From 1975 to 1979, Cambodia was ruled by the highly paranoid and brutal Khmer Rouge regime led by Pol Pot. The party implemented an extreme communist ideology, forcing the residents of the cities to abandon everything and move en mass to the country where a comprehensive farming initiative was carried out. Unfortunately, the plan was ill conceived and millions starved to death. Millions more (intellectuals, assumed spies, their families and others) were tortured, executed and dumped into mass graves in areas known as The Killing Fields.
We begin our morning touring the former high-school-turned-prison (one of hundreds) from the reign of the Khmer Rouge. Left virtually as it was found by liberating Vietnamese soldiers, the site is chillingly eerie. A feeling of brutality lingers throughout the grounds and blood stains are still visible on the walls and ceilings.
Some 20,000 people were imprisoned and tortured here - almost all either dying on the grounds or departing to meet their death in the nearby Choeung Ek Killing Fields. Only seven men escaped from this particular prison, of which, only two are still living. We meet one of the men near the end of our tour. He graciously answers the many questions that visitors and locals still have. He lost his entire family here on the same grounds which he now stands and educates others. His ability to forgive and return, day after day, to the very site of his torture and great personal loss, is unfathomable. Yet, like so many of the Cambodians we have already met, he smiles widely and warmly greets everyone and every question.
We also swallow thickly as our local guide recounts the losses in his family on our way to the Killing Fields we are again confronted with the magnitude of the death that happened. This country lost almost one third of its ENTIRE population during the rule of the Khmer Rouge or 3 million people in 5 years time. Just take a second to let that sink in.
Walking the grounds is tragically difficult. While some 86 mass graves have been exhumed, many (some 43) have been left as they were originally found. Scraps of the victim's clothing poke through the very ground that we walk over, bones are visible in many places as are the shallow graves where hundreds were buried. There are almost no words available to describe the sheer insanity of it all... just an intense feeling of grief, loss and confusion.
"It is important to educate the next generations," says our guide when we ask him how he feels coming to these places of horror on a regular basis. He points to the thousands of unearthed skulls kept in the memorial stupa. "Many of our young people do not believe the stories. We keep this as proof."
On the solemn drive back into town, we climb off the bus and visit the Russian Black Market where we attempt (halfheartedly) to bargain for a few of the traditional Cambodian scarves, or "Krama" as they are known.
The Cambodians are such cheerful people that, despite our heavy feeling from the morning tours, it's difficult to remain down amongst the city's bursting energy. Brett, Jenna, Keir and I take a tuk tuk to Wat Phnom - the oldest temple (and highest point) in the city.
The heat is prickly hot as we walk along the riverside down to see the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. So hot is it, that we decide we simply MUST take advantage of the half priced drinks at the Foreign Correspondents Club or FCC (where fortunately, they make a killer sangria and a wickedly tasty mojito)!
We opt to dine at Romdeng, the sister restaurant to Laos's Makphet where street youth are trained and employed to work. The meal is outstanding. While Makphet seems to be creating more risky dishes, the food is so superbly executed at Romdeng that we decide that it eeks out for first place.
Phnom Penh is such a vibrant but laid back city that we agree we could use a few more days here!
Ummm...by the way...anyone know if this is organization below is legit or not?!?
...we mean The World Toilet Association that is!
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