Day 2: Remembering the Atrocities of Phnom Penh's Past

After much-needed night of sleep in a comfy bed, we ate a breakfast consisting of rice and other delicious Cambodian cuisine based around pork, chicken, and different curries. Shortly after breakfast, we boarded the bus and were ready for a full day of sightseeing in Cambodia. Upon arrival at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, we were informed that the palace was closed to visitors since official business was being conducted inside the Palace walls. But, hey, what’s an itinerary without a bump in the road? We decided to explore the National Museum instead, where we viewed various eras of Cambodian history, ranging from the 500s CE to the 20th Century. After walking through the museum, we relaxed in the courtyard that was filled with tranquil lily ponds, green flowering trees, and a buddhist statue in the center. After finishing our adventure through the museum, tour guide decided to continue on by switching today’s itinerary for tomorrow’s, reminding us of the importance of being flexible while travelling.

Upon arrival at S21, a prison that was used for torture by the Khmer Rouge during its violent rule from 1975-79, we could already feel the heavy past setting in around us. Our tour guide gave us an hour and half to explore the large prison, which consisted of rooms separated into small cells with metal beds that still had restraining chains attached to them. Some of the cold, empty rooms included a photo on the wall depicting the tortuous actions that the Khmer Rouge soldiers imposed onto their prisoners, others were separated into small make-shift cells, each only about the width of our shoulders. As we walked through each cell block, one of the most horrifying sights was the blood stains that were splattered across the floors, walls, and window frames. It became clear to us how horrific life was in the prisons, and how terrible the soldiers treated their prisoners as they pushed them to confess crimes they didn’t commit. Two students, Dina and Laney, specifically noticed the lack of light in the rooms. Taking time to imagine how a cell would look when the door was closed, they reflected by saying, “the absence of light in the room correlated directly to the absence of hope the prisoners must have been feeling.”

In order to lighten the mood, our group was treated to wonderful smoothies and typical Cambodian food at a restaurant overlooking the magnificent Mekong River. During our lunch, traditional live music was performed by a man playing a romear ek, an instrument that looked like a xylophone, while a female dancer dressed in a beautiful Khmer costume performed a beautiful Cambodian dance. But soon our wonderful lunch came to an end and we loaded the bus to head out to our next stop just outside of the city.

On the way to the "Killing Fields", where many of the 1.4 million people who died during the Khmer Rouge's murderous reign, our tour guide told the story of how his family was severely impacted by the Khmer Rouge. After hearing his story, it became clear that since this genocide took place only a relatively short time ago, almost everyone in the country is still touched by the Khmer Rouge's cruelty and the memories are still very fresh .

At the "Killing Fields", we were each given a headset to guide us through the horrific site. The voice on the recording belonged to a Khmer Rouge survivor and was paired with testimonies from a Khmer Rouge Officer and other torture survivors. As we made our way through each stop, we all wore heavy faces after realizing that everywhere we looked was somewhere that someone was tortured or killed. At one stop on the tour, a glass boxed was filled with clothes and rags that were discovered in the graves. Although there were many pieces of cloth in the box, the ones that stood out were a pair of child’s purple shorts that sat right next to a bloody rag used to whip people. The tour only became more heavy on our hearts as the next stop was the "Killing Tree," the place where Khmer soldiers executed the youngest children in order to fulfil Pol Pot’s motto of “taking the roots from the tree.” Bracelets were hung all over the trunk as a sign of mourning and remembrance of these children whose lives were cut short. Our tour ended with the Memorial Stupa, the place were over 9,000 skulls and other bones are kept to commemorate the victims. Prior to entering into the Stupa, we were told to remove our shoes and encouraged to say a prayer for the souls. Overalll, it was an emotionally powerful experience, as each skull was grouped by age and cause of death.The "Killing Fields" gave us a sense of this genocide that could never be taught in a classroom or felt from an image. It was a true look into how terrible mankind can act, and how horribly a government can treat its people to control them.

Our day concluded on a happy note, however, as we took a Cyclo tour to dinner. The cyclos consisted of a chair sitting in front of a bicycle powered by Cambodian men who peddled us across the city through rush hour traffic. It was an amazing experience, as we truly saw the city from the eyes of the people, rather than from the eyes of tourists looking down from a bus. People on motorcycles smiled and little kids waved as we were safely navigated through the busy city. One thing we noticed was the amount of government buildings all designated to one department, for example the ‘Facility of Anti Government Corruption.’ Another government building that seemed to not really fit in with the rest was the U.S. Embassy, whose architecture clearly showed an image of Washington DC, rather than that of the Cambodian government buildings it neighbored.  Lastly, we noticed the large number of colleges in the city, which is important because the Khmer Rouge specifically targeted teachers and other well-educated individuals, showing us that Cambodia is recovering from its nightmare. We ended our tour at a fantastic restaurant, where we were served rice, red-ant soup, and tarantulas, among other local delicacies!

Although it was emotionally heavy day, it is one that we know will stick out forever. We can’t wait to experience more of Cambodian culture tomorrow!

Beautiful architecture of the museum was complemented by the wonderful birds that called it home

Barbwire enclosed the top floors of Tuol Sleng (S21) to keep prisoners from committing suicide

Millions of bracelets were left at each mass grave in "The Killing Fields" as a form of respect for the victims

“The Killing Tree” is where many young children’s lives were ended

Signs crowded the "Killing Fields" warning visitors to watch for bone fragments that frequently surfaced

We ended the day with a wonderful Cyclo ride through the lively city streets of Phenom Penh

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