Phnom Penh, Cambodia

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Phnom Penh, the Capital of Cambodia. While the previous sights of Angkor were incredibly uplifting spiritually, the sights of Phnom Penh were completely gut wrenching. The capital is most famous for the bloody take over of the Khmer Rouge and its genocidal leader Pol Pot. After coming to power in 1975, he executed over two million people in three years - a quarter of the entire population of the country. We went to a high school that he converted into an 'interrogation' room inside the city. He tortured and murdered and average of 100 people a day inside its wall. Mass graves and large gruesome presentations were on display. Even more upsetting was his support from the United States government because he was fighting the Vietnamese. After wanting to crawl into a corner and cry, we actually managed to have some fun later that night when we both enrolled in a Texas Hold'em poker tournament and took 5th and 6th place. (jess took 5th, and no there were not only 6 entries!) The rest of the city is in stark contrast to Vientiane. Skyscrapers are going up everywhere and there were far more expats and NGO workers giving the city an international feel. We finally ate decent Mexican food ala Hurley, a middle aged ultra stoner from Santa Barbara. We luckily were able to avoid a few more scams from touts and cab drivers, and left the city for Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City

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Photos

SR-21
The high school converted into a "reeducation center."

Comments

[Denney]

History
I have read many books about Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. It's interesting to me that you are seeing this first hand. Not many Americans can say this. I bet you have learned more valuable lessons in the past few months then you have learned in the past few years. We are all learning with you and look forward to your blog enteries. Thanks again for taking the time. This is a great way to comunicate and to capture your adventure forever.