Phnom Penh

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DAY 1

Our first day was a travel day. Singapore airlines have generous leg room and a large screen in the seat back. It was a very comfortable flight. I watched Victoria and Albert and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a beautiful story.Anything with Dame Judy Dench is great. The second movie was the Beguiled with Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell. It was set in the civil war era and was quite intense. I loved it. Justin was less successful with his choices. Our 1 hour stopover in Singapore turned into 4, as the plane had mechanical issues and we waited for a replacement plane. It was frustrating but who wants to fly on dodgy plane. This meant we were later getting to Phnom Penh.

Getting through immigration was a breeze. We had organised our visas in advance online rather than on arrival and we sailed through. Our driver from the hotel was waiting 3 hours for us in the arrivals hall. This was a sign of the wonderful hospitality ahead for the next couple of days. A cool towel and welcome drink of lime iced tea was thoughtful. The kitchen was closing soon so we ate straight away. Chicken burger and beer for Justin and chicken Caesar salad and mango daiquiri for me. Familiar rather than local and a bill of $20.

Our room was made of concrete ( floors walls and ceiling) and had most of the amenities you would expect. The bathroom was interesting. A basin and toilet off to the left as you walk into the room and then the concrete shower on the other side if the room near the balcony door with the concrete bathtub outside on the balcony. It all sounds sterile but it wasn’t. It was very comfortable and the wifi very fast

DAY 2

Today we made a new friend Sophoarn the tuk tuk driver accompanied us on a tour of the city. He was a friendly, enthusiastic happy young man. One of 7 children and married for 2 years. He was 26 years old. And of course I thought he was lovely. He told us a little about his family and his culture.

First stop was the killing fields about 45 minutes drive out of town. The ride was great, seeing the countryside, the houses and people going about the lives. We took a back route so we could see all this wonderful stuff as Sophoarn explained along the main road it smelled awful. He told us an apartment with 3bedrooms, living and kitchen sold for $45000 USD new. It is his hope to own one in 10 years time.

The killing fields would have a lasting impact on anyone and days later they still weigh heavily on my mind. It was important to come here to better understand Cambodia and how it is rebuilding itself as a nation after its traumatic recent history. Pol Pot’s reign of terror was 1975 to 1979 when he was finally driven out. He was into communism and had a plan to bring Cambodia back to zero and build this wonderful communism state. The way he brought it back to zero was to drive out the new people, the educated intellectuals, doctors, lawyers and educators, out of the cities into the countryside where they would work in labour camps growing rice to feed the nation. These people knew little of growing rice and this was doomed. During this time more than 2 million Cambodians were killed. There were killing fields all over
The country and this was just one.

These new people were rounded up and sent to prison (more about that part later) where they were tortured into false confessions of a treason nature and the sent to the killing fields to be mass murdered. They arrived in the cover of darkness and were usually killed within 2 days. Music played out over loud speakers to muffle the noises. Bullets were too expensive so they were beaten to death with tools that were to hand, some had their throats cut with spiky stalls of palms to stop the screaming. They were tossed into mass graves with their arms and legs bound, covered with chemicals DDT to try and mask the smell and kill anyone still alive at that point.

Whole families were separated or sometimes killed together so there was no one left to seek revenge. It was just horrific to hear about. Babies were taken. From their Mother’s, skulls smashed against a tree trunk and then thrown into the pit. This area was so peaceful and beautiful when we visited is was hard to reconcile these vile events with it. Not all the mass graves have been exhumed but many have and now their bones rest in a confronting monument 17 storeys high on the site.

We spent two hours in this somber place. We toured with audio to learn about what went on. There is no way to comprehend and accept the atrocities of genocide.

From here we headed back into town along the same route we came.

Our next stop was the S21 prison where these people were kept and tortured until being transported to the killing fields. It was a little out of order seeing them this way but there were less crowds for us this way.

S21 was a local high school in its previous life. Four three storey buildings facing a central courtyard. It was taken over by the regimen when the people were driven out of Phenom Penh and used to house prisoners and interrogate them. There was s graphic photographic documentation of what transpired there. I couldn’t look at some of it. Sensory overload of the very worst kind. Torture methods and equipment on display. Picture of those who passed through the facility. Like the nazis, Pol Pot kept detailed records. and many were not destroyed when they fled in 1979. There was so much to digest here and it didn’t go down well.

Only 4 of those that perpetrated these horrible things were every brought to trial and only the man who ran the prison was ever convicted. Pol Pot died under house arrest before he could be brought to justice. There are only a handful of survivors of S21 and two of them were there each day. Both of them old men who have books telling their stories. Honestly I don’t think I could have read them.

It as time for lunch now and a definite need of a change in pace. We passed the Independence monument commemorating their independence from France in 1953. Close by is also another impressive statue honouring the legendary King Father Norodom Silhanouk who in his lifetime served as king / prime minister and statesman before his death in 2012.

We selected a place called Friends for lunch. It is a place that trains street kids in aspects of hospitality. The food was good and it was nice to be out of the heat. The temperature is well into the 30s. We invited Sophoarn to join us but he wouldn’t and we were disappointed. Justin had a local fish dish and I had chicken, mango and cashews. Good stuff.

After lunch we went to a local market but we had little interest beyond some curiosity. Plenty to see nothing to buy. I hope to have some more time to look when we get to Siem Reap later in the week.

Our next and final stop was the temple Wat Phnom built on top of an artificial hill in 1434. It was erected here to house 4 statues of Buddha deposited here by the Mekong river and discovered by a lady called Penh. This was a busy temple especially as Chinese New Year is approaching. We saw many people coming to pray and make their wishes. Little sparrow like birds were in cages and for $1 you could buy one and set it free. Symbolic. We later heard that these birds are trained to return to the cages afterward. Hahaha. Probably true.

Our day was coming to a close and we were exhausted. A combination of the heat and subject matter. Sophoarn invited us to go to the local boxing with he and his wife but I just didn’t have it in me to go. Later that night he sent me some pictures via Facebook of him and his wife at the boxing. I was sorry we didn’t go.

Dinner was in the hotel again tonight. We had some really nice fresh spring rolls with prawns and vegetables, followed by pork chop for Justin and a local dish called fish amok for me. River fish cooked with spices with rice.

DAY 3

It was a late start today after such a huge day yesterday. It was also raining. Thankful that our tour was yesterday, I spent the morning reading my book, a John Grisham that hooked me from the opening paragraph. Justin was working. It was so peaceful in the oasis of the hotel after the chaos of yesterday.

For lunch we took a tuk tuk to the modern Japanese Aeon mall. I was proud we could negotiate the price and get there ok. We had a poke around and had some dim sum lunch there, scored myself a new bag and wallet from Charles and Keith and successfully negotiated our way back to the hotel without feeling ripped off.

We spent the afternoon at the pool area, with cool drinks anda swim while Justin continued to work. It was so relaxing.

That night we again ventured out, this time to the touristy riverside area. We went to a small Italian cafe and had lovely pasta meals, with drinks for $23. We walked along the riverfront then stood still by the kerb. Didn’t take but a moment for a tuk tuk to stop. The city is so large, often they don’t know where to go themselves and look at maps, ask each other and phone a friend. Haha.

Safely back at the Rambutan resort, we had a drink by the pool and then off to bed. Tomorrow is another travel day.

The Rambutan resort was a wonderful place to stay, out of the main tourist area, in an expat area. It was heavily marketed as a gay friendly hotel and we wondered what that really meant. We saw mainly middle aged British and Aussie heterosexual couples staying there. The staff were terrific, young, polite and eager to serve. The food was lovely and the room comfortable.

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Photos

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Tuk Tuk adventure

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With the wonderful Sophoarn

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Remnants of clothes used to bind the victims

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Skeletal remains continue to come to the surface years later. They are stored here

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Signs tell the grim tale

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A mass grave protected

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The killing tree

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17 storey monument

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Inside the monument

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Skulls are ordered in age groups and stickers indicate red for women and blue for men

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inside the temple

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Inside the temple