Phnom Penh
We entered the bus in Saigon, not knowing how the border crossing will be. We expected everything from extreme bribery to every kind of extra obstacle to enter cambodia. In the bus our guide collected all the passports and 25 USD for the Visa. When we arrived at the border he arranged EVERYTHING. He even filled out the form for us!!!! It was just soo easy that we couldn t believe it.
Finally we arrived in Phnom Pen. On the way he could already see the difference to Vietnam. He style of houses is quite different. In Vietnam the houses are very narrow but long. In Cambodia the houses on the countryside have two floors and on the groundfloor there is a terrasse. Probably they need it to have some shade as it is damn hot here.
Cambodia seems to be poorer than Vietnam or at least the income disparity is even bigger. There is even more rubbish on the streets than in Vietnam. It seems as there is no such thing as a garbage collecting system.
We had not booked anything in Phnom Penh but we decided to follow the advice of Lonely Planet and get a room in the Sunday guesthouse. The room seemed basic but clean with an own bathroom for 8 USD per night. That really looked like a perfect deal.
Unfortunately the bathroom did not have a window, so all the moist and used air had to stay in the bathroom. It smelled like the whole room was full of mole!!!!! DISGUSTING!!
On our first evening in Phnom Penh we had a walk and decided to have Indian food at the main food street next to the river. It was pure luxury as I paid 8 USD for my dinner ... imagine: twice as much as for the room per person!!!!! Ah i forgot to tell you about my desert. There was a little stall next to the river selling insects, spiders and all kind of nasty disgusting little animals. So i thought: Okay it looks really nasty but maybe the taste is nice. Therefore I had spider as a desert and I have to admit yes look = out of this world disgusting; taste = not so bad
In the next morning we met two spanish girls who would share a tuk tuk with us, to keep the costs down. They also wanted to go to the museum of torture, the killing fields and the Russian market... that s why we joined. When we had arranged a TukTuk they told us that they wanted to go to an orphanage as well as they wanted to donate some food. Soo off we went.
The visit at that orphanage was on the one side nice..the kids were very cute and everybody wanted to talk to you.. on the otherside we felt a little like Brad and Angelina.... it is just toooo much!!!!
After that we went to see the killing fields. This is the place where 14.000 were killed during the leadership of Pol Pot in 1975 to 1979. It is very strange (strange in an aweful way) they killed in total 2.000.000 cambodians because they were educated!!! They killed their own people!!!!
At the killing fields they had built a stupa where they display many of the skulls and bones of the victimes...
After that we went to see the prison where they had tortured them before they were sent to the killing fields. Everything is very in detail and you can see many many fotos of the victims. After all these sad visits we needed something to cheer us up. THE RUSSIAN MARKET
Well basically it is a food-, clothes-, copy-watch-, bag-, spare parts, meat and vegetable market. It is located under at least 1000 small tents and in there it feels like in a sauna. Now imagin that you have raw meat in this moisty and hot temperature... = TERRIBLE smell!!! rotten food smell all the time. As I was really hungry I had to get something but I went for something vegetarian to be safe!!!!
On the next they Fabi and I decided to move once more to the beach. Sihanounkville is a small village located right next to the beach and it lives from the backpacker tourist who come to visit. He got a small bungalow at the monkey republic backpacker resort. The bungalow was quite spartanic... not toilett flush and not hot water. To flush the toilett you need to scoop water from a bucket into the toilett.
The first afternoon we spend already on the beach. The whole beach is full of bars and cafes which all offer sunbeds. To used them you only need to buy a drink for the cost of 1 USD. Well... fine with us :-)
Unfortunately it it is very difficult to relax on the beach as every two minutes kids and ladies pass by offering fruit, bracelets, pedicures, massages and books. Especially those ladies selling manicures and pedicures stare at your feet and nails and tell you openly how aweful they look. I felt slightly embarrased. They even check your legs whether they can find any hair... if they do.... they ll point at it ... telling you that it is not attractive and that you URGENTLY need to take care of that... even better they will take care of it for you!!! :-)
Eventually on the third day I gave in and I got my legs depliated with a string and my nails manicured (feet and finger) for 11 USD!!!!! - quite fair I would say.
In they evening all the bars offer seafood barbeque on the beach. You just pick whatever you like and they will grill it for you. Together with salad, rice and some bread it costs you 3 USD to enjoy the excellent view and some delicious seafood!! Therefore we went for it in total 3 times!!! Loved it !!!
Apart from the ladies and kids who pass by selling something, locals from the bar will come to inform you about the party-opportunities for tonight. AND there are tons!!!!!! In the evening we could chose from around 20 happy hour offerings... finally we went for a bar on the beach. Obviously the only Cambodians who are in this village are either Tuk-Tuk driver or prostitutes. Fabi got frequently informed that „bumbum“ is 10 USD.
The night out turned out to be a huge success!!! Crazy party party :-)
Once we decided to take a scooter again to explore the surroundings. We were sure that there must be something else than party and beach. We were proven to be wrong. Actually there is really nothing else. Nothing interesting to see! So if anybody of you is going to Sihanoukville... it is just for beach and party (be aware of that!! :-))
After 3 days in Sihanoukville we decided to leave for Siem Reap (the place where Ankor Watt is). We will be taking a nightbus again. Maybe they are slightly better in Cambodia than in Vietnam???? We ll see
Hugs from Cambodia
Astrid & Fabi
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