Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Day 14
4th August 2012
This morning we are off firstly to the genocide museum and then onto the Killing Fields. We arrive at our first stop which before Po Pot came to power was a school. When the Khamur rouge took over this was turned into prison S-21. Our local guide explains how the prisoners were treated and that they would be tortured 3 times a day. Constantly shacked to a metal bed, beaten, electrocuted and whipped until they confessed that they were enemy's. A old metal ammunition box was what the had for a toilet and if they didn't use it or missed they would be made to clean it up off the floor with their tongue. Even today you can still see blood stains on the walls and floor where these poor soles where murdered. We are taken round all 4 buildings in the complex and to be honest I can't right any more details of what this place is like as it makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. Out side we are introduced to a man who is one of 4 survivors of camp S-21 and he has written a book which he is selling to tourist. I buy a copy not because I want to read it because I don't but because I want to do something however little it might be. I'm offered to have my photo taken with him but I decline this is not something I feel I would want in my album. We board our bus and everyone is very subdued. To be honest I thought twice about writing a blog for this morning but after careful thought I decided that if people read this and look into the subject them self then maybe in the future we won't stand by when things like this are going on in the world.
We arrive at the killing fields which is about 129 mass graves some of which have been excavated and the remains put into a massive shrine in the entrance. As we walk around each gave site you can still see fragments of bone and pieces of clothing sticking up out of the earth. One grave we reach has a bamboo fence around it and along the top of the fence and on the tree next to it are thousands of friendship brackets which visitors have left. This grace was the grave site of the children. I remove my bracelet and place it on the fence. I would like to say if you ever get the chance to visit Cambodia make sure you visit these places, it's not a pleasant experience but it makes you so aware of how lucky we are and how it should be the responsibility of the western world to make sure that this type of thing never happens again.
We leave and head back towards town for lunch my stomach is still churning and I dose off to sleep in the back of the bus. I awake when we arrive at the restaurant and feel a little better. The group in general is very quite during lunch but we all start to get back to our old selfs before long. Whilst I'm sitting at the table I notice Tracey is sitting in front of a window which just has bars on it and no glass my wicked side has returned. Simon and I go out for a cigarette and I point out about the window we move round to the side of ht building and Simon passes me a still twig, Bond who is sitting at the end of the table can see us at the window and knows exactly what is about to happen. I reach through the bars with the twig and brush it across Tracey back, she screams and me and Simon duck for cover in stitches of laughter. As we go back to the table Tracey shouts it was Ian I can tell by the guilty look on his face! After lunch Simon, Gill, Tracey and I all head off to see the grand place. We wander round for a while and Tracey and I find an area where they are watering the plants with a sprinkler and as its so hot we stand underneath them to cool down taking photos. The wind picks up and the sky darkens and we all decide to head back to the hotel before the heavens open up. We grab a tuc tuc after some bartering by Simon and head back to the hotel. Just before we get back we see what we think is the place we dropped our laundry off at so we get the driver to stop and all jump out. We then find its not the right place but are directed further down the street to collect our washing, Mmmmm clean cloths. Just time for an hours sleep before we meet downstairs at 18:00 for happy hour at a local bar. We get to the bar and as its half price drinks everyone orders 2 drinks apart from me I order a jug of margaritas. We chat and laugh and finish our drinks and head off to our restaurant for the evening. More margaritas and before long the remainder of our group arrive. After we finish our meal Simon and I go downstairs for a smoke. When we get back I notice there is a tiny bit of drink left in the bottom of my glass, I knock it back and then realise that when I left the glass was empty but while I was having my smoke Tracey had put Tabasco sauce in my glass instead. To be fare after all the jokes iv played on here I deserved it. We leave and decide to go for a drink at the place we were at the previous night as the cocktails are $1.75 all night bonus. By the time we reach the bar Len is 3 parts of the wind gone but we all continue drinking. Parts of the group start to leave bit by bit and so we decide to have one more for the road and then Emme, Russell, Sharon,Tracey, Simon, Gill and and myself head back to the hotel and turn in for the night.
- comments