Tuol Sleng (S-21) Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

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We waved goodbye to Vietnam and crossed the boarder into Cambodia!!! Our first destination was Phnom Penh, which is Cambodia's capital!!!
We were a little over whlemed when we first got into the city, as we had about 10 Cambodian men try to tout us for a tuk-tuk and follow us around untill we chose one!!! A little frustrating when you've been on a bus for 7 hours!!!
But finally we arrived at Angkor International Hotel, which is situated right near the river Tonle Sap.
The nightlife here is quite busy, and the restaurants offer really really good food with brilliant service!!!
So after settling in for a day we hired a bike for 24 hours which cost us $5. We ventured into the city in search for the Tuol Sleng Museum. It was quite hard to find it, as the map we had was really old and faded!!! From our hotel it should of taken 15-20 mins to find.....yeah....it took us an hour and a half...oops!!!
When we got to the museum (S-21), we found it really interesting!!! Even though there were probaly 50 people there, it was complety silent!!! Everyone seemed to be sharing the same disturbing feeling at the thought of the atrocities that took place here between 1975 and 1978 by the hands of the Khmer Rouge.
Once a school called Tuol Svay Prey for the local Cambodian children, this building was quickly transformed into a prison by Pol Pot's security forces, in which a shocking 100 victims were killed and cruely tortured here a day!!!
Walking around the museum, we both felt sickened by the sights of the original pictures of how the Cambodian authorities found the dead, tortured victims after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. The sight of stained blood still on the checkered tiled floors, was also extremely chilling!!!
The most disturbing thought was that this happended less than 35 years ago!!!
On the way back to our hotel, we randlomley met a lovely guy called Nigel in a petrol station near the museum. After talking to him for awhile, we started discussing teaching jobs within the city!!!
He has been working here as a teacher for the last few years and has given us his details and offered us both permanent full-time jobs teaching english in the ''Singapore International School'' in Phnom Penh for $10 an hour!!! The city is aparantley desperate for teachers, especially women teachers!!!
If only it were that easy to get jobs in England...lol!!!!

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Comments

[Julia]

Deeply Moved
Hi darlings, I am deely moved by your photos and your account of your visit to the Museum. Most people are generally aware of the 'troubles' in the world, but never get the chance to witness the fallout/aftermath of such events. Chilling indeed. Check your email from me too. Love you both, Mum xx

[mom and dad]

how lucky are we
Hi guys, this must have been such a powerful day, how lucky are we to have been born in this country. You just can't imagine the hell those people must have gone through. We went to see new moon tonight it was so good and we now have to wait till June to see the third movie Eclipse. Anyway is Leonie better now i hope so and are your legs all heald up Richard. It was so lovely to speak to you both on Sunday you both sound so happy and well i can't believe you've been gone 7 weeks. Stay safe and we all love and miss you loads love mom and dad Lucy Yan, Jonny and Sash and the bump xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx