PP city

It was stunning: Without any natural landmark separating Vietnam and Cambodia, you could tell immediately after crossing the border that you have entered a different country. The plains seem plainer, the sky bluer and the houses more ordinary - but the uncountable Wats more pompous. Every square-inch of soil appeared to be agriculturally utilized and was tended by pagoda-hat clad pageants, without any sophisticated machinery or tools other then ox carriages. As much as the landscape was marvelous, you could still feel the bitter after taste of the Pol Pot terror regime of forced agricultural communism.



Phnom Penh, or Njhom Njenh as anglophone fellas would put it, was our first destination in Cambodia. It is a city on the rise, but still has a lot of third-world-feeling sticking to it: The buzzing Psah Chas food and second hand clothing market strongly looked and smelt like Accra's Kaneshi market, the Tuk-Tuk drivers cling to you almost desperately and one night we had to eat dinner at a food stand that was guarded by a grandma carrying a baby on one arm and the shotgun on the other.



Apart from roaming around on Phnom Penhs beautiful river and lake sind, we managed to see the Royal Palace and the Toul Sleng prison Khmer Rouge museum - both extremely breathtaking in their own and completely different way.


Pez being naughty at the Royal Palace.
While the Royal Palace was the most impressive complex of buildings I have seen so far in South-East-Asia, the heavily promoted silver tile room and with its Jade Buddha was disappointing.

Apes living in the Royal Gardens


That was overdue!

It was also in Phnom Penh that we met Nick and Natalie again, a couple who went through the Lao-Border-Adventure with us. Was fun to meet them and spend an evening together with them. Hope u guys are well!

PP for U at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephan_mittas/sets/72157612612067785/