Cambodia, October 26-28, 2011

We began our three days in Cambodia by visiting the capital of Phnom Penh. We were both awed by the beauty of the Khmer culture and architecture and saddened by the atrocities that Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge inflicted on the Cambodian people in the 1970’s.

While in Phnom Penh we also visited the National Museum of Cambodia. The Khmer architecture was again evident in the beautiful curves and contrasting colors. Many of the artifacts from the Khmer civilizations and Ankgor Wat were on display.

The dark side of Cambodia’s history stood in stark contrast to the architecture. The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek serve as a memorial to the genocide that occurred under Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. Pol Pot envisioned a Cambodia that operated under the principal of agrarian socialism. His goal was to restart civilization with one to two million people. The Cambodian people were told that anyone who did not fit into their plans was expendable. He embarked on a plan to exterminate the balance of the population.Anyone who was educated or a professional was to be executed. Even those who wore eyeglasses risked being sent to the Killing Fields. It is estimated that up to one-quarter of Cambodia’s population of eight million were killed by the Khmer Rouge. It is believed that 17,000 died at Choeung Ek.

The Buddhist stupa (monument containing relics), contains the skulls of more than 5,000 victims.

Our next stop was Tuol Sleng, the infamous Khmer Rouge prison known as Security Prison 21, or simply S-21. Vuchethr, our guide, related his family’s story. When his father left the Viet Cong, he returned to his family in Phnom Penh. In order to keep his family alive, he was forced to move them to the countryside and tell the Khmer Rouge that he was a farmer. The calluses he had developed in the military convinced the Khmer Rouge that he might be a farmer and ultimately saved his family from certain death. Life under the Khmer Rouge was difficult. Families were forced to work on collective farms and given little to eat. When Vuchethr’s brother stole a sweet potato, he was tied up and punished by the guards who but biting ants on him. They eventually eviscerated and killed him. The children of the village were brought to view him as an example of what happens to those who steal.

 

Scott with Bou Meng, one of the fourteen survivors of S-21

Our family and Vuchethr, our guide

On our return trip to Phnom Penh we saw the King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihamoni leave the plane after returning from a trip to China. He is accompanied by his mother, Queen Mother Norodom Monieneath Sihanouk. It's not a close-up, but how often do you get the chance to see a sitting king?!

During the second stage of our trip, we visited Siem Reap and the surrounding Angkor area. We attended a dance performance that showcased the music, dance, and culture of the Khmer.

We spent much of the next day in the Angkor region. (Brief history lesson: Angkor is an ancient region of cities and temples that flourished from about the 9^th to 15^th centuries over a very large area. It is believed to be the largest preindustrial city in the world, with over 1,000 temples.) The temple of Angkor Wat is thought to be the largest single religious monument in the world. The scale of the largely sandstone monument is incredible. There are many beautiful carvings of gods, mythology, and royal life.

We awoke early to watch the sun rise over the temple at Angkor Wat. 

The temple of Bayon could also be known as the “temple of many faces.” There were so many faces carved into the stone that it almost felt as if you were being watched.

Many of the temples in the Angkor region have been restored and reclaimed from the surrounding forests and farmland. However, the city of Ta Prohm has been left largely as it was found. Many of the stones have been reduced to rubble over the years; brush and silk cotton trees grow from the ruins.

The result of a 4:15 a.m. wake-up call