Sixth Stop→PHNOM PENH
Phnom Penh is the capital city of Cambodia. I was really looking forward to go there since I love big, busy and especially Asian cities. And I wasn't disappointed! But let's start from the beginning; the bus from Kep took 5 hours to reach Phnom Penh. The hostel Yui and I booked is located in Street 88 and called 88backpackers.
So Phnom Penh is still "in the making" as I would describe it. The city has a lot of potential in my opinion; there are some old buildings and monuments like the King's Palace or the National Museum. On the other site, the first skyscraper is being build at the moment and you see a lot of huge construction sites for buisness buildings and shopping malls. Also, there are a lot of building complexes with a bit of a French touch as the one you can see below on the picture.
And then, there is Street 240 and the area near the Independence Monument. Street 240 is a lovely litte street near the King's Palace and the Riverfront, with many many cute cafes, shops and restaurants.
Most of the shops are selling clothing or handcrafted goods made in Cambodia, trying to help the Cambodian people by giving them a job and a steady income. Yui and I got two pairs of shorts each made specifically for us in a lovely shop called AND - artisandesigner. We got to talk a lot with Alan, a very nice British guy who works there as a volunteer. He told us that their fabrics are also handmade and uniquely produced for that shop.
Two of the main attractions in Phnom Penh are the Killing Field Choeung Ek and the Security Prision 21 which is an old school turned into a prison by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. In the building, political prisioners were held and questioned before departed to one of the many Killing Fields. The regime of the Khmer Rouge is a very sad but important part of the history of Cambodia as it helds a big impact on the country until today. On the picture, it's the roof of the Stupa in Choeung Ek built after the terrible times where over as a sign of hope and peace.
On New Year's Eve, Yui and I went to a performance by Plae Pakaa. Plae Pakaa is a group of young Cambodian artists who are performing traditional dances and songs. The show we watched, Children of Bassac, was really enjoyable and me and Yui had a great time watching them.
The next entry will be about Siem Reap/Angkor Wat, Yui's and my last stop in Cambodia before heading over to Vietnam. See you☆彡