Phnom Penh

We drove over the border into Cambodia, it was a fairly simple crossing. A few of us had to get visas at the border, it was a fairly simple process, except they forgot to put in one stamp so we had to go back, luckily the lines were very short. 

We spent two nights in Phnom Penh. When we arrived we got to do another cyclo tour of the city. We stopped at the Penh Wat temple before cruising along the main streets. Lots of statues dedicated to the recent king who got Cambodia’s independence from France with out a war. They set him up as a puppet king at 16, but he appealed to the international community to pressure France to leave. His son now is king, but a bit of a figure head as the country is still firmly ruled by a Prime Minister who hasn’t lost an election in 30 years. 

The next day was a dark day. We started by visiting the Killing Fields outside the city. It’s important to never forget what happened, but if you would like to skip the grim details, scroll down till after the picture. 

I have always been aware of the Khmer Rouge and that atrocities happened in Cambodia. But I had never realized how insanely senseless it was. Of course any death in conflict is senseless, but the Khmer Rouge just indiscriminately killed anyone. Even their own Khmer people were rounded up and sent to the rice fields to work. Men, women and children were murdered in the killing fields for the smallest infraction. 

They have erected a lovely monument on the Killing Fields to the people lost there, but there are some spots with an oppressive negative energy that won’t go away easily. 

We also visited the museum at the site of the S-21 prison.  Of the thousands of people who passed through the doors only 11 survived. 7 men who were “useful” such as artists or mechanics. They were saved when the Vietnamese invaded to stop the genocide. And four little children. To little brothers managed to hide two little babies with them in a laundry pile when the Khmer Rouge fled, and they managed to survive for days till the soldiers came to liberate the prison. 

After so much evil today, we all needed a little soul cleansing, so I had a pizza lunch by the river. Then joined a few of the others at a gorgeous rooftop pool and bar at another hotel. I’m a water soul so I definitely felt lighter after a swim. 

And then it was another early start with a long bus drive to go to Siam Reap.  Driving through the Cambodian country side has been just beautiful, and we stopped for lunch at a gorgeous spot along a river.