Day 48 to 52 Cambodia… The Killings Fields and the ancient wonders of Angkor Wat

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You’d think we would have stayed away from long bus journeys after our last experience, but our journey on the Mekong Express to Phnom Penh was a much better experience. Our bus host provide us with water, a nice breakfast box, with a fresh wipe. He also helped with immigration and visas at the Cambodian border. With this and the nice change of scenery away from the endless open front buildings of Vietnam it was a great welcome to the country. At the bus station we had our first experience of riding in a tuk tuk, a four seater carriage towed behind a motorcycle, a small one at that. Mark, our Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver offered to take us around the city for the day showing us all the key landmarks. We are wary of being sold anything as we had experience of creative accounting when provided the final bill, but we took a chance.



Mark as promised picked us up at 8.30am to take us to our first destination, and main reason we overnighted here. Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre a centre of memorial to the many ‘killing fields’ - as many as 300 of which were spread over Cambodia. At these sites 1 in 4 of the population were killed by Khmer Rouge in their attempt to engineer a classless peasant society. Just for being educated, knowing a foreign language civil servants or maybe wearing glasses, many people were killed in the deranged leader Pol Pot’s year zero policy. Where the lucky ones from the city were sent to work in the fields (although many died through the experience). We took an audio guide that told us what had happened at this particular site, how prisoners were meticulously administered so no one could escape. We learnt how they were killed, men, women, children and babies (no bullets were to be used they were too valuable), how music was played to cover the noise of the killing and how they used to dispose of the bodies. Today bones, skulls, teeth and clothes, still show through the topsoil and more appears after every heavy rainfall. The audio tour had the best narrator we’d ever heard, a survivor himself, he gave a clear and emotive testimony to what happened here.



It was difficult to follow that but we continued our tour around the city seeing the Presidential Palace, the museum of Cambodian history and the temple on the only hill in the city.



Whilst in Cambodia we felt the need to support some good causes, many Non Govt. Organisations are working here in a variety of projects. We chose to eat at Le Lotus Blanc Restaurant which acts as a training centre for young people who previously scoured the city dump. A delightful young lady served us and we painfully watched her prepare flambéed pineapple for Kim, somehow managing to melt all the ice cream! Another organisation we visited was called Daughters, working to reintegrate former sex workers, enabling them to learn another trade. Of those who completed their 6 month programme they had a 98% success rate in reintegrating the girls back into society, a fantastic achievement.



Back on the bus again to our next destination, we headed North West to the town of Seim Reap, all we knew was this was where we going to base ourselves to explore the Temples of Angkor Wat. But first we had to explore Pub Street, name says it all - loads of bars and restaurants, it had a great atmosphere.



Alison had heard we had to get up for the sunrise over the largest religious building in the world Angkor Wat. At these popular ancient sites, its good get up early, in this case 5.30 to beat the crowds. Unfortunately, they were there already with their cameras, videos, phones and selfie sticks, and had marked their positions and woe betide you if you blocked the view! We had seen a lots of temples since Mongolia and thought we were templed out, but these are different, everyone with its own character, some huge, some with large serene faces and statues (Bayon), others with intricate carvings. The last one we saw of the day was Ta Prohm which was used in the movie Lara Croft Tomb Raider and for good reason. Every time you turned the corner you were met by the amazing stonework and the huge trees that spread their roots around and the temple. A photographer and directors dream.



The following day with our friendly tuk tuk driver Lay, we went to Angkor National Museum to understand a bit more about how the area developed. Afterwards, we had one more temple to visit way out of town, Banteay Srei. Although smaller it was built of pink sandstone, legend says that it had to have been carved by women because the designs are so intricate. We had spent two days exploring in the tuk tuk, I’m not sure how safe they are but it was a lovely way to travel.



One thing that has surprised us in Cambodia was the currency, from the tourists they want American dollars. They advertise and you pay in dollars, only if its half a dollar do they give change in local currency Riel. This makes life easier, as there are 5,600 Reil to £1, but also more expensive for the tourist, everything gets rounded up to a dollar or 5!



Although too brief in Cambodia, just 5 nights, the friendly people have made our stay very enjoyable. All that is left is a last night in Pub Street and to watch traditional Cambodian dancing with our meal. Alison can’t understand how the girls bend their fingers so far back!



Next to Thailand and a diversion north?

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Photos

Killing Fields
Note the tree

Bats !
This tree was in the centre of Phnom Penh

Comments

[christine]

Did you go inside the palace? Loved the photosxxxx

[alikim]

Re Palace
Yes we went in the palaces where we could. Hope you are ok. Kim and Ali xx