We took our bus ride from Saigon to Phnom Penh, no problems. Arrived into Phnom Pehn, managed to quickly get out of the hoards of people trying to sell us their guesthouses/tuk tuks... We went to walk to Lakeside #9 guesthouse where Gary & Mark told us they were staying and on our way there, walking down a busy street, we hear someone yell at us, and all of the sudden a Tuk TUk pulls over and it was Gary & Mark. So they took us back to the guesthouse and then we all continued on to where they were originally going... S-21. The security/detention/torture prison from the regime of the Khmer Rouge. Again, another somber thing to see, but definitely worth seeing. It's so hard to believe that it was so recent, and it wasn't even until (I think, if I remember correctly) that it took until 2001 to find a court to try the people in the KR army that committed the atrocities.
After, we had dinner then came back to our guesthouse to hang around there. The guesthouse rooms themselves aren't too nice (actually I think the worst we've had) but the deck/lounge area more than makes up for it. They have about 3 deck areas, one filled with about 10 papasan (sp?) chairs and TV for movies, then the next area has a pool table, another TV, and another projection screen, couches, 5 hammocks -- the good kind made of cloth, not of knots so they're SO comfy-- and then the final deck with chairs and mats with pillows on them. People just lounge everywhere and hang out. It's right on the lake (the decks are above water) so it's really peaceful and nice. For that reason, this is the best place we've stayed.
Anyway, today, on to see the Killing Fields and then the Royal Palace/Silver Pagoda. We're celebrating Gary's birthday tonight, but I think it is going to consist of just hanging out on the decks again. We ran into some people we met in Vang Vieng and another person from the boat, Tom, is supposed to come meet us as well.
Weather is hot, but luckily (knock on wood) there hasn't been much rain, which really surprises me!
