Traveling isn't all about the smiles and laughter

Anyway, before I proceed on, I'm gonna continue the story abt the eavesdropping the previous night first (I was there for quite a while). So apparently, the 2 housekeepers, Robert and Nurey were together. I think Rob was from UK and Nurey is Vietnamese. So Rob was telling a few of the guests that they intend to hold their wedding next year, and they will invite all the guests and party all day. So he was telling us that Nurey's family does not even know that they are cohabiting, and that for Vietnamese, it's a rather big deal (imagine ancient chinese, 浸猪笼 etc) so he hope to marry her asap

So my imagination started to wonder a little. I mean...why would an English stay in Cambodia and run this hostel, could it be because of her? Then just continue to imagine lor, like how they could have met, fall in love, and she has to run away from home etc to be with him. Haha, it makes for good drama. Hmm...I do hope it ends well for them. 有情人终成眷属.

And so my day in Phnom Penh started! Went over to the central market in search of food and breakfast. My sis told me that their trekking bags are cheap, and to look out for them. So I just went into one shop and ask for the price, $16. Decides to do some comparison first, but as soon as I walk away, she said $10. Yay! $10 was a bargain...I was prepared to give $14

There were many colours, but I thought red looked the best!

I was freaking hungry by then, so went in search for food. Came into this "food alley" which was extremely crowded and only had Khmer language on the signboard. So I just went over to an empty table and sat down. Then came a lady speaking in Khmer and I just kep nodding and saying "yes". Hiola! Breakfast appeared!

Like 梅菜扣肉, simple, yet wonderful

Went back to put my stuff before heading to Wat Phnom. Met a tuk tuk driver outside my hostel and he offered $15 for the whole day, which include Wat Phnom, the killing fields, royal palace and Tuol Sleng. I must admit, it was a fairly good price. I heard the trip to the killing fields alone will cost $12.

Tan (not sure if it's spelt like that though), my tuk tuk driver. Nice guy!

I'm guessing this is the iconic landmark of this attraction bah

Bo bian, travel alone means must 自拍

The interior...I'm guessing this is a v holy and sacred place. Need to remove shoes after all

This 油条 cost like 25 cents. The auntie pulled out that transparent plastic bag from somewhere and it stinks of sweat!!! But just eat and not dwell on it bah

After Wat Phnom, the driver suggested going to the firing range. The sound of AK-47 made my heartbeat skipped a little. It is like the grandfather of modern rifles! It costs like $40 and that blew my budget apart...but oh well, IT'S THE AK-47

The journey there was quite a while. On the way, I was pondering on Aristotle's "A good life" and was wondering if the tuk tuk driver has a "good-er" life than ours. The most honest form of living is through hardwork and sweat. Ultimately, every rich man is at fault making making 5 poor men. Perhaps we should learn to curb our ambition instead and learn to live like a tuk tuk driver

I was a little disappointed at the shooting range, cos they said no photos and no touching. Then the officer approach me, hand me an AK-47 and got me to pose! I was beaming like a kid, but with such a cool weapon, u need a certain coolness to go with it...so cannot smile!

High port, finger outside trigger guard...I still rmb my SAF training

He suggested for me to aim at the camera...I guess there's a good feel to it, like I'm shooting whoever is reading this (yes, you!)

Such an irony that the no photo and no touching sign is right behind me :/

This pose reminds me of my days in secondary school...precision drill squad

This feels a little sniper-ish

The actual firing...I look a little awkward cos the stand for the AK-47 was a little low, so I had to bend a little to fire it.

Up next was the killing fields. This is the point where I realized that Phnom Penh is defined by its history more than anything else. The killing fields is where most the the Cambodians were killed and buried during the Khmer Rouge regime. Think of it as a Cambodia form of the Nazi holocaust. It was a v solemn place 

The main gate "Chueong Ek Genocidal Centre"

This shrine houses the remains of the victims. Each of the body parts are sorted out and then place at different levels in this shrine

Respect

This is the tree where Khmer Rouge solider smash the heads of children against to kill them

The actual tree itself

The first place of the shrine. Where all the skulls of the victims are placed 

The joumey just gets more solemn and gloomy. After visiting the killing fields, the next place was Tuol Sleng prison, where they house and torture the victims before sending them off to the killing fields

A quote from the second doctor keeps ringing in my head at this place. "There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things. Things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought"

Perpetrators of mass genocides fall under these man who must be fought

I find this picture a little disturbing. I think it's telling us to not speak while in the presence of the deceased

The rules and regulations for the inmates 

This is sick! Apparently they hang u upside down till u lose consciousness, then lower u into the water tank to wake u up instantly to resume the torture

Living conditions of the inmates

And a picture of what happened to them then...it's gruesome 

Portraits of the numerous victims of the Khmer Rouge regime

Titled: Let's fly the seeds of peace

Titled: A sandglass to the future

The above 2 pictures serves to remind is that whatever happen during the Khmer Rouge regime is all in the past. We should derive lessons from it, move forward and avoid the mistakes that were made then, in order to secure our future. The future is where all potential and possibilities lies, not in the past 

There isn't anything much after the prison visit, or rather, I wasn't in the mood for anything else. Made a visit to the Royal Palace which was closed and to the Russian Market which I left within the hour.

Mark

Emo-ing alone in hostel

PS: I'll be leaving for Siem Reap tomorrow morning! It's been quite a nice short stay at Phnom Penh, apart from the horrendous traffic condition...but I guess I got a little braver :)