I am on my way to the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. A considerable route of 300 km, mainly on motorway. However, a motorway here cannot be compared to Europe. Today there is a lot of work on the way and then one direction of the four-lane road will be closed and the other half will turn into a two-lane road with oncoming traffic. On the entire route, however, it is unclear where work is or is not due to the lack of signs, so that both dual carriageways are used in all directions. Fortunately, everyone keeps to the right when driving, because the number of wrong-way drivers is therefore countless.
When I drive into Phnom Penh through a large industrial area, the stench strikes me the most. It seems that the entire chicken industry of the country is located here. It is a huge city with 2.5 million inhabitants. Fortunately, honking is also prohibited here.
After checking into the hotel, I look for a street restaurant and my noodle soup contains a surprise: a chicken embryo. The soup is delicious but I leave the chicken for what it is.
The next morning I visit the Tuol Sleng (S21) Genocide Museum. A former school that was converted into a prison and interrogation center by the Khmer Rouge regime in 1975. This was the most important of the 120 branches across the country. Here alone, an estimated 20,000 Cambodians who were seen as enemies of the regime were tortured and killed. Only 12 survived this hell, including some children.
It's high time to take my mind off things with a visit to The Royal Palace. Unfortunately, the palace itself is closed for work, but the silver pagodas and the temples around it are beautiful.
