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We crossed the Cambodian border that morning on the public bus and drove all the way to Phnom Penh.
As soon as we had checked in a few of us went straight to the Orphanage with Dara to meet the children. They were absolutely gorgeous and we found it quite an emotional experience...Lisa managed to get some of the children to draw pictures for her Mum's Play Therapist college work which was a bonus and we sat with them for an hour or so.
In the evening we ate at a restaurant called 'Friends', it is another organisation where they take children off of the streets and teach them the trade. The food was delicious and we are always more than happy to spend our money on such a good cause!
The next morning it was time to go to the S21 museum and the Killing Fields... Emotions were running high as it was and we were well aware it was going to be a challenging day! We began in the museum where our tour guide went through all of the history behind the Khmer Rouge regime and how it affected the whole of Cambodia. It was chilling moving around the prison and being walked through each cell discovering how the person was treated and tortured! We then moved over to Building B where there were photos of the Khmer soldiers and on the other side the people who were killed. Between 1975 and 1979 they estimate at least 1.7 million people were killed!
We were choked during this whole time and before leaving we were shown paintings that demonstrated different torture methods...they were hard to look at but we couldnt escape them.
We all got back on the bus and went to the Killing Fields around 30 minutes away from S-21. As soon as we arrived it just felt horrible!! We were completely overwhelmed as the first thing you see is a glass tall building filled with the skulls that were dug up from the fields. Holding back the tears we were slowly talked around each mass grave, being told how many people were killed and how...Our tour guide told us to look at the floor as you can see that we were walking on bones. Small peices that you couldn't avoid.. it churned our stomachs looking down at the mud beneath our feet! We thought the experience was nearly over when we came to the women's and children's mass grave. Still fighting the tears the inevitable happened as the guide described how the babies were killed before being buried. At this exact point Lisa completely broke down and Jayne wasn't far behind! We bought flowers and placed them outside of the building with the skulls and quietly got back on the bus..
To learn of this horrific history was one thing, but to experience it through a guide who lived it and to be exactly where it occured was something we shall never ever forget! and even writing this now brings a lump to our throats!
That evening Dara had arranged to take us to the restauant who give all of their profits to the Orphanage we visited the previous day. The children usually put on a dance for the guests but unfortunately a woman who worked at the Orphanage had passed away so we didn't get to see the children again. We met Ange, Rich , Ange's sister and her friend for a drink and spent the evening comparing the information we had absorbed during our time in Phnom Penh.
We found these 2 days very difficult to say the least but find some happiness remembering the childrens smiles as they are so well looked after in the orphanage!
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