Phnom Penh (yeah I don't know how to pronounce it either)

Wall o backpack
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Well, if you've ever seen the clown-car at the circus, stacking 20 people in a van built for 8, then you can probably visualise our bus ride from the Cambodian border to Phnom Penh. As I was sitting on the wheel well, staring at the 'wall-o-backpack' in front of me and admiring our driver's use of space, I looked behind us and suddenly realised that I should really appreciate having a seat inside the van. I couldn't resist the urge to snap a photo of the kid riding on the bus behind us...on top of the van...on top of the mound of luggage...smiling! (see photo) Welcome to Cambodia.

Priority seating
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Upon our arrival in Phnom Penh, I cleverly negotiated a tuk-tuk to our hotel...$5 and 30 seconds later the tuk-tuk driver dropped us at our hotel, which was literally around the corner (and that was the last tuk-tuk I was allowed to negotiate for a few days). Because we were only spending the afternoon in Phnom Penh, we dropped our bags at the hotel, and set out by tuk-tuk for the sobering Tuol Sleg Museum. The museum is a tough one to see, much like the War Remnants Museum in Saigon. Approximately 20,000 Cambodians were tortured and killed by the Khmer Rouge at this high-school turned torture-center between 1975 and 1979. Teachers, scientists, engineers, even just people who wore glasses were brought here for interrogation on who among their family and friends were educated, and were therefore unfit to be part of Pol Pot's Kampuchea. It was heavy seeing photographs of the victims, and eary walking through the tiny cellblocks and torture rooms that were active just 30 years ago. We didn't have time to go to the actual Killing Fields as they are 15km out of town but I'm sure the same feelings would arise. If you get a chance, rent the movie, or better yet, read the book called The Killing Fields which is two journalist's first-person-account of the takeover, rule and overthrow of the Khmer Rouge.

Tuol Sleg Museum
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After the museum, we ate dinner by the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, and were introduced to the glory that is Cambodian Cuisine. Lemon grass, curries, fresh fish and spring rolls galore, we stuffed ourselves and got some rest for our 6 hour bus ride ($5US/pp) to Siem Reap the following day.