Cambodia : Phnom Penh (part 2)

Continuation from here...

 

After breakfast, we went out and looked for a tuk-tuk driver. Our main plan for that day was to visit the Choeung Ek killing field and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

Phnom Penh fell under the control of the Khmer Rouge, the communist guerrilla group led by Pol Pot, in 1975. The brutal regime fell some 35 years ago, and these sites hold some of the horrific remnants of it.

We hired a tuk-tuk for USD 18 to bring us to both sites and around the city till evening.

We first went to Choeung Ek, located about 17 km south of Phnom Penh. While driving towards the killing field, suddenly our tuk-tuk driver stopped at one of the shops. I thought he wanted to buy something for himself. Instead, he came back with face masks for us! He asked us to wear it as the roads ahead were gonna be very dusty. How thoughtful!

 

About 30 minutes later, we arrived at the killing field.

 

 

The killing fields are a number of sites in Cambodia where large numbers of people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge, and Choeung Ek is one of them. It was said the regime executed over a million people during their reign, between 1975 and 1979.

 

Today, Choeung Ek is a Buddhist memorial site, built around the mass graves of the victims.

 

This Buddhist stupa is filled with some of the victims' skulls.

 

 

 

We were given audio guide device at the entrance ticket counter and from there, we walked around from one stop to another following the audio guide. Details of what went on at specific places were played on the audio guide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choeung Ek killing field
Opens daily from 8 am ~ 5 pm 

 Entrance fee is USD 6 (includes the audio guide)

 

tuk-tuk drivers waiting for their passengers

 

We went back to the city after that. Next on the agenda was the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

 

 

The museum is a former high school which was turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). Around 20,000 people were held here before being taken to the killing fields of Choeung Ek.

 

 

 

 

 

The school rooms were divided into crude cells.

 

 

 

 

Among the torturing methods...

 



 



 

Out of an estimated 20,000 people imprisoned here, there were only twelve known survivors.

 

 

He is one of them.

 

 

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
Opens daily from 8 am ~ 5 pm 

 Entrance fee is USD 3

 

I wouldn't say the visit to both Choeung Ek and Tuol Sleng was enjoyable but I guess it should be visited while in Phnom Penh for us to understand what happened to the country.

 

Cambodia : Phnom Penh

Continuation from here...

Our hostel was very easy to find. Camory Backpackers Hostel is located at the shop lots facing the Mekong River. There is a café at the ground floor, and restaurants and bar on the first floor.

The hostel wasn't my first choice as it was a little pricey compared to other hostels but I was glad I chose it. The location is perfect. And thankfully, they let us checked in to the dormitory to get some sleep.

view from the hostel

At about 10 am, we woke up and refreshed ourselves before going out for sightseeing.

Our first destination was Wat Ounalom as it is very near to our hostel. The wat was founded in 1443 and comprises 44 structures. It was damaged during the Khmer Rouge era but has since been restored.

 

The Royal Palace is nearby but it was closed when we reached there and would only resume opening in the afternoon.

 

park opposite the Royal Palace

 

So we headed to the Independence Monument. Walking along the big open park leading to the monument was distressing cos it was so freaking hot. Nobody was at the park except us. I bet all the drivers passing by the park thought we were some crazy tourists, frying ourselves in the middle of the day under the blazing hot sun.

 

Cambodia - Vietnam Friendship Monument

Statue of the legendary former King Norodom Sihanouk, who died in 2012

 

Located at one of the city's busiest roundabouts, the Independence Monument was built in 1958 to commemorate the end of French colonial rule in Cambodia five years earlier. Post Khmer Rouge era, it has also become a memorial place dedicated to the Cambodian's patriot who died for the country.

After a couple of photos, it was time for lunch. I searched for halal restaurants in Phnom Penh on the Internet and found D'Wau Restaurant. It is located inside New York Hotel so I just followed the direction of Google map on my phone to the hotel. After walking about 30 minutes, we reached the restaurant safe and sound and hungry.

Ordered this.



And paid USD 4. Halal food in Cambodia is pretty expensive. -_-

While having lunch, I remembered someone I know who lives in Phnom Penh. I first met Arina in Turkey back in 2010. So I messaged her on Facebook asking her whereabouts cos I wasn't sure whether she's still in Phnom Penh or she already moved to somewhere else. Within minutes, I got a reply and we set the meeting to catch up. :)

we met again!

She then brought us shopping at a local department store and the Central Market.

It is a good place to find souvenirs in Phnom Penh. We met a few Malaysians shopping for Cambodian silk here. The price is quite cheap so we bought a few too. hehe..

Arina's husband picked us up afterwards and dropped me and my friend at the riverfront. We spent some time walking around the happening area before retreating to our hostel to recharge. Another day in Phnom Penh tomorrow...
 

Cambodia : Siem Reap to Phnom Penh by bus

There are a number of bus companies offering service between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh and you can purchase the ticket at nearly any guesthouse in both cities. So we asked our hostel manager to help us book the overnight bus ticket to Phnom Penh.

The price was USD 9 per person so we agreed right away.

On the way back from the Old Market, we saw a few buses parked by the road side. We were told that a shuttle would come to pick us up and took us to the bus. Apparently, there's no centralized bus station here. Or there is but maybe our bus doesn't stop there. So we peeked into the bus, thinking it might be our bus later that evening. I saw mattresses. It's gonna be a comfortable ride, I thought.

Little did we know the bus would be like this.



Cehhh.

Our seats were supposed to be the top bunk but when we got on the bus, it was already occupied by a couple of locals. I told the bus drivers but he just asked us to fill in the available bunks at the bottom. Fine! But I hate the bottom bunks cos there were no windows! Moreover, the 45 degrees vinyl seats were too close to the next person, I couldn't really move. Luckily I travelled with my girlfriend. Can't imagine if I travelled alone and had to sleep next to a pervert guy.

The bus left around midnight. I wasn't sure if the bus made any stops along the way cos I was asleep all the way to Phnom Penh. Too tired I guess.

We arrived in Phnom Penh at 6.30 am. The bus dropped us off nearby the Phnom Penh riverside.

our bus

the travel company

As soon as we got off the bus, we were swarmed by taxi and tuk-tuk drivers wanting to give us a ride. I told one of the drivers our hostel name and he didn't seem to know the location. He then turned to ask his friends and I saw some of them looking amused and smiled suspiciously. He came back to us later and offered to give us a ride for USD 3.

I didn't trust him so I google-mapped our hostel name. Turned out the hostel was just about 500 meters from where we stood. No wonder they looked amused. WTF.

Anyway, I googled the company after coming back to KL. They seem to be getting pretty bad reviews from travellers. Well.. lesson learnt for next trip. See what bus you are getting into before you book the ticket. Check out better buses like Giant Ibis or Mekong Express and you should get better service.
 

Cambodia : Siem Reap - Kampong Phluk Flooded Forest

Continuation from here...

Angkor Archaeological Park is huge, but we've seen the major sites - Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and Angkor Thom, so we thought that's enough for us.

We decided to make a move to Phnom Penh later in the evening so after breakfast we asked our hostel manager to help book the bus ticket for us. To maximize our time, we got an overnight bus which cost USD 9.

Spending the morning, we rented bicycles and just cycled around the town.



Chillaxing at Chatime. Bought my usual Taiwan plum ice tea with coconut jelly for USD 3. More expensive than Malaysia but once in a while kan.. No Starbucks here so Chatime pon ok. haha..



 What 7-Eleven? There's only 6-Eleven here.

At the same time, I was trying to find a tour company from the pamphlet I took at the hostel. I saw their tour to Kampong Phluk Flooded Forest and the price is quite reasonable. I did some research on the Internet and most said the boat charge can be expensive if you go there on your own. So I guessed taking a tour with them would be a good idea.

The address brought us to here.



So we signed up for a tour to visit Kampong Phluk Flooded Forest. The tour itinerary also includes Wat Thmie Killing Field and Artisan D'angkor. For USD 18 per person, it was a good bargain.

We were picked up at 2 pm and headed to Artisan D'angkor and Wat Thmie Killing Field before proceeding to Kampong Phluk.

Kampung Phluk is a village on the Tonle Sap, a home to families who eke out a living on one of the most abundant inland fisheries in the world. When we arrived at the boat dock, I could see that the river was rather low. January is a dry season in Cambodia but we had no choice. I just hoped we could still see the village.

But due to the low water level, the boat could hardly move at the beginning. Our boatman had to jump into the river to push the boat. Pity him.



Once we reached higher water level, the boat moved faster. But the boatman slowed down as the first houses came into view.







I could only stare at all those houses open-mouthed. Amazed by the sight of houses that were built over stilts and tower six to eight meters high.

As we went on dry season, the stilts were exposed. On rainy season when the water level is high, the stilts are covered in water giving the impression that the houses are floating.



















Men fishing. Women selling goods. Kids playing on the boat.

Seeing how these people adapted with the flooding was very interesting.

The boat ride eventually took us to the Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Asia. Seeing the vast amounts of water in front of me, one could mistake it as sea. One thing I learnt about the lake is that when the season changes, so does the direction of its flow. From November to May, Cambodia's dry season, the Tonle Sap drains into the Mekong River at Phnom Penh. However, when heavy rains begin in June, the Tonle Sap backs up to form the massive lake.



If you hire a private boat perhaps you can wait for the stunning sunset on the lake.


boats waiting for sunset

The flooded mangrove forest around Kampong Phluk is also fascinating. Submerged for half the year, the trees have learnt to adapt and are an invaluable part of the extraordinary ecosystem there.





There are floating restaurants along the forest if you are hungry. You can also rent canoe for a trip through the mangroves but we didn't do it as it cost about USD 5.


 



 The visit definitely gave me an insight into another world and way of life. It's an amazing experience not to be missed.

Back in town, we asked to be dropped off at the Old Market for a last minute souvenir shopping and walked to the hostel.
Our bus to Phnom Penh would be leaving at 11.30 pm.