Cambodia's Capital - Phnom Penh

---

Kostek did a masterful job booking the Blue Lime hotel in Phnomh Penh.It was a larger city and we were right in the middle of the action near the National Museum, but on a side alley that afforded a good night’s sleep along with a beautiful pool and friendly, accommodating staff.

When we got into Blue Lime, we had a quick lunch poolside, then got down to business – dropped off laundry, shipped some souvenirs back via Cambodia Post Office, and got Kostek a much needed hot shave! We enjoyed the walkable city, taking in the sights and sounds on foot. We had just enough time to tour the Royal Palace before it closed for the day.

Its full name in the Khmer language is Preah Barum Reachea Veang Chaktomuk. The Kings of Cambodia have occupied it since it was built in 1860's, with a period of absence when the country came into turmoil during and after the reign of the Khmer Rouge.

Our guide shared that it was constructed in the same style as that of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, which we were not able to visit. The palace was set in an impressive manicured courtyard with multiple buildings with special purposes. We noted the flag at the time was raised, signaling the King was in residence.

The main receiving hall had only one grand chair set in front of the Coronation throne. If the King were married, there would be two chairs. Also interesting was the gilded and elaborate throne. The most magnificent piece in the welcome hall, each King only sits in it once, the day he is crowned king. We then passed a building (unfortunately under scaffolding) that was a gift from France, the style was also grand, but completely different from the others. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Cornell University’s campus, where we have beautiful gothic buildings next to the functional and boxy architecture of the 70’s. (Sorry Olin Hall, I always thought you were an eyesore!).

We went back to our hotel to freshen up (the heat at times during the day was pretty intense), and we were joined by Suzi’s sorority sister from Cornell, Nicolette! She was also in Phnom Penh as part of a 2 week work trip through Southeast Asia. It was SO nice to see a familiar friendly face and catch up on old times and share each of our trips to date. We went over to the historic FCC (Foreign Correspondent’s Club) for dinner and drinks overlooking the beautiful city below. Before we arrived to Phnom Penh, we were expecting a large crowded functional city. We were really nicely surprised to see the picturesque waterside promenade, quaint winding streets and friendly pace.

The following day we set out to the Choeungek Genocidal Center, also sadly known as one of the country’s many ‘killing fields’. It was on this former Chinese cemetery outside of the country’s capital that the Khmer Rouge, under Pol Pot’s regime systematically and savagely exterminated their countrymen.

The Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979, in which an estimated 1.7 million people lost their lives (approximately 21% of the country's population), was one of the worst human tragedies of the last century. The Khmer Rouge, headed by Pol Pot, combined extremist ideology, ethnic animosity, and a disregard for human life to carry murder on a massive scale.

Not only did the Khmer Rouge run amok massacring their people, but also everywhere the Khmer Rouge tried to destroy the very heart of Cambodian life. Hinayana Buddhism had been a state religion, and the priesthood of monks with their saffron robes was a central part of Cambodian culture. Some 90 percent of Cambodians believed in some form of Buddhism. Many received a rudimentary schooling from the monks, and many young people became monks for part of their lives. The Khmer Rouge could not allow so powerful an institution to stand and therefore set out with vigor to destroy it. They exterminated all leading monks and either murdered or defrocked the lesser ones. One estimate is that out of 40,000 to 60,000 monks only 800 to 1,000 survived to carry on their religion. As for the Buddhist temples that populated the landscape of Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge destroyed 95 percent of them, and turned the few remaining into warehouses or allocated them for some other degrading use. Amazingly, in the very short span of a year or so, the small gang of Khmer Rouge wiped out the center of Cambodian culture, its spiritual incarnation, and its institutions

It was extremely disturbing to listen to the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, and the terrible mark they left on the people of Cambodia. Pol Pot’s master plan was to create a pure unskilled agrarian society, and kill anyone educated, professional, that wore glasses or questioned his authority. Because of the mass killings, today’s population is predominantly young and orphaned. After watching the center’s video and reading the signs, we were surprised to see how many years it took to bring the high ranking officials of Pol Pot’s regime to ‘justice’.

Upon returning to the city center, we went to Jars of Clay, a café that supports disenfranchised Cambodian women, had lunch and purchased some handmade gifts that will help a part of the population that needs assistance.

Afterwards, we went to The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. The site is a former high school which was used as the notorious Security Prison 21 (S-21) by the Khmer Rouge communist regime from its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979. Tuol Sleng means "Hill of the Poisonous Trees" or "Strychnine Hill". The holding cells were more the size of tiger cages, and video detailed a personal account of a Cambodian couple separated for years (like so many others), that both perished under the Khmer Rouge. Pictures of the Khmer Rouge’s high ranking officials on display at the museum were defaced with moustaches and angry disparaging comments, which made us further recognize how this atrocity is very recent, very painful, and still very much affects the Cambodian people.

S-21 and the killing fields were very tough, but important places to visit. We regained hope for Cambodia’s future when driving through the streets after these visits when we saw many smiling faces, and people laughing and enjoying themselves while working to further the local economy.

The next morning, we also grabbed an early bus ride to cross the border into Vietnam – next stop Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)!

---