Having both read a book about a woman's childhood in Cambodia during the 1970s Khmer Rouge regime we were both really keen to get to Phnom Penh and see the city. We visited Choeung Ek (the Killing Fields) which was one of many mass graves from that era. As we listened to an audio tour which included real accounts from a few survivors, it brought tears to my eyes to hear stories of what these people endured as little as 30 years ago. A Buddhist Stupa on the grounds houses many of the skulls that have been excavated but we were told that in wet weather bones and teeth still emerge from the ground. We also visited Tuol Sleng (S21) which was an old school which had been turned into a torture and interrogation site. It was extremely moving and humbling and I found it really difficult to see photos of the faces of every person who died there.

We were glad to have seen these sights but we were also quite eager to make the rest of our time in Phnom Penh as upbeat as possible. After loving the food in Thailand we were really excited to try some authentic Cambodian cuisine. I tend to judge how 'authentic' a restaurant is by how many locals are actually eating there which may not be the best idea as I imagine their stomachs are much stronger than ours. Luke received an unidentifiable meat (standard) with some fondue style apparatus and some odd looking 'sauce'. I politely enquired about what the sauce was like to receive a concise response - 'fish arseh*le'. Hmm.