The night bus
Dominique decided to come to Phnom Penh with us so the three of us were picked up at our hotel in a 'caged' pick-up truck and brought to the night bus. We were slightly confused by the que to get on the bus when we arrived and wondered where everyone was going to fit but it all became clear as we boarded. We'd been shown photos so had an idea of what to expect (bus seats which were fixed in a 70% reclined position) but we hadn't realised that there were two 'bunks'. We were 'downstairs' so didn't have to climb and it wasn't too bad if you knew the person you were next to otherwise you were up close and personal with a stranger! Obviously myself and Shane were fine but poor Dominique while thankfully ended up with a nice Cambodian lady had three to the two small bus seats. The lady was traveling to Phnom Penh as she usually does every Sunday night for work with her son who was about two or three which made this more than cosy and difficult to sleep although sleep was never really an option which we were to realise later.
Having settled in tired after a long day in the heat we were all ready to sleep which was just within our reach as we left the city but that's when things changed and the nightmare began. I don't even know how to describe the journey all I can say is it was terrifying!
As I said we were 'downstairs' which meant we could see nothing and the bus was pitch black so we had no idea where we were, we left the city and the main highway so we were off roading in a coach! Potholes at home have nothing on potholes here and we were just bounced around in the dark with the bottom of the bus hitting the ground repeatedly. I couldn't believe the bus was still moving it hit so hard sometimes and we could really feel it being 'downstairs'. About 4 hours in we actually hit something or at least we think we did. The bus driver stopped, said nothing and got out about 10 minutes later he got on back on with part of the front of the bus and just drove on.
Everyone on this side of the world drives like a lunatic and we've learned that this is because generally drivers are paid not by the hour but by the amount of journeys they do in a day. You get used to this on a main highway with a good surface but as we learned when we eventually arrived in Phnom Penh not all highways are in use hence our nightmare experience some are closed for repair.
Thankfully we arrived at 6am and the hotel allowed us to check in so we could finally sleep until a staff member woke us thinking we were meant to be checking out, very irritating!
We didn't do very much on the first day, we had a wonder about to get our bearings and went to the Vietnamese embassy to sort visas for the next leg and had an early night. The heat here seems to have been worse so we'd planned an early start to the palace.
The next morning we ignored the tuk tuk drivers fighting for our business outside the hotel and set off on foot for the palace on the riverfront. The riverfront is beautiful particularly in the morning. You can see yoga classes underway and it even has an outdoor gym! Its funny to see something like this outside and to see it in such good condition, if this was at home it would have been wrecked within days.
The palace is a huge walled complex just on the riverfront which is the official residence of the king. Only parts are open to the public and photography is not permitted. It's an impressive structure with its Khmer roofs and ornate guilding. Unfortunately we weren't dressed appropriately, both of us had our shoulders uncovered so this is as far as we got, and had to skip the silver pagoda.
With the heat rising we moved on to prison 21, the genocide museum, a very somber place. Originally a school which was taken over by Pol Pots forces and became one of the largest detention centres at the time of the Khmer rouge.
From the entrance the complex could easily be taken for a school, 4 buildings with a play area/garden in the middle, it's not until you get up close to each building and explore the interior that you start to see the horrors of what went on. Building A is where they found 14 people who'd been tortured to death and left to decay when the Khmer rouge fled. Each room contains the iron bed they were shackled to with a black and white photo of how they were found. Their tombs lie just outside the building in the court yard.
Building B and D house numerous photos of those detained here along with some of the survivors stories and information on the leaders of the Khmer rouge including Pol Pot. Building C which still has the barbed wire netting (to stop the prisoners commiting suicide by jumping) houses the cells. Each classroom was divided into 14 cells, some were made of bricks and others of wood, both of which are tiny. It's hard to comprehend sitting in the grounds looking at the buildings what went on here so recently and how easily the buildings turned from what I think must have been quite a progressive school into hell on earth for those who were detained here. Even more surreal to think of the world not knowing or if they did, not caring that so many men, women and children were being brutally murdered on a massive scale.
In a reflective and sombre mood we headed back to the hotel for a late lunch and some rest before dinner. Another early night was in order for a rise at dawn for the killing fields the next day.
The Choeung Ek Genocide Centre, aka "the killing fields" is about 15km outside the city so we gave in and hired one if the very eager tuk tuk driver's outside the hotel. The journey was interesting, on and off road and through some of the poorer areas reminding us of a less densely populated and much less chaotic India.
We finally arrive after a very bumpy ride to a strangely peaceful place. As part of the entrance fee an audio your is provided so everyone is left to their own thoughts as you listen to the story of what went on here. There is no real way of writing about or trying to explain the significance of this place, suffice to say it is soul touching and for anyone that does not know of this place in that time, please take some time to educate yourself as to what can happen anywhere or anytime.
We returned to Phnom Penh and our hotel to gather ourselves again and rest before walking to the riverfront via some Buddhist communities taking in the simplistic peaceful lives they lead. That night we shared our last meal with Dominique, she was off back to Thailand and had an early start the following morning and we were to head for Kampot.
Dominique decided to come to Phnom Penh with us so the three of us were picked up at our hotel in a 'caged' pick-up truck and brought to the night bus. We were slightly confused by the que to get on the bus when we arrived and wondered where everyone was going to fit but it all became clear as we boarded. We'd been shown photos so had an idea of what to expect (bus seats which were fixed in a 70% reclined position) but we hadn't realised that there were two 'bunks'. We were 'downstairs' so didn't have to climb and it wasn't too bad if you knew the person you were next to otherwise you were up close and personal with a stranger! Obviously myself and Shane were fine but poor Dominique while thankfully ended up with a nice Cambodian lady had three to the two small bus seats. The lady was traveling to Phnom Penh as she usually does every Sunday night for work with her son who was about two or three which made this more than cosy and difficult to sleep although sleep was never really an option which we were to realise later.
Having settled in tired after a long day in the heat we were all ready to sleep which was just within our reach as we left the city but that's when things changed and the nightmare began. I don't even know how to describe the journey all I can say is it was terrifying!
As I said we were 'downstairs' which meant we could see nothing and the bus was pitch black so we had no idea where we were, we left the city and the main highway so we were off roading in a coach! Potholes at home have nothing on potholes here and we were just bounced around in the dark with the bottom of the bus hitting the ground repeatedly. I couldn't believe the bus was still moving it hit so hard sometimes and we could really feel it being 'downstairs'. About 4 hours in we actually hit something or at least we think we did. The bus driver stopped, said nothing and got out about 10 minutes later he got on back on with part of the front of the bus and just drove on.
Everyone on this side of the world drives like a lunatic and we've learned that this is because generally drivers are paid not by the hour but by the amount of journeys they do in a day. You get used to this on a main highway with a good surface but as we learned when we eventually arrived in Phnom Penh not all highways are in use hence our nightmare experience some are closed for repair.
Thankfully we arrived at 6am and the hotel allowed us to check in so we could finally sleep until a staff member woke us thinking we were meant to be checking out, very irritating!
We didn't do very much on the first day, we had a wonder about to get our bearings and went to the Vietnamese embassy to sort visas for the next leg and had an early night. The heat here seems to have been worse so we'd planned an early start to the palace.
The next morning we ignored the tuk tuk drivers fighting for our business outside the hotel and set off on foot for the palace on the riverfront. The riverfront is beautiful particularly in the morning. You can see yoga classes underway and it even has an outdoor gym! Its funny to see something like this outside and to see it in such good condition, if this was at home it would have been wrecked within days.
The palace is a huge walled complex just on the riverfront which is the official residence of the king. Only parts are open to the public and photography is not permitted. It's an impressive structure with its Khmer roofs and ornate guilding. Unfortunately we weren't dressed appropriately, both of us had our shoulders uncovered so this is as far as we got, and had to skip the silver pagoda.
With the heat rising we moved on to prison 21, the genocide museum, a very somber place. Originally a school which was taken over by Pol Pots forces and became one of the largest detention centres at the time of the Khmer rouge.
From the entrance the complex could easily be taken for a school, 4 buildings with a play area/garden in the middle, it's not until you get up close to each building and explore the interior that you start to see the horrors of what went on. Building A is where they found 14 people who'd been tortured to death and left to decay when the Khmer rouge fled. Each room contains the iron bed they were shackled to with a black and white photo of how they were found. Their tombs lie just outside the building in the court yard.
Building B and D house numerous photos of those detained here along with some of the survivors stories and information on the leaders of the Khmer rouge including Pol Pot. Building C which still has the barbed wire netting (to stop the prisoners commiting suicide by jumping) houses the cells. Each classroom was divided into 14 cells, some were made of bricks and others of wood, both of which are tiny. It's hard to comprehend sitting in the grounds looking at the buildings what went on here so recently and how easily the buildings turned from what I think must have been quite a progressive school into hell on earth for those who were detained here. Even more surreal to think of the world not knowing or if they did, not caring that so many men, women and children were being brutally murdered on a massive scale.
In a reflective and sombre mood we headed back to the hotel for a late lunch and some rest before dinner. Another early night was in order for a rise at dawn for the killing fields the next day.
The Choeung Ek Genocide Centre, aka "the killing fields" is about 15km outside the city so we gave in and hired one if the very eager tuk tuk driver's outside the hotel. The journey was interesting, on and off road and through some of the poorer areas reminding us of a less densely populated and much less chaotic India.
We finally arrive after a very bumpy ride to a strangely peaceful place. As part of the entrance fee an audio your is provided so everyone is left to their own thoughts as you listen to the story of what went on here. There is no real way of writing about or trying to explain the significance of this place, suffice to say it is soul touching and for anyone that does not know of this place in that time, please take some time to educate yourself as to what can happen anywhere or anytime.
We returned to Phnom Penh and our hotel to gather ourselves again and rest before walking to the riverfront via some Buddhist communities taking in the simplistic peaceful lives they lead. That night we shared our last meal with Dominique, she was off back to Thailand and had an early start the following morning and we were to head for Kampot.
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