After my saddening departure from Siem Reap I got the local bus down to Phnom Penh with Chris. We got a “Hostel/Guesthouse” in the backpacker area (Down the back alley of nowhere on the lake) and my god, what an absolute shithole. There were monkeys everywhere nd many of them chained up in reception. The view from the common area was beautiful though. Late at night been offered EVERY drug under the sun with the police standing 5 feet away in not my idea of a nice area.

Met up with Tally from Sim Reap who was staying in a guessthouse two down and a new Chinocanadian (My new word) and two French Canadian guys. (Mark and Manuel).

Had lots of fun and visited the legendary Ginger Monkey (No stupid comments please) and “Heart of Darkness” the most famous club in Cambodia. Had fun and met lots of nice people. I even won a “connect 4/cyclorace/drinking” competition. Difficult to explain, the pictures will tell it all. (If I ever get to a country where I can upload them!)

Second day we went to S-21 and the killing fields. WOW. I have never wanted to cry so much in all my life. I was silent for the WHOLE thing. As was everyone else. It was one of the scariest, weirdest, heartbreaking, harrowing, disgusting and gruesome “Shiver givers” ever. They even took PHOTOS of the torture and killing of EACH AND EVERY PERSON that was held there. How sick is that? Watching the THOUSANDS of faces staring back at you is the most haunting experience I have ever had. If anyone wants to know more, please read up on the Khmer Rouge Genocide “incident” that so conveniently “Slipped” from the European and American history books!. The Americans, from what I see so far are the WORST reigime on the planet. The amount of peoples lives they have destroyed and the amount they have indirectly (And directly) triggered to cause suffering is mind blowing. Im getting angry typing this, so I’l move on. ;p

Same day, I visited the killing fields about 14 KM outside Phnom Penh and was equally disgusted. The Khmer Rouge regime of Genocide was shocking. The mass graves, the bones and blindflds STILL scattered around the mass grave sites was so chilling. So shocking that it is obvious NO tourists, even the most obnoxious, could take one as a souvenier. So creepy. Worst of all was visiting the tree where they piled up babies (Yes BABIES) to bash them against the tree and throw them in the mass graves. Even pictures of KR forces throwing LIVE babies in the air and catching them on swords like it was a sport. Creepiest thing is the fact that the bones and fingers and skulls are still scattered around the fields. Although most skulls are in a memorial building piled high now in the center of the complex by the river.

When it finished, I went to buy a drink. Took the LAST of my money out of my money belt to buy a drink. A little kid comes running up to me, grabbed the money and ran into the river! I was robbed! So now I had to borrow money off Michelle to get home even and pay my moto driver.

Anyway, moving quickly along, was starting to run out of money on Friday so we all went to the water park. Bit crap ealy, but nice to cool down. On the way back from the park, we were all in a tuk-tuk and what hapened? Chris had her bag robbed by a motor cycle thief, WHILE THE TUK-TUK was moving. SHe had just taken out $400 and she had her passport and MY ticket to Saigon in it! Needless to say she was pretty pissed. Luckily, she had two friends staying here that were tour guides from New Zealand and Scotland so they sorted out everything for her and lent her AND ME money to keep us going and for me to buy a new ticket. (Cheers Vince mate!) She had no passport, so she had to stay. Hate that. Phew, they even took us out to get sloshed that night. We both needed it. Went dancing that night with Roy and my new Cambodian friend Sros. Had a deadly night but had to stubble home at 5:30 AM to get my bag and run for my bus a 6:30. What happened? I fel asleep at the reception with the monkeys!

Got woken up with 15 mins till my bus left so just ran up and shoved everything I could see into my backpack and legged it to get a moto. Got there JUST in time. Only bad thing, I left my MP3 player there. 🙁 no more music for me. Shit. Oh well, I’m learning detachment anyway, so its better that way.

Finally made the bus and finaly I can move on..