We’re driving through the Vietnamese country side on our way to Cambodia on a public bus. We get to the border and say good-bye to our passports and we wait in a stinky bus depot. We wait. Finally some guy holds up a passport and begins to hand them off. No order, no reason–just some form of organized Cambodian chaos. I am the last one left. Our guide has kindly stuck it out with me, and finally my passport arrives. Phew. From there we make our way outside to a holding area where we fill out customs cards, pay 20 USD and get a hand written visa. Then the bus takes us for a “simple lunch”. Never in all of my life would I have thought that I would have been eating in a garage. Yes, a garage. To signal the lunch was over, the driver started to wail on the bus horn. My meal was full of bones and needless to say, we left hungry–fighting over the hand sanitizer.

Lunch in a Bus Garage

We arrive at Phnom Penh and are here for a few nights. Everywhere there are posters starting child safe zone. I of course begged to differ as our hotel elevator almost chopped my arm off. My Swedish friend said–not that kind of SAFETY. Oh.

Over half the population of Cambodia is under the age of 18. Child prostitution and sex tourism is rampant here. Our first night was at a resto called Friends–all of the proceeds go to child protection and everyone working there is a former street child. They are taught the art of cooking and service and go on to find jobs at nice hotels or other restaurants.

Store on Two Wheels

Transportation in this city is easiest by tuk tuk. A tuk tuk is a little carriage attached to a moped. Rates to be agreed upon before you step in. Beware of thieves who are known to ride up next to your tuk tuk and yank the sunglasses off your face, the purse off your arm and help themselves to the purchases you have made.

Dragon Boat Practice

Flags of all Nations on the River Bank

Tuk Tuk (Three Plus Luggage)

The Way to Get Around

We get acquainted with the city on arrival in a cyclo (AKA rickshaw) and propelled by a man bicycling. The city is on fire with tourists. There are restaurants everywhere, the American dollar is the unofficial currency (prices on menus and on clothes are in USD). They are preparing for a festival and everyone is out practicing paddling in their dragon boats.

Ready for a Cyclo Tour

Exploring Phnom Penh

Happy on Cyclo

This is Normal Traffic

Men don’t stop approaching Marc. You wanna get high? Cocaine? Girls? Heroine? Lady boys? Massage with a happy ending? They don’t stop asking. You can pretty much get what ever you want here–including a rocket launcher or semi automatic.

Sunset in Phnom Penh

Now to the dark side of Cambodia.

Pol Pot–the name should be synonymous with murdering tyrants (a name absolutely interchangeable with Hitler) and the Khmer Rouge (interchangeable with Nazi).

Our second day in Phnom Penh was officially the hardest of our trip–starting with a tour of the genocide museum–Section 21 (or S21). Over 3 million Cambodians were murdered during the Khmer Rouge regime (in the late 70s). We started off the day at Section 21. The building used to be a high school, but then was turned into a prison and torture factory–getting people to “confess” and holding them in the prison before being sent to the killing fields. Their crimes? Being too educated and knowing too much. First to go were the doctors, lawyers, accountants and teachers–and all of their families. Then it was the farmers and everyone in between. The goal was to equalize everyone. Everyone was to start on the same level at the very bottom. Eventually they started to turn on each other. No one was safe. Not the elderly. Not the young. Not even the babies.

Tuosleng Genocide Museum

Section 21: Former High School

Entry to “Classroom” Cells

We went into rooms that just 30 years ago, people were tortured, brutalized and eventually murdered. Think of the feeling you have when you walk into a cathedral or church. You feel awe-inspired, peaceful, hopeful, perhaps a little critical, but most often you are impressed. There is a feeling of serenity and respect. Now imagine if you will the feeling of being in a tiny room with a few simple yet very effective torture devices and a wired bed frame. Imagine what it felt like to be in a space of pain, suffering, fear, hopelessness, betrayal, anger. The physical reaction I had to being inside this hell on earth was palpable.

Torture Room

All Victims Where Photographed

There were only 7 people who made it out of Section 21 alive. One of them was there when we were, sharing his story and providing a glimmer of hope. He was wearing sandals to show us his toe which was never the same after having his nail ripped out repeatedly. We took pictures with him and shook his hand. Meeting him was truly a glimmer of hope and promise in such a dark place.

One of Seven Survivors

An Honor to Have Met Him

Only Seven Made It Out Alive (We Met the One on the Left)

After leaving, feeling deflated and weighted down, we went to the Killing Fields. On these hallowed grounds, hundreds of thousands of innocent Cambodians were murdered. There are over three hundred fifty killing fields throughout Cambodia. We went to the biggest one. It indicated where the buses pulled up and started to unload the victims. In an effort to save bullets which were very expensive, alternative methods of systematic killings were implemented. I won’t go into the details as they are very upsetting, and impossible to forget, but know that they were horrific. There were big trenches where they discovered mass graves and they have still not unearthed all of the victims yet. A memorial was set up in the center of the field and from first glance it looks like a temple. As you get closer, it has the shape of a temple, but full of the skull and bones from the murdered. They are separated into age groups. It was horrible and did not take place all that long ago.

One of the Killing Fields

Shrine

Just Horrible

Mass Graves

Only Skulls Were Kept

Grouped by Age and Gender

It was a day that we will never forget. On a horrible side note, Pol Pot (who BTW was a monk as a child and studied in France) died of natural causes in his 80s.

On the second day on Phnom Penh we visited the Royal Palace. It’s a beautiful place and one can only imagine what it was like when the emperor actually resided here. Of course, I’m the attraction of the day and a monk (!) asked to have a picture taken with me.

Royal Palace

Roof Top

Gold is the Color of Choice

Inside the Palace

The Monks Asked for This Photo!

Royal Palace

A Beautiful Day