Khmer Rouge day ...

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Geo: 11.5588, 104.917

We have an excellent choice for breakfast again this morning although the fried food was cold even though we were one of the first to eat.
Today is going to be a somber affair as we retrace the history of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. It is hard to believe that the Khmer Rouge were only actually 'rulers' here for 3 years, 8 months and 20 days as in that time they left a legacy never to be forgotten and managed to kill anywhere between 1 and 3 million of their own countrymen.
Our first stop this morning is at what used to be the Tuol Svey Prey High School until 1975 when the Khmer Rouge transformed it into Tuol Sleng, Security Prison 21. This is now a museum documenting the crimes - mostly still unpunished - of the Khmer Rouge. Many of the classrooms are still as they were found when the prison was liberated by the Vietnamese; metal framed beds plugged into the mains, bloodstains on the tiled floors, etc, etc. The walls are now covered in thousands of photos of those unfortunate enough to be guests here. It is estimated that between 1975 and 1978 some 17000 of these unfortunates past through these classrooms before leaving to be taken to the 'Killing Fields' at nearby Cheoung Ek.
We decide to follow the unfortunates from Tuol Sleng and make the journey to Cheoung Ek, only we do it in the relative comfort of a remork. It was here that those who had managed to survive the prison finally met their end, often beaten to death with clubs to save bullets. Mass graves exhumed here in 1980 revealed 8985 men, women and children, their skulls still often wearing blindfolds. Of the 129 identified burial pits here, 43 have been left undisturbed whilst more than 8000 skulls are now visible stacked inside a glass walled memorial stupa on site. Walking around there are still clear signs of bits of bone and decaying clothing poking out of the soil of what was once a peaceful longan orchard. A well informed audio tour package is included with the entrance price and to make things even better they actually had a Thai version so that Jai could listen as well.
Not exactly a fun morning's sightseeing but something that needs to be seen so that it is not allowed to be forgotten. Jai was living in the neighbouring country when all of this was happening but apart from knowing that the Khmer Rouge were 'bad people' she didnt really know anything about the atrocities that actually took place here until we watched the movie 'The Killing Fields' in the UK a few years ago. Visiting these places with no prior knowledge of what to expect has been a real eye opener.
We get our remork to take us straight back to the hotel through the chaos of Phnom Penh traffic. Our route initially takes us through farmland and small villages and just as we are about to reach the main road a very dodgy bridge. On our way here we had passed over it slowly but on our return the driver thinks it would be better – safer – if we got out and walked over.
It is only 11:30 but my schedule of activities for the day is complete already not taking as long as I had expected. We buy a couple of meat filled baguettes from a street stall and return to the hotel room to shower, cool off and eat.
About 13:00 we go back out on foot and make our way the few hundred metres to Psar Thmei Central Market. It is very art-deco in design and the whole market sits beneath a large dome, said by some to be in the top 10 biggest domes in the world although it didn't look quite that big to me. It does have the effect of keeping the temperature down though and that should be applauded. The market itself is a market, what can I say ? IT may sound a bit 'blokey' but I just don't do shopping for the sake of shopping !! Fortunately Jai doesn't get too excited by the place either so after about an hour we retrace our steps back to the hotel for a coffee and a couple of croissants purloined from the breakfast buffet.
I have a dew aches and pains this afternoon possibly from the walking or I think more likely from yesterday's swim so I am keeping out of the pool today.
To also cut back on the walking we take a remork to the riverfront this evening. I wasn't expecting the local remork drivers to be fluent in English but we have been having problems even with the most simple words, such as river. A lot of them carry city maps but even when I point out where we want to go they still keep slowing down to ask me when they should turn. Doesn't really matter of course as time is not an issue and sometimes we get to go places I hadnt even considered !!
We had our bit of tradition last night so this evening we sit on the balcony of the bar on the opposite corner to the FCC where ‘happy hour' prices a pint of beer at less than 50p … so I have two. It is a lovely spot to sit and watch the world go by as the boat traffic meanders up the river. We eat at the same place as last night as the food was good.
Remork back to the hotel, many times going the wrong way along one-way streets, which is fun in an exposed motorbike to say the least. Make a start on our packing ready for an early start tomorrow morning.

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