Last year, when I blogged about what turned out to be an amazing trip to Thailand, I decided to set an intention to escape from the misery of the UK winter to visit this part of the world again. And next on my list to visit was Cambodia and Vietnam… So, last Sunday, I boarded a very long flight, destination Cambodia.
Via Bangkok, I arrived in Phnom Penh early on Monday morning to join a 6-day tour with Intrepid Travel (Classic Cambodia). I was met at the airport by a driver who whisked me to my hotel, where I had a couple of hours wait before I could access my room and catch a few zzzzzzz… After that, I tried out the roof top swimming pool, before a welcome meeting with the rest of the group. Mainly retirees from UK and Canada, plus one British young man based in Hong Kong. We headed out for a welcome dinner, which was decent… but I was exhausted and very glad to get back to the hotel for a much needed night’s sleep!
Our first full day commenced with a visit to the Royal Palace. We were there early, which was good from a crowds and from a heat point of view. It was impressive (though probably not on the same level as Bangkok); similar architectural features to Thai temples and palaces, with beautifully manicured gardens.
The remainder of the day was devoted to an exploration of the darker side of Cambodian history. We visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum – effectively the ‘Auschwitz’ of Phnom Penh. The site is a former secondary school which was used as ‘Security Prison 21’ by the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979. An estimated 20,000 people were imprisoned there, where they were kept in dire conditions and tortured, before either dying or being sent for execution. It was grim and sobering, particularly the many awful photographs that are displayed there. From there, we went to Choeung Ek, the best known of the sites known as the Killing Fields. Mass graves containing close to 9,000 bodies were discovered there before the government decided to stop excavating and leave the remainder in peace. We learned that in rainy season, bones, teeth and clothing are still brought to the surface by the water. Amongst other gruesome sights, there is a memorial ‘stupa’, which features racks and racks of skulls. A wholly sombre and reflective experience. Our guide was excellent and seeing him visibly moved by what he was telling us was itself moving.
After a little downtime back at the hotel, during which a quick dip in the pool was a much appreciated antidote to the day’s 38 degree heat, we headed out by tuk tuk for a boat trip on the river followed by another group dinner.
Tomorrow we depart for Siem Riep… Cambodia part 2 to follow.
50shadesofbrave 