Advertisement
After spending the previous day ill in bed I was really looking forward to getting out. Windy collected us from our hotel and drove us to our first stop of the day, The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek.
First we walked around the museum so that we could learn more about what we were about to see. The Killing Fields are where most of the 17000 detainees held at the S-21 prison were executed during the rule of the Khmer Rouge. The most atrocious crimes against humanity were committed in these fields. Small children were often killed by swinging them against trees and many of the prisoners were bludgeoned to death to avoid wasting precious bullets. When it rains there are still pieces of bone washed up from the ground. There is now a memorial stupa which displays more that 8000 skulls, bones and clothes of the victims.
Returning to our tuk tuk Windy then took us to the S-21 prison. We were able to see the tiny cells where people were held and tortured, pictures of many of the victims and stories of the few survivors. We also learned about some of the prolific members of the Khmer
Rouge, some of which are still alive and standing trial today.
There was so much to see and take in but after walking around in the heat I was starting to feel ill again. I managed to see most of it, but I was starting to feel feint in the heat so we had to miss the National Museum which was supposed to be the last stop of the day.
The following day I was under orders from nurse Andy not to leave the room. He has always been a very strict nurse, I even got a telling off for getting up to use the bathroom! By evening time I thought I would go crazy if I couldn’t get out, so I convinced Andy that it would be a good idea to get some fresh air and some dinner.
We met up with Kirsty (Miss Scotland) who we met in Vietnam. I had taken some pain killers before we went out so I was under the illusion that I was feeling better. Nurse Andy unfortunately is easily bribed with a few pints of beer, so what started as getting out for a bit of fresh air and
dinner ended at about 2am with a few too many jugs of beer. ooops.
I realised my mistake when I woke up the following morning. My throat was so sore that I could barely swallow, my whole body ached and I had such a headache that I couldn’t lift my head off the pillow. Nurse Andy took one look at the white spots appearing on my tonsils and made his diagnosis. “You have tonsillitis and there is no way you are getting out of bed until you are better” he barked. Now I know that a touch of tonsillitis is nothing compared to the hell you men go through with manflu, it is a terrible illness that gets to you all at some point. I know it requires urgent attention such as breakfast in bed, tea on demand and full control over the television remote, but please have some sympathy, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.
Being ill in Asia did have its advantages. There was no need to drag myself out of bed for a doctors appointment, then pay my however many pounds for the prescription. Antibiotics cost just a few pence from any pharmacy and
are sold with no questions asked. The best thing of all about being ill was without a doubt, being brought ice cream to eat in bed...... thank you nurse Andy!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.3s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 15; qc: 64; dbt: 0.0945s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb