My Land Journey from Singapore to Hanoi in 25 Days Pt: 3 Phnom Penh

Part 3: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Day 9 Siem Reap to Phnom Penh

Its almost mid-night now, I am safely tucked inside my sleeper bed on Express bus Giant Iblis to Phnom Penh. The bus driver made us take-out our shoes before stepping onto the sleeping area. Yes there is toilet inside the bus and they have periodic stops along the journey.
My socked leg at the right corner in the below photo ↘ 


We reached Phnom Penh at about 5.30am, I made my way toward my Hostel https://onederz.com/
which was just a few hundreds meters away from the bus office.
Thanks to Soon, he introduced me to the apps: mapsme  which was so user friendly, I found my Hostel easily.
Once again the hostel was so clean and the staff are friendly. I highly recommend this Hostel chain. For 3 nights I paid USD21.00, the location is right in-front of the Mekong river and near the Night Market.
  
The view from my dorm's window                            The park and walkable riverfront

I managed to checked-in at about 9.30am after sleeping in the resting area for 3 hours. Once freshened-up, I am out of the door to start my exploration of the City.
Armed with mapsme in my Iphone, Walking south along the waterfront. I went to the below tourist attractions. My first stop was Wat Ounalom, which was nearest to my hostel. 
   
Cafes lined along the Mekong river front                  Wat Ounalom

By the time I made my way to the Royal Palace, it was closed for lunch from 11am to 2pm. So I had my brunch first then made my way to the Independent Monument since I still have another 2 hours to kill. 
Brunch-time: Cheese omelet with baguette and beers (very french or not??) US3.75
   
It was a long walk to the Independent Monument. Along the road side, saw plenty street peddlers selling local foods, fruits and those Pepsi bottles really piqued my interest. At first glance, I thought they were selling drinks together with fruits! When I went nearer I smelled gasoline! 
Yeah correct they sell GASOLINE in Pepsi bottles. As a matter of fact, I could not recall seeing any Gas station since I arrived to Phnom Penh!

   By now the sun was blazing hot! I have never perspired so much as long as I could remember, not even during my Hot Yoga session! I kept walking until I reached the Statue of King Norodom and the Independent Monument. Later I took a tuk-tuk to The Royal Palace (US4) bloody ex. I did bargain! at first he wanted US10. Really CUT THROAT!! and I was pretty tired also.

   

Independent Monument                                                  Statue of King Norodom Sihanouk

I reached The Royal Palace a few minutes before 2pm.
  
Royal Palace                                                            

After which I walked to The National Museum.

      National Museum of Cambodia
I must say..... Phnom Penh is a very beautiful City, rich with French architectural buildings especially along the Mekong River Front. Now I know why.... it is refer as "Pearl of Asia", it's not overcrowded like Bangkok or overpopulated with motor bikes like Saigon.
I could see French influence here and there be its buildings or the foods selling along the road-side. The walkable riverfront are lined with parks, restaurants and bars, plus the ornate Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum are just around the corner. It was really a hodgepodge of ornate french, Khmer and modern buildings.



By 4 pm, I was exhausted due to the heat plus lack of sleep, I went back to my hostel and took an afternoon nap.

I began my evening by strolling along the riverbank of the Mekong, there were a lot of food peddlers and people: locals or foreigners congregating along the riverbank.

                        

I had Burger King (US5.00), which was near the Hostel, I was not brave enough to sample those local foods sold along the Mekong Riverbank. I went back to my Hostel, when it started to rain. 

Day 10

Today, we are going to visit the Genocide Killing Field of Choeung Ek and Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide Crime, in a shared tuk-tuk arranged by the Hostel. We paid US4.50 each and the entrance fees was US6 each.

The Genocide Killing Field of Choeung Ek; 

This is one of thousands of other such sites around the country where Cambodians endured genocide during the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot era from 1975 to 1979 resulting in an estimated 2 million deaths or the equivalent of 25% of the population. 

Every family lost at least one member and today 65% of the population is under the age of 25.

Above, was the map given to us together with the audio-guild, it will guide us through each station with explanations and reenactments or interviews. There are stations indicating areas where the Cambodian were being tortured and executed plus the location of mass graves. Its was horrifying yet fascinating, could not imagine any human being could in flick such cruel atrocities to another human regardless if the victim is an adult or babies!!

My whole visit was filled with sadness and horror. 

Even now......after more than a month, I am writing and recalling my memories about my visit here. I am still experiencing the same sadness and still could not imagine the why? and how? SUCH EVIL!

Why nobody help them? Why United Nation or US did not step forward? Or any body or country!!??How can he get away with this!!!!???

  

    

I could not hold my tears when I came upon this tree! This was where the soldiers hold the babies' legs, swing and smash the babies' head against the tree trunk till the babies dies.

Next visit; Tuol Sleng Museum.
In 1975, Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21); it soon became the largest centre of detention and torture in the country. S-21 has been turned into the Tuol Sleng Museum, which serves as a testament to the crimes of the Khmer Rouge.
Among all those victims, I was fascinated by one woman’s life and death has came to symbolize the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime. Her name is Hout Bophana, and her story is told in a movie shown twice a day at the museum. Bophana has become a folk heroine, known for the letters and confessions she wrote to her husband before her torture and murder by the Khmer Rouge.
Another sad sad visit here.
  

After the visit, we had late lunch near out Hostel

Our group from the visit.          lunch beef with flat noodles (US3.75)

Note: when you pay in US dollar, you will get back change in Cambodian money usually rounded up esp change smaller that US1.00. Its better to use KHR, you will get more value.

When back to our Hostel to rest till evening.
I quickly walked over to Wan Phnom, to take photos of its light-up. Its only less then 15 mins walk north from my Hostel. Beautiful, promising myself I will come back next morning to visit the temple course is dark now, no point paying entrance fees when I could not explore its surroundings. Instead I went to the Night Market.

 

The Night Market; just like our locar Pasar Malam where you can find assortments of clothing and accessories plus foods.

  

The different was there are no tables and chairs around the hawkers stores only plastic mats rolled-out on the middle for people to consume their food. 

  

Day 11: 

The next morning I went back to Wat Phnom, it was a short walk along to Mekong River.

Set on top of a tree-covered knoll 27 meter high, Wat Phnom is the only hill in town. 

According to legend, the first pagoda on this site was erected in 1373 to house four statues of Buddha deposited here by the waters of the Mekong and discovered by a woman name, Penh. Hence the city name Phnom Penh or 'hill of Penh'. 

Today, many people come here to pray for good luck and success in school exams or business affairs.

   

  

    

My Next Stop; Central Market
It took me about half an hour to walk from Wat Phnom to the Central Market.
At the city’s heart is the massive, art deco Central Market. It is really huge inside, the dome is very impressive with four arms branching out into vast hallways with countless stalls of goods. 
Initial design and layouts are from French architect Louis Chauchon.

      
   

After visiting the Central Market I walked around town sporting French Architecture etc etc. today was my last day in Phnom Penh.

  
 

My last evening In Phnom Penh:

 My dinner of  steak (US 4.25)              Beautiful Sun set

Tomorrow morning I will be continuing mu journey to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) Part 4; where my sister Emily will be joining me.