Hi there!!
Today we had brekky and then boarded our bus to the Choeung Ek Killing Fields. Just as I did when we went to Gallipoli and the Dachau concentration camp, I tried to prepare myself for what would be a very morbid and emotional experience. On the bus our guide Somet told us the history of Pol Pot and the communist regime that overtook Cambodia in the 1970s. He was born in Kampong Thom in 1925 and studied in Paris where he learned of communism and rose to leadership in a communist party in Cambodia. It all started when the Americans supported the political party (run by general Lun Nol) that overthrew the king. The people liked the king, so the communists took this opportunity to advertise themselves as being the king's army to win over the people. They gained support, but the people soon realised they were supporting a dark and backwards regime whereby Pol Pot wanted to eliminate capitalism and anyone who he thought stood in the way of the communist utopia he pictured. Before the mass murder inflicted by the Khmer Rouge (Khmer is the word for the local people here, and rouge is French for red which typically is the colour that represents communism), there were 8 million people in Cambodia. After the killings, there were only 5 million. Between 1975 and 1979 3 million peasants, intellectuals, women, children and many other types of people were brutally murdered by the communists and buried in mass graves. The man who is currently prime minister's son was murdered, and luckily he was able to flee to Vietnam and spread the word about what was happening. So on 17/1/1979, the Vietnamese army overthrew the Khmer Rouge.
When we arrived at Choeung Ek I got goosebumps and a sick feeling in my stomach. Our guide took us around showing us mass graves, 8985 corpses were found here. We walked around the mass grave area, seeing graves where women and children were found, where headless bodies were found etc. We also saw the killing tree where Khmer soldiers would smash babies' heads against to kill them to save bullets. It was a very morbid day. But at least we felt like we were respecting those who died. And I feel like by telling you all about these atrocities that I'm educating others as well. We went and had a look in the museum which explained basically what I have said above along with pictures.
Then we got back on the bus and drove to S-21 prison in Phnom Penh. This was a former school. When the Khmer Rouge took over they closed schools down and turned them into prisons. Conditions were similar to the killing fields except prisoners were tortured and their death was prolonged. When the prison was liberated, there were 21 prisoners alive. The Khmer Rouge knew they were going to be sprung so started shooting. They got 14 prisoners in and ran out of billets and fled. So seven prisoners and four small boys (who hid in a pile of clothes) survived. The pictures at the prison were really gruesome and awful. Amazingly though, two of the survivors were there today to talk to people and sell their books, I bought one. Our guide translated what they were saying to us.
After we finished our tour here, we had free time. Laura and I found our way around the city and went to Wat Phnom. It was on a small hill and pretty nice! Then we walked to the royal palace and silver pagoda, these buildings were very ornate and I loved all the colours. On the way we became quite good at crossing roads. You step out slowly and wave your hands and the traffic magically stops!!!! We found a really nice shop where I bought a scarf too. At the palace we enjoyed an ice cream and then got followed around by two monks who wanted their photo with us numerous times - weird. There were lots of little museum areas but a fair bit was closed as the royal family still live there.
We had a cupcake at a cute little cupcake shop on our way back and then dipped our feet in the rooftop pool. Then the whole tour went for dinner at a house about a 30 minute tuk tuk ride away. Riding a tuk tuk through such a big city was an experience!!!! We enjoyed lots of lovely food in the room in their home where 30 people (5 families) sleep. After the meal we drank tarantula rice wine, 60% alcohol that had dead tarantulas in the bottle. Yuckkkkk. But hey we have now tried something cool.
I just went up and had a couple of drinks with the girls at the bar on the roof top while Laura stayed in the room. Had a passion fruit mojito - delish and $4!
Off to Sihanoukville tomorrow, a white sand beach resort. I am very excited for snorkelling and a boat trip to some islands!!!
See you all there,
Love
Claire and Laura xoxox
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