Today has been one of the most harrowing and depressing of the trip so far. Phnom Penh is one of those places I wasn't too excited about visiting but we felt we had to include on the itinerary so we could fill in some of the blanks about the Kymer Rouge period. Our hotel is conveniently situated in an area close to the Tuol Sleng Genocide museum, so today took the short walk to go behind the walls. Those of a similar age to us will remember growing up watching TV reports of fighting and people starving in Cambodia - a place which was a million miles away from our life in Britain. The Kymer Rouge destroyed the monetary system and banks, as well as schools and other educational establishments. People were evacuated from towns to the countryside where they were put to work, digging and planting crops. The regime converted schools, such as the one at Tuol Sleng into prisons where they held and tortured people who were deemed intellectuals. Eventually all but seven of the 20,000 people held at Tuol Sleng were murdered, before they could be liberated when the Kymer Rouge fled. The museum displays graphic images of people who were tortured there, and many of the cells where people were kept can still be seen. The irons which clamped people together, sometimes in rows of eight or more, the torture boxes used for water boarding, and details of the tortures inflicted are all on display. There was also a section detailing the forced marriages and pregnancies which women were made to undergo, often to people they had never met, many of which resulted in abusive relationships. The audio tour which guided us round the site helped us to understand what we were seeing, and presented the information in a frank but compassionate way. Many people around the site looked visibly moved, as the realities of this event which took place in our own lifetime were spelled out to us. It is difficult to understand how people can inflict such cruelty on other human beings. Maybe it's extreme delusion, or misguided intention but some of the tortures described were beyond understanding. Despite this similar atrocities are still being carried out In parts of the world, often described in 10 second news briefings if at all. We pause as we eat our tea, then move onto the football results or the next soap, insulated by the comfortable life we lead many miles away. Phone Penh was badly destroyed during the conflicts which took place here during the 70s so much of the city has been constructed since this time. There are many expensive hotels and some branded shops throughout the city, as well as the traditional Cambodian cafes with their Formica tables and plastic baskets of condiments. A strange mix of modern and traditional. Admittedly many of the new buildings are architecturally attractive in my humble opinion. Many adopting traditional French design with balconies, chrome railings and curved rather than square corners. It still seems obscene to walk past shops selling huge chandeliers, which wouldn't be out of place in The White House, when there are women, children and disabled people begging for money on street corners. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to go walking after visiting the genocide museum. Playing dodgems with Phnom Penh traffic needs a full complement of mental faculties as a lot of drivers seem to have forgotten the rules of the road or choose to ignore them. People jump lights, drive up the wrong side of the road, don't use headlights and just generally ignore pedestrians. We mastered jay walking in India and had no problem getting across the traffic there, even in Delhi, but here is a whole new ball game. The roads here in the capital are wide and this can cause problems crossing as mopeds and SUVs come at you from all angles. We're thinking of getting some shirts made with LED lights built in so we can light up arrows to direct traffic round us. They'd be especially useful when we have to walk in the road, as the pavement is usually totally blocked by mopeds or cars. Phomn Penh has a lovely esplanade adjacent to the riverbank and fronting the entrance to the Royal palace. In the evening the area comes alive with outdoor aerobics sessions, pavement cafes, and families and friends socialising together. All in all Phnom Penh wasn't a bad place to be, with lots of differing areas to explore. I just think I'll take my LED vest next time to be on the safe side.