Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of the mrlukeniktravels blog coming from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I have arrived in my ninth country of the trip, although it is the second time I have been in this wonderful country. Flying in from Bangkok was a short flight of 1hr 20 mins and pretty hassle-free. I have got used to all the check-in, immigration and security checks by now I barely have to think about it. Using my e-visa when arriving in Cambodia made entering the country very easy and with my departure card stapled I was off into the city. The tuk-tuk ride to my hostel certainly was an experience! There was traffic all over the place and a constant tooting of horns. Having arrived, I was able to settle in and prepare to explore the city the next day. As I write there is Aussie Rules (or footy) on the TV screen above me and Selena Gomez on the sound-system. Not a mix I usually encounter!
It is so good to be back in Cambodia after a break of just over six years. I’ve realised how much I like it since returning here. The people, the food, the culture is really fantastic. This is my first time in the capital, Phnom Penh. It is like many SE Asian cities in that it is hot, dusty and crowded but I’m used to it by now! Unlike Bangkok the city is pretty compact and it is, by and large, short distances from one place to another. The Royal Palace is a imposing feature on the riverfront- that river being the Mekong. The adjacent Silver Pagoda is wonderful too. I spent my first full here exploring those places and the National Museum of Cambodia. People often assume Cambodian and Thai culture are pretty interchangeable- this is not completely the case. Khmer (the largest ethnic group in Cambodia) has a culture distinct from Thailand. In fact, during the Angkor Period kings from what is now Cambodia ruled over present day Thailand. I enjoyed learning about the periods of Cambodian history in the national museum. There was almost too much to take in!
Whilst in Phnom Penh, I have also been exploring a less glorious part of Cambodian recent history. The rule of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (known around the world as the Khmer Rouge) lasted from 1975 to 1979. This ruling political force sought to return the country to a communist agrarian utopia- known as ‘Year Zero’. After assuming power, the ruling committee emptied the cities and returned the workers to the fields. The rule of the Khmer Rouge was a complete failure with starvation, disease and malnutrition causing the deaths of millions. In line with other totalitarian regimes ideological purity was paramount. This lead to the creation of a system of torture, secure camps and mass graves commonly known as ‘killing fields’. Two of the most famous of these are situated in Phnom Penh. Tuol Sleung (or S21) was a high security prison where inmates were regularly tortured. Once their ‘confession’ had been extracted many were sent to Cheoung Ek, the most famous of a network of killing fields. They were tough to visit, but I definitely valued having made the trip to see these places.
Whilst in Phnom Penh I have had to overcome a few technical hurdles with my laptop. First of all I needed a new USB cable to connect my phone to upload pictures. Then, just yesterday, the power cord decided to give up the ghost. A short walk and $30USD late I was back in business, so frustrating! Hopefully that is the last amount of money I have to spend on electronics until I return to the UK. Once I’m back the laptop can go straight in the bin- by which I mean be recycled responsibly! These inconveniences are not the glamorous part of travelling long term, but a part nonetheless. I, at the very least, need somewhere to back up my photos in case something happens to my phone. It would be a pain to write this blog without a full keyboard too!
As I write this post I am due to leave the city in the morning. I will be heading north-east and into the countryside. Although I have enjoyed Phnom Penh, I am looking forward to being out a city for a while in some cleaner air. I plan to travel anti-clockwise around the country and end up in Siem Reap before leaving Cambodia. That is almost it for this week, I shall be back for another week’s discoveries next Monday. From now until next time, you can follow me on Twitter by searching the handle @mrlukeniktravel. For pictures, I have an Instagram account which can be found at @mrlukeniktravels. Finally, as always, stay safe and travel on!