phnom penh

Arrived at a very hot & busy Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. On the first afternoon we visited the Tuol Sleng genocide museum, which is a former prison of the Pol Pot regime. It was very confronting seeing the cells and torture systems used by Khmer Rouge soldiers. A photo exhibition inside had pictures of the prisoners & soldiers; it would have been such an awful place. We then saw the Killing Fields, which is where prisoners were taken to be executed. There were around 85 mass graves, as well as bones and clothing poking up out of the earth on the pathways. You cannot really comprehend how horrible these 2 sites are until you actually see them for yourself.
We ate dinner at a non profit restaurant run by former street youths in training, called Friends. It was one of the best meals I have had since I've been away- delicious! The next day did some shopping at the markets, saw the Royal Palace and sat by the river. We had dinner at Friends again, as it was too hard to resist! Went to a nightclub called the Heart of Darkness, which was lots of fun! We were a bit worried because we were searched by security guards at the door. Played lots of good music, but couldn't drink too much as the bus left at 6am the next morning, heading for Vietnam.