a six-hour journey.The bus was better than we thought and we did have a stop half way through.We passed lots of food stalls selling insects and bugs. Despite our expectations that they are sold everywhere in SE Asia, it's the first time that we actually saw them for sale - and people actually buying them.There was pile of deep-fried grasshoppers, massive spiders with big thick legs and bodies and some mouth-watering cockroaches.Stephen wasn't so brave this time!When we arrived at Phnom Penh it was the usual swarm of tuk-tuk drivers shouting to get our attention as soon as we had stepped off the bus.We found a driver who was quite happy to take us around to various hotels, however, they were all fully booked apart from the 5*(ish) Nagaworld on the edge of town, which had beautiful rooms and a casino downstairs.We went straight out again to the Tuel Sleng (or S-21) museum, which was formerly a primary school that was then used as a prison by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge to inflict horrendous torture and atrocities to their prisoners.We were taken around by a guide, who was a woman of our age and who had members of her family either murdered or tortured by the regime.She explained how the city was emptied, as people were either driven, or fled to hide in the countryside.It is a cruel paradox that the place that used to be full of children running around, happy and being educated for a better future should become a place of such horror.It was a prison from 1975-1979 and the classrooms were used as cells and the playground apparatus used as a means to inflict pain amongst the prisoners.The rooms still have the implements and pictures on the wall of prisoners dead or dying, so it was actually sickening.In one of the blocks are pictures of thousands of faces in huge frames and it's knowing that each of them were tortured and killed by this sick regime that brought tears to our eyes.Any of the soldiers who had joined the regime and then were unable to carry out the horrific torture were in turn tortured themselves and eventually killed.In total 20,000 men, women and children died as a result and around 3 million Cambodians in total during Pol Pot's reign.It was so upsetting for us both that we had to get out of there and didn't see the whole museum and in addition we've decided not to go out to the Killing Fields.Interestingly, the commander of the prison was being tried by the UN for his crimes as we were visiting Cambodia and he was expected to receive a life-sentence.However, the Cambodian's do not seek the blood-thirsty revenge that one could expect, and are more focused on re-building the nation and not dwelling on the past. (Compare this to the recent contempt given to City Bankers in the West)

Tuesday 17th

Our tuk-tuk driver came back to pick us up and take us out to the RoyalPalace.The palace complex was built in 1886 and there are beautiful manicured flowers and shrubs in the courtyards.The Silver Pagoda is so called because it was made using 5000 silver floor tiles and it's a shame they've since used a botch job with the masking tape to hold some of them down.The huge Buddha is made from solid gold and has 1006 diamonds in-laid. During the Khmer Rouge invasion, the King was under house arrest and amazingly the palace was left untouched.There was a band sitting cross-legged on the floor playing some traditional music.After a bit of encouragement, and a quick lesson by the toothless glockenspiel player, Suz attempted to play the spare one beside him.The tour party who had arrived just after us soon disappeared after a few bum notes.We then went out to a gun club as the tuk-tuk driver had whetted Stephen's appetite for some Smith and Wesson action.We went out to what felt like the back of beyond and down a road to a gun club by the army barracks.In the café area there was a wall with 20 or so different rifles and machines guns hanging up.We were asked to put on combat jackets and some ear-phones, but no safety goggles or safety lessons in sight!At least we had a proper brief in Perth and were aware of flying shells etc.We fired a Colt 45 and then an AK47 (Kalashnikov!)Stephen had a go of it on automatic and the flare of fire was flashing in succession to the constant shots ringing out.It was a horrible sight, it just didn't look right.On the way back, what also didn't look right was the dog with earrings and sunglasses on the front of a motorbike - just when you think you've seen it all!We then went to the Russian Market and had a good laugh haggling with the locals, although Stephen went too far by offering kisses to save a dollar or two.Outside it was so busy and full of beggars and amputees with their caps out that we soon stopped laughing.In the evening we went to the Casino and decided not to go over $50 gambling spends and, although we didn't do too well on the Black Jack, we walked away with $210 after visiting the Roulette table - so great result!