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Claire & Steve's Excellent Adventure
Happy St David's Day!
We left the home comforts that Jane and Mark had offered us in Saigon to make our way over the border into Cambodia. A 7 hour bus journey turned into 11 hours after a long wait at the border for the bus to pick us up which had unfortunately broken down....its just one of those things that you have to accept; getting frustrated just doesn't get you anywhere.
We arrived in Phnom Penh in a torrential downpour which flooded the streets. I think its one of the few times where riding a motorcycle does not work in your favour! The city is another place of extremes, from the rickiest bicycle to the huge luxury jeeps and the calmness of the spectacular royal palace to the chaos of the markets.
After breakfast we set out exploring to find the streets lined with schoolchildren and workers waving flags and blowing whistles. No, it wasn't our welcoming committee, although we did get a little cheer as we walked through, but a gathering to see either the royal family or some important government officials - we couldn't work out which but at least we can say that we saw them too!
On finding the Silver Pagoda closed because of the parade we caught a motorcycle to the market. With 3 of us on the bike it was definitely cosy but that's nothing when it is considered normal for a family of 5 to transport themselves on 1 bike....there really is no need for people carriers - you can even breastfeed your tiny baby on the back of a bike!
After lunch we headed for the harder side of Phnom Penh, namely the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek. This was where around 17,000 men, women and children were transported to from the S-21 prison to be executed and buried in mass graves. It was a totally unnerving place and it hits you hard as soon as you enter and see the thousands of skulls within the Memorial Stupa. There are still pieces of clothing and bones around the pits and it was very strange to see that people were building homes on the surrounding land and children were playing without a care in the world.
We later went to the Tuol Sleng Museum (S-21 Prison) which was used as a detention and torture centre during Pol Pot's regime. It was the most desperately sad and horrific place we have visited and we are still thinking about it days later. We split up when inside as neither of us could find words to describe the place. It was perhaps made worse to know that it had been a high school before it was transformed into such an evil place. The individual photographs of each prisoner filled room after room and there were no exceptions to age, race or beliefs - everyone was guilty. It was a difficult day and I don't think either of us could completely take in everything we had seen. It was however good to put into perspective just how far the people and the country have come since then.
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