Phnom Penh and Peacing Out of Cambodia

Phnom Penh was a wonderful way to wrap up Cambodia.  After almost three weeks on the road bouncing between small cities and towns, and guest houses with varying degrees of cleanliness and Western amenities (e.g. random power outages, cold water showers with low water pressure - essentially water torture, and showers that don't drain) it was nice to settle down in a (relatively) clean room with a functioning bathroom and a stable electric supply for the last few days.  Although it is bustling by the country's standards, Phnom Penh keeps true to the Cambodian laid back lifestyle.  It artfully combines just the right amount of big-city vibes - large shaded boulevards, plenty of electronics stores and bars, and most importantly, a supermarket that sells pretzels exported from the US - with the relaxed take-it-in-stride atmosphere that permeates the country and which is most prominently embodied in its ever-smiling populace.  We spent a day and a half exploring some of the city's formal, and informal tourist sites including the river walk area, the royal palace, the Choeung Ek Killing Fields about 30 minutes outside of the city, and the Tuol Sleng prison-turned-museum.  We also took a cooking class to learn the secrets of Khmer cuisine, but we'll touch on that in a later post.

Our day.5 spent touring the city was a weird mix of people-watching, gaudy tourist attractions, and sobering reflections on Cambodia's violent past.  On our first evening in the city, we took a stroll along the Tonle Sap river promenade and watched the locals playing soccer, participating in river-side jazzercise classes, and riding outdoor stationary bikes.  We finished off the evening with some shopping in the night market.  The next day we hired a tuk-tuk driver to take us around the palace, the killing fields and the prison museum.

Strolling Along the River

Phnom Penh From the River

The Cambodian Richard Simmons

Angry Birds Meat On a Stick!

Rach Enjoying Good Grub At the Night Market

The royal palace was the expected combination of splendor and over-the-top glamor.  Some of the highlights included the coronation hall, the well manicured gardens, and a pagoda adorned with 5000 1 KG silver floor tiles and housing many golden Buddha statues in varying sizes and with different inlaid gemstones in each.  We think the rest is best left to pictures (although unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures of the interior of the palace's ornate buildings).

The Royal Palace Grounds

The Well Manicured Lawns With a Palatial Background

See Above

A Stuppah Next to the Silver Pagoda

Hanging Out With Some Interestingly Hedged Bushes

After the brash display of opulence and magnificence, we took the 20 KM ride to the Choeung Ek Killing Fields.  The site's memorial sits right on top of where the massacres took place.  Most of the victims executed in Choeung Ek were prisoners that were trucked over en masse from Phnom Penh, but there were also infants and children found amongst the bodies in the mass graves.  The killing fields are situated amidst an orchard and since all of the structures were torn down and repurposed soon after the Khmer Rouge were overthrown it is very easy to take a cursory look at the place without any idea of what occurred there.  However, the audio tour gives a detailed description of the horrors that transpired in the area and the testimonials of the victims and even some of the perpetrators of the Khmer Rouge's atrocities lend first-person insight into the terror that reigned over the country and its people.  Finally, a 17-tiered memorial pagoda housing remains of those executed at Choeung Ek stands as a visceral reminder of the site's violent and gruesome past.  We didn't want to disrespect the sanctity of the place by taking too many pictures, so we'll just post one of the pagoda:

Memorial Pagoda At Choeung Ek

The Tuol Sleng Museum contained a few sparse exhibits about how inmates were treated and tortured within the confines of the old school grounds as well as preserved brick and wooden cells where the prisoners were chained while waiting their "interrogation" sessions.  The most eerie aspect of the complex however, is how similar it is to current buildings presently serving as schools.  It is amazing and horrifying how quickly the Khmer Rouge transformed this place of education into a factory of torture and murder.  Again, we'll only post one shot of the complex and with that we'll end the depressing yet important exposition of what we learned about the Khmer Rouge regime.

Barb-Wired Facade of a Toul Sleng Cell Block

We've since moved on to Vietnam, we'll write up an update once we get our act together here.