The Pearl of Asia

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History has not been kind to Cambodia. Though a generation has passed since the violent genocide ended in 1978, when Vietnam invaded Cambodia, the country’s war torn image remains.

During the Vietnam War, United States military began an aggressive bombing campaign in Cambodia, supposedly to disrupt activities of the Viet Cong working within the country. In addition to making millions homeless, this also garnered sympathy for opponents of the U.S.-backed government, and resulted in thousands of new recruits for the Khmer Rouge rebels.

The Khmer Rouge officially took over in 1975 under the leadership of Pol Pot, whose brutal reforms would lead to over 1.7 million deaths.

We arrived at Phnom Penh International airport on a budget flight from Bangkok. We had toyed with the idea of crossing the land border, but thankfully decided against it as the route has a reputation for being extremely arduous-think long hours of slamming through potholes.

At first glance, Phnom Penh, dubbed the “Pearl of Asia” in bygone years, is pure chaos. Cars designed to drive on both sides of the road, tuk-tuks, trucks, and motorbikes carrying families of six and all of their shopping milled haphazardly in the road. We tried in vain to walk to the riverfront, only to find every last image of the sidewalk occupied with parked bikes and other goods.

Eventually, we took a tuk-tuk to the waterfront and went for a ride on a slow-moving, smoke-belching boat down the river. In Phnom Penh, the brown sludgy waters of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers converge. The Mekong begins its journey in Tibet before flowing down the border between Laos and Thailand, across Cambodia, and finally emptying into the sea at the Vietnamese delta region. The Tonle Sap begins at the great lake bearing the same name not far from Siem Reap. Interestingly enough, during the rainy season the flow of the Tongle Sap is reversed. As swelling waters from the Mekong push the river back to its source, they bring with them nutrients that create a fertile environment for fish and other marine life.

The waterfront in Phnom Penh is a long strip of cafes and restaurants and a popular tourist hangout. With the mid-day temperatures soaring, we ate and drank our way down the row, desperate for a strip of shade or a fan.

Begging is a daily part of life in Cambodia, and it was nearly impossible to go anywhere without being harangued by a crowd of children asking for money or trying to sell something-postcards, handicrafts, newspapers, water, books. The most common sight in Phnom Penh was that of small children lugging large stacks of badly photocopied books, mostly Lonely Planet guides or books on Cambodian history. However, as tempting as it was, giving money to the kids was strongly discouraged as proceeds from their hard work rarely benefited them. Usually their handlers were lurking in the bushes, ready to collect any profits. We were told usually these were children from large rural families, sent to the city to earn money. There, many of them joined these “gangs” of street kids, who worked all day to make money they never saw. Not only were these handlers exploiting their labor, but also keeping them out of school.

Dusk on the riverfront was especially lovely. Families spread out blankets on the sidewalk for an evening picnic, vendors walked back and forth with buckets of cold beverages and fruit, and a group played music under a tent while the sun sank slowly into the river.

The next day we went on a visit to the Killing Fields of Choung Ek and Tuol Sleng, two of the grim reminders of Cambodia’s brutal genocide. Between the years of 1975-1979 more than 200,000 people were executed. The exact number is still unknown. Among those targeted were ethnic minorities, intellectuals, and those with ties to foreigners or the overthrown government. The accused were taken to places like the Choung Ek killing fields, executed, and buried in mass graves. To save ammunition many were brutally beaten and bludgeoned to death with hammers, axes, and bamboo sticks.

As many as 20,000 people were first taken to Tuol Sleng prison, a former high school turned interrogation center by the Khmer Rouge. There, the prisoners were tortured for “confessions” before being killed, or taken to Choeng Ek to be exterminated. Many that were held captive at Tuol Sleng were actually members or former members of the Khmer Rouge, people Pol Pot perceived to be threats to his power.

Standing at the killing fields it was hard to remotely comprehend the terror that had taken place there. A large stupa, packed with skulls, stands as a tribute to the victims of the genocide. Large holes in the ground show where some of the mass graves were exhumed, others still remain buried under the dry soil. Despite of the fragments of bone scattered everywhere it was still hard to believe that this dusty, sunny place had witnessed some of the worst horrors in history. At Tuol Sleng the tragic events of the past were even more apparent: the grimy walls were lined with thousands of photos of the victims. An eerie silence hung over the place as we passed through bloodstained rooms and past schoolchildren crying silently in remembrance.

I will, however, choose to end on a positive note. In spite of the unspeakable atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge Cambodia seems to be headed toward a much brighter future. The people we met were extremely friendly and gracious. As the country stabilizes the tourist boom is bringing in more and more money into Cambodia’s growing economy. Various groups, both domestic and international, are active within the country seeking to resolve some of its most desperate issues.

From Phnom Penh we traveled south by bus to Sihanoukville, also known as Kampong Saom. The big draw here is the beach. Although we were a bit disappointed by the lack of snorkeling, we nonetheless enjoyed lounging in beachside cafes and swimming. Looking back, I actually have very few pictures as we spent most of our time in the water. One of the highlights was a trip to “Bamboo Island”, which was Robinson-Crusoe-style empty and where we splashed around like castaways all day near the deserted beach, eating a coconut that fell from a tree nearby.

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Photos

Monks
Phnom Penh. 95% of Cambodians are Theravada Buddhist.

Settlement on the River
Phnom Penh

Boys
the Killing Fields of Choung Ek

Skulls
The Killing Fields of Choung Ek

View from a tuk-tuk
On the way to the killing fields

Photo
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

Sunset
Phnom Penh

A visitor
An Elephant stops by our cafe

on the River
where the Tonle Sap and Mekong converge

the Riverfront
Phnom Penh

the Riverfront
Phnom Penh

Countryside
between Phnom Penh and Kampong Saom

Green
between Phnom Penh and Kampong Saom

Reflections
Kampong Saom