A complete change of pace today. We went to see the Choeung Ek museum. Also known as the killing fields, this was the sight of the mass graves of tens of thousands of men, women and children who were killed here and thrown into mass graves. It's a sad, sad place made even more so by the fact that it's really beautiful around here which just makes it seem even more shocking.
They have built a simple while memorial which is filled with 8000 skulls of some of those that have been found here.
In the afternoon we went on to visit S-21, a prison used by the Khmer Rouge to torture and kill opponents to their regime (although how they decided who was their apponents is questionable considering they included children and babies) and also anyone educated or intellectual.
This was a truly shocking place. The cells still had chains and even bloodstains in them and had photos of tortured victims on the walls.
Some cells had been opened up and contained the mug shots of the prisoners that were taken of them at the time of their arrest. Very poignant. Many of them looked as if they knew exactly what was going to happen to them. And the children just looked bewildered. It's hard to imagine that anyone could do that kind of thing.
A hard day really but one that is important for us to understand the history of Cambodia. I certainly won't forget it in a hurry.
On a lighter note, we had another crash today. Our tuktuk driver knocked 3 guys off a motorbike. A bit argument ensued followed by an exchange of money and we were on our way. Sorted.
They have built a simple while memorial which is filled with 8000 skulls of some of those that have been found here.
In the afternoon we went on to visit S-21, a prison used by the Khmer Rouge to torture and kill opponents to their regime (although how they decided who was their apponents is questionable considering they included children and babies) and also anyone educated or intellectual.
This was a truly shocking place. The cells still had chains and even bloodstains in them and had photos of tortured victims on the walls.
Some cells had been opened up and contained the mug shots of the prisoners that were taken of them at the time of their arrest. Very poignant. Many of them looked as if they knew exactly what was going to happen to them. And the children just looked bewildered. It's hard to imagine that anyone could do that kind of thing.
A hard day really but one that is important for us to understand the history of Cambodia. I certainly won't forget it in a hurry.
On a lighter note, we had another crash today. Our tuktuk driver knocked 3 guys off a motorbike. A bit argument ensued followed by an exchange of money and we were on our way. Sorted.
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