Cambodia - Day 2

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This was our “Genocide Day.” Hired a tuk-tuk at the Golden Gate Guest House to take us to Choeng Ek (the Killing Fields). On the way out of the city, we saw that it doesn’t take very long to start seeing rural areas. We passed fields and a bunch of garment factory workers on our way out to the Killing Fields. Cambodia is home to many of the mass produced clothing that we wear…I won’t name any names, look at your labels. We were told it was a bumpy ride out there, but we had no idea it would be so bad, bone rattling would be a better description. If you’re going to go there, ladies better have your sport bras ready! It was also incredibly dusty, since half of the ride is on dirt roads. Words can’t really describe what it’s like to be at a place where thousands of people were murdered and buried in mass graves. Seeing tattered clothing and bones around the graves compacted in the earth made the whole scene even more powerful. After we were done there, the tuk-tuk driver asked if we wanted to shoot guns (there’s a shooting range nearby). Now, I admit I’m curious about what it’s like to shoot a fully automatic AK-47, and prior to coming to Cambodia, I thought I might like to try it. However, after the Killing Fields, the last thing I wanted to do was shoot a gun, especially one that may have been used to murder people. So, back into town to the next stop, Tuol Sleng (S-21 Prison), the Genocide Museum. S-21 was a former school converted by the Khmer Rouge into a prison for political prisoners. Many of the people sent there, after being detained and tortured for however long, ended up at Choeng Ek. Since S-21 was closed for lunchtime, we had lunch across the street at Boddhi Tree. After eating, we did the S-21 tour, concluding Genocide Day. Very disturbing and sad.

Went to Capitol and bought our bus tickets to Ho Chi Minh City and put our names on a list for a trip to Phnom Chisor and Tonle Bati the next day (day trip to old temples). Had dinner with Michelle at Shiva Shakti, very good Indian food. Walked to Memphis Bar to meet a friend of Michelle’s and stayed there for a while. Apparently the house band at Memphis Bar is a Khmer-French band that wanted somewhere to play every night, so they bought a bar. I think this must be every band guy’s dream! While we were at Memphis Bar, we had a brush with celebrity—Cambodia’s top pop star was out dancing with friends. Next stop was the bar, Heart of Darkness. Had a couple drinks there and watched local working girls working the foreign men. We left and went to check out a Filipino band at this new place that everyone had been wondering about, Rock. The name says it all. A huge, neon monstrosity, with a massive ballroom, complete with lasers and fog, and tables around the perimeter of the ballroom. Rock also has private karaoke rooms, which we did not investigate. After a little while and a few laughs, we called it a night. The band sucked. They opened with “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” No kidding.

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