Days 28-30 Phnom Penh

There were a few things that surprised us in PP. Both Ps are pronounced, we never felt unsafe, and the place was pretty buzzy with flashy cars and motorbikes (where the money comes from might well be dodgy but there is money). Lots of colour and energy, restaurants setting out tables for special family events.
The Royal Palace was stunning - many buildings have been or will soon be completely restored. It's really a compound of buildings dotted among gardens and stupas with the prize being the silver palace with its floor made entire of polished silver and its jade buddhas is is sometimes perhaps unfairly called the emerald buddha knockoff as it's a smaller version of the one in Bangkok. The painted murals were lovely, and all sorts of little shrines and reclining buddhas looked happy and relaxed.The painted murals were lovely, and all sorts of little shrines and reclining buddhas looked happy and relaxed, smelling the flowers.

We walked to Phnom Wat, the small hill and temple which was the original city source, wherere we saw monkeys gamboling in the grass, totally unconcerned by old white people taking pictures
and the beautifully designed National Museum to give us a better idea of what we'll be facing at Angkor Wat.

The genocide museum was one of those places that most people would ratehr it not exist, but it did, it does, and it must be seen. Originally a school, it's where Pol Pot imprisoned and tortured hundreds, who then ended up getting trucked to the killing fields.

Every person held there was photographed face on, and it's chilling to walk past row and row of faces looking directly at us, some defiant, some fatigued, some frightened - young, old, children - what a waste of all those people who were educated. He only saved those few artists who could render his image in stone, and the pile of busts sitting off in a corner next to a row of prisoner leg irons is ironic in the extreme.After that we needed to be with people, so headed to the FCC (Foreign Correspondents Club) where journalists hung out when they were allowed to. It enjoys an upper balcony overlooking the river and celebrates the event every evening with 'happy hour'- but then every place seems to celebrate happy hour with 2 for 1 cocktails or 50 cent beers. We tried our first local food here, thinking it would be the best introduction to what we could then feel confident about ordering later. We were right - it was fantastic! Leaving the restaurant, Martin almost walked straight into the side of a passing elephant lumbering along with the traffic. That was about the time of day 'monk school' must have let out, as there were gaggles (what is the collective noun for monks anyway?) of saffron robed young men with satchels.