Phnom Penh and The Tragic History

Phnom Penh and The Tragic History

May 20, 2013|Adiek Sarah

Next destination is Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The journey to Phnom Penh from Ho Chi Minh is about 6 hours (plus minus with the immigration process). The bus that we booked a day before fetch us in front of the hostel around 6.30 am. It was air conditioned bus and served with a bottle of drinking water and wet tissue.

 Having Maggi and 3 in 1 drinks for breakfast at 4.00 am

The English speaking conductor was very friendly and helpful. He helped us getting the Visa upon crossing the border. Travelers from all countries of the world have to get the Visa on Arrival for USD25. Travelers from ASEAN countries (except Myanmar) are granted visa-free to travel to Cambodia in a period of 14 days to 30 days. It took around half an hour for the immigration process. All passengers have to go down and scan their luggage. The Cambodia immigration system at this check point is more strict that Vietnam. Full print scanning have to be done during the process.

Both of us slept in the bus almost along the journey. There is no highway and all you can see are cows, paddy field and other plantation. It was pretty hot out there. After crossing the border, the bus stopped about 20 minutes for break at the nearest restaurant. We didn't buy anything except some fruits. That's the only thing we can eat here. There is also a counter selling local SIM card and you may change your money as well. We only changed to USD10 to 40,000 Cambodian Riel. Then the journey continued. The road is in good condition except for short stretches between Neak Loung and Phom Penh and the was a long waits at the Mekong River ferry crossing at Neak Loung.

Mekong River ferry crossing

Phnom Penh does not have a centralized bus station. Buses from different companies depart from different stations. We arrived Phom Penh around 1.30 pm and there are many Tuk Tuk drivers awaiting for the passengers in front of the bus. This bus company does not have midnight trip to Siem Reap and we have to look for other companies that provides the service. There is a Tuk Tuk driver offers us to go with him and he'll bring us to the respective bus station. He also offers us to take daily tour with USD25 per Tuk Tuk. Price agreed, and the tour in Phnom Penh begins.

Our Tuk Tuk Driver - can see my new bag there?!

First destination is the bus station. I couldn't recall the company name but it located nearby Mekong River at the town. We managed to get midnight ticket to Siem Reap for USD9 each person.Next destination, the Killing Fields. This is a MUST GO place in Phnom Penh. The entrance fee is USD10 and each visitors will be given an audio decoder with preferable languages to listen to the stories. Located around 30 minutes from the city, the Killing Fields are a number of sites in Cambodia where large numbers of people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime, during its rule of the country from 1975 to 1979, immediately after the end of the Cambodian Civil War (1969–1975). The memorial park at Choeung Ek has been built around the mass graves of many thousands of victims, most of whom were executed after they had been transported from the S-21 Prison in Phnom Penh. Many dozens of mass graves are visible above ground, many which have not been excavated yet. Commonly, bones and clothing surface after heavy rainfalls due to the large number of bodies still buried in shallow mass graves. (Source: http://wikitravel.org/en/Cambodia).

 Decoder to listen to the stories at Killing Fields

 Part of the clothes

 Bones

After that we went to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. The entrance fee is USD2. The site is a former high school which was used as the notorious Security Prison 21 (S-21) by the Khmer Rouge regime from its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979. Tuol Sleng was only one of at least 150 execution centers in the country, and as many as 20,000 prisoners there were killed.(Source: http://wikitravel.org/en/Cambodia).

 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum known as S-21 Prison

 A school that turned to be a prison

The Survivor

You may buy the book to know his stories

Prison cell

Time is already 4.30 pm and we still have a lot more places to go. Unfortunately, by the time we reach the National Museum, it was already closed. So we were just go around the building and took some pictures. Another destination is Wat Phom. It is a temple and also a recreation park located in the middle of the city. It has a huge clock on the ground with a giant cobra. Foreigners may have to pay USD1 to go in to the temple.

The Royal Palace

National Museum

Wat Phnom

Russian Market and Central Market already closed at this hour. Thus, we have nowhere else to go. We were already starving and request to the driver to bring us to halal restaurant. To see halal restaurants here is very rare. However, there is one Malaysian Restaurant nearby Central Market for us to have dinner. The owner is a Malaysian guy from Klang that married to a Muslim Cambodian (his 'other branch' I guess). The restaurant is not too big and not too small and serve basic Malaysian cuisines. This restaurant also provide Surau to perform solat.

 Proud to be a Malaysian - Malaysia flag at Mekong River

It was already dark when we left the restaurant. Since it is very close to the Central Market, so we told the driver that we wanted to have a walk. There are still a lot of stalls open around the market sell fruits and raw food. We bought some fruits to eat during the journey to Siem Reap.

 Night Market - I don't know what they are selling

There are still plenty of time before midnight. The owner of the restaurant recommends us to go to the island nearby the Naga World. At first, we thought that it is another historical area. But it is actually an entertainment area with shopping malls, funfair, hotels etc. This is also called a high class area where you can see a lot of luxury cars parked around the malls. I notice that Cambodia has only 2 classes - high class and low class, no middle class. We dropped by for a while and have a walk at the fun fair to see what do they have there. It was quite interesting. Sambat, our driver keep reminding us to beware of pick pockets and snatch thieves.

To waste our time, we ask the driver to make another tour at the city. We drop by to buy a t-shirt and and hang out at Gloria Jean's Coffee nearby the bus station while waiting for the bus. Funny story here. I went to the washroom and when I went out I finally noticed that I was in Men's and there was s guy doing his thing at that time. Ooops! Haha..Our bus will depart at 12.00 am and we have to be there by 11.30 pm. Once we jump into the bus, it was pretty amazing to see how the "Sleeper Bus" looks like. If you ever take night coach train like what we have in KTMB, it is actually similar. They have upper and lower bed, left and right, and each bed is for 2 persons. Luckily I have my partner with me, I can't imagine if I have to sleep next to a stranger. We've got the lower bed and it makes me sleep easier. The journey to Siem Reap is about 6 hours and expected to reach there on 6.00 am.

The End.