cooler in cambodia, just kidding!

After the luxury of a flight into cambodia we made our way to our hostel in phnom penh, grandview hotel, where our room just about fitted us and our bags. We explored our 'street'-if u can call it that, more of a mud path, but very cute-full of little restaurants and bars! We visited the SE2 museum in phnom pen, an old high school turned security prison during the take over of the kyhmer rouge, there they held many high officials in order to get information. It was, as expected, pretty gruesome, but very interesting nonetheless. Nearly all prisoners held here were later executed at the killing fields, although these we did not visit-the museum was sufficient!

Our bumpy bus ride to siem reap deserves a mention, for the scenery was really something. Not in terms of landscape, well actually that too, but just to watch life go by. The bamboo houses and villages by the side of the road reminded me a little of kenya. Cambodia is obviously still struggling tremendously 30 years after the regime fell, and tourism is set to boom. After arriving in seam reap we checked into our hostel there, Jasmine, which was just perfect, a nice rooftop restaurant and extremely helpful staff! We booked ourselves a little tuk tuk to tour us round angkor wat, and had heard that it was quite spectacular at sunrise. Of course that would be the day it was cloudy and the sun didnt rise! Still angkor wat itself is definately worth the pilgramage. It has a mysterious aura around it which makes it just fascinating, as well as structurally beautiful. The compound itself consists of a few temples, my favourite being the one where large stone faces stare down at you!

Our evening in Seam reap was well spent too, we perused a few market stalls (im always one for a bit of market) then had a drink before enjoying some traditional khymer cuisine-at the khymer kitchen. mmm. can still taste the pumpkin!

Next mission: 12 hour bus ride to vietnam!