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Published: April 20th 2007
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Killing Fields
White stupda that holds the skulls of those that were killed at the Killing Fields. April 17 - 21
Back in PP, Okay guesthouse (by the riverside) isn't okay at all. The staff are rude, the room stinks, the food is crap. Krissy recommended it and I thought I would try somewhere different instead of being by the lakeside again. I was excited too because of the cafes around the area but I have yet to go to one😞 Tom and I are moved to No. 9 guesthouse today. Again with no sink or showerhead but great social atmosphere. Hehehe.
I hired a moto driver, Alex, who I met the last time I was in PP before heading to Sen Monorom. He seemed like a nice guy so I told him I would call him when I was back so he can take me around the city and beyond. I met him at 9:30am with the plan of going to visit Tuol Sleng Museum (Security Prison 21, S-21) first then go to the Killing Fields afterwards. Well, he accidently double booked me and 3 other gals (who just happened to be Canadian too) hence the tuk tuk I rode in. They were already at S-21 and Alex wanted to know if we could
do the Killing Fields first then he'll take me to S-21 after he dropped them off. Everybody I talked to said to do the museum first then Killing Fields because it gives more perspective. I told him that I wanted to catch the 10am documentary at S-21. The girls were meeting him at 11:30 and he asked if I could be done by then. I had no clue seeing that the film was an hour, I didn't think I could, or even want to zip through the buildings. I said maybe by noon I should be done. Before the unspeakable horrors that happened within the walls of these buildings, it used to be a high school (1962). Pol Pot turned it into a detention and torture centre. So I started with the film which was kinda hard to hear because of the distortion from being so loud. After the film I walked to the first building, which used to be classrooms that were turned into interrogation/torture chambers (3 floors). Nothing much was in each room except a bed with metal feet and hand chains. There were disturbing photos on the walls that showed mutilated bodies of the dead or dying
tied to the beds. The next building contained pictures of all the unfortunate souls that were brought to this prison. No one was spared, there were many faces of children and mothers holding babies. Very sad. The third building housed the prison cells, one floor with all wood cells while the other floor had cells made of wood. Very small enclosures (0.8 x 2 m) with either little to no light. The last building contained paintings from a survivor of the prison along with other forms of art. The second floor took the most time because hung on the wall were pictures and stories of those involved. Prisoners were from all walks of life, from soldiers and combatants, to civilians (farmers, engineers, intellectuals, professors, teachers, students, ministers, and diplomats). Whole families would be taken from villages and exterminated. According to an archive KR report, the number of prisoners from 1975-1978 totalled 10 499 but this figure is low cause it does not include the number of children killed by the KR regime at S-21. I was finished around 12:30 with a much heavier feeling in my chest. All 4 of us (gals from Vancouver) loaded onto the tuk tuk. If
prisoners did not die from the torture they were taken to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek where several forms of murder occurred, bullet in the head, bludgeoned to death, macheted, babies smashed against trees. A white stupa holds many of the skulls sectioned by age class. A pile of clothes lie beneath the skulls. Walking around the grounds and actually picturing the horrors that happened here is overwhelming and hard to comprehend, at least for me. There are giant holes, scattered throughout the grounds, each a mass grave that contained 100s of bodies. This doesn't seem like a place where children should beg but of course they were around. Instead of money, which I never give anyway, I brought with me some pencils and gave that to them since they say they are in school.
Emotionally drained the 4 of us left the Killing Fields and headed to the Russian Market. Alex dropped the others off since they were only a half day job and he and I went for some lunch. I went back to the market while he went to drop off the tuk tuk and came back with just his moto. Man, 40 mins was
not enough to go through the whole market. I spent money, got some shit for me and others but I need to return. They had everything from clothes, food, dvd's/cds, watches, jewellery, power tools, silk scarfs, souvenir shit, shoes....everything. Hopped on the back of the moto and he took me to the outskirts of town where I wanted to get pictures of more "shantytowns" and farm fields. I felt pretty dumb stopping in this one village cause I was the only whitey around and everyone was starring. They were all nice though and said the usual "helloooo". As soon as I was of the bike and got my camera out, the kids started coming. They love getting their pictures taken and looking at them. I asked if I could walk down some into the fields and this woman (could have been one of their mom) took me followed by the kiddies. I would have loved to have gone on the boat through the vegetable farm but it was getting late and Alex was waiting. The kids were getting too hyper and pushy and grabby with my camera so it was time to go. They asked for money but I responded
"ah no. why don't you give
me money." Got back to the guesthouse and made plans for Alex to get me at 8am to take me back to Russian Market. Had pizza for dinner, the first real craving for western food since being away.
I realized that I didn't really want to get up that earlier so I texted Alex to not worry about coming because I would be going later in the day (when he was driving the 3 Canadians around). I got woken up by his damn call at 8 saying he was coming. I told him that I didn't want to go that earlier but he just wouldn't listen and said he was on his way. I told him that he would be waiting for a while because Tom and I were still sleeping. Tom said I was too nice to him whereas he would just tell him off and hang up. An hour later he called again saying he was waiting for an hour outside. I told him again that we weren't going til later when he would be with the other girls. He said he had to go soon and just wanted to see
me. Oh man. So when Tom and I were ready, we were on our way to reserve a room at the No. 9 guesthouse, so we stopped to say "hi. bye." to Alex. He looked a little weird cause he knew that I was upset and annoyed. Man, I just hate feeling pressured to do shit I don't want to do. Fuck. Anyway. Spent the day at the market again, bought more shit, ate ice cream, and was on the internet. Tom at fried bugs as an appetizer (cockroach, big and small crickets, water beetle, and frog). I did not partake, only watched thanks. While a whole group us of were on the way for some "happy pizza" (well I would have gotten another dish), I realized that Tom put the garbage outside of our room cause it was quite smelly with his nasty socks BUT that is also where I hide my moneybelt with important shit in it. I couldn't recall though whether I put it somewhere else or it was still in the garbage. So I returned to the guesthouse. It wasn't there but under the bed. I decided to just find a local food stall and eat
some good fried noodles with veggies. Again felt a little weird being the only white chick but it was all good. I ordered in Khmer and could understand when they told me the cost. YAY me! Hehehe.
We moved to No. 9 and basically all afternoon til 11pm I was on the damn computer burning pics and updating this damn blog. Takes forever to upload the pics. Anyway. With my Vietnam visa in hand I head for Chao Doc tomorrow morning.
Cambodia is a beautiful country with some beautiful people. They have been through hell and are still recovering. I will definitely make it back one day.
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Mark
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Cambodia
Hey Lindsay...It is obvious that your experience in Cambodia has been deeply moving. You even found time to think about some "issues". You didn't elaborate but I can imagine. Cambodia is one of the countries that Gregor and I had planned to go to in '94 so it's at the top of my travel agenda! So, next stop Vietnam, which is ure to be equal in experience although a bit different. Can't wait to hear about your adventures. ~Mark