From 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge (Pol Pot) executed at least 200.000 people, with the total number of deaths resulting from the regimes policies estimated to be as many as 2,2 mill, a staggering figure, considering the population of Cambodia at the time was around 7 mill. The King – Sihanouk - was in that period put in house arrest in his palace in Phnom Penh. Otherwise Phnom Penh was evacuated and the people forced to live in the villages in the country. Many of the old buildings in Phnom Penh was destroyed, but the Royal Palace was spared, probably because Sihanouk was a good friend of the rulers in Beijing.
The infrastructure in Cambodia is very poor. It takes 4 hrs to drive 200 km on their best highway. Otherwise they are very interested in foreign tourist coming visiting their country. We had police escort part of the way from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh. They said that it was because they did not want us to get stuck in the traffic, but it could as well be that they did not want any kind of episodes enroute on our tour.
Our busses waiting for us on the pier
Our tourguide to Phnom Penh
lots of apparent empty land
Our driver to the left
selling smuggled petrol from Thailand
local taxi service
our police escort on a motorbike
Our lunch hotel in Phnom Penh
The new Phnom Penh skyline
One of the universities in Phom Penh
shopping mall - marked
The Royal Palace
Behind the trees - the palace where he lives
Mekong river behind the buildings
The Kings Monogram
The "Silver" Pagoda - (60 kg solid gold Buddha inside )
Kota where the "royal ashes are kept"
The National Museum
Typical Phnom Penh sreet
The modern factories outside Phnom Penh
Our "VIP" escort to Sihanoukville
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