Got up several times worrying about the alarm clock not working. Finally, it went off at 5.30 and we packed and waited, and waited and waited. An hour late, the bus transport turned up to transport us to the ferry port (15km). Well the minibus was full with no luggage space. I had a bad feeling, but a few minutes later the bikes, bags and us were squeezed into the bus (they even tried to stop and take another two people). Luckily they got transferred to another full bus. The boat terminal was a bit of a shambles but surprisingly everything went very smoothly and our bikes got safely stored with the bags on the front deck of the speed boat. The 1970`s speed boat was something from the Soviet era, truly gross. Most of the passengers tried to stay on the outside until the boat picked up the speed and it got too windy to avoid the revolting, airless, fume filled interior.
The capital, Phnon Pehn was busy and could be compared to a small, but developing Bangkok. Quick ice cream in a café on the river side and a chat with Australian gent who was an on/off teacher of English language in Asia (but bored with his seemingly exotic life). We cycled south to the infamous S-21 Unit; previously a school but now the Khmer Rouge Genocide Museum,. Khmer rouge Leader Pol Pot, tortured up to 20000 people in that ex school alone! All but the 7 survivors were transported to Killing Field for a barbarous execution after signing ‘confesions’ proving their guilt . The faces of the people killed, kids, females and males were meticulously catalogued and now stare down from the walls of the empty rooms. In total, it is estimated that the Khmer Rouge killed around 2 milion in the 4 years they were in charge. It is so hard to believe that all those things happened to these friendly people. I chose to skip the Killing Fields, too much to take on I thought.
We left the madness of crazy city for chilled roads of country side and ended up completely knackered in the village of Tonle Bati. Had a relaxing drink and have been introduced to a couple of the personal police guards of Cambodian prime minister. We stayed in a very flush hotel and disco complex, located on a lovely man made water reservoirs with swings and lovely plants around us.
Cycled 38 km (last 10 in the dark)
The capital, Phnon Pehn was busy and could be compared to a small, but developing Bangkok. Quick ice cream in a café on the river side and a chat with Australian gent who was an on/off teacher of English language in Asia (but bored with his seemingly exotic life). We cycled south to the infamous S-21 Unit; previously a school but now the Khmer Rouge Genocide Museum,. Khmer rouge Leader Pol Pot, tortured up to 20000 people in that ex school alone! All but the 7 survivors were transported to Killing Field for a barbarous execution after signing ‘confesions’ proving their guilt . The faces of the people killed, kids, females and males were meticulously catalogued and now stare down from the walls of the empty rooms. In total, it is estimated that the Khmer Rouge killed around 2 milion in the 4 years they were in charge. It is so hard to believe that all those things happened to these friendly people. I chose to skip the Killing Fields, too much to take on I thought.
We left the madness of crazy city for chilled roads of country side and ended up completely knackered in the village of Tonle Bati. Had a relaxing drink and have been introduced to a couple of the personal police guards of Cambodian prime minister. We stayed in a very flush hotel and disco complex, located on a lovely man made water reservoirs with swings and lovely plants around us.
Cycled 38 km (last 10 in the dark)