Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Monday, February 11, 2013
When staying in the country's capital Phnom Penh it was only right that we should visit the places where a massacre on the same scale as the Nazi holocaust took place only 35 years ago and which still pains the Cambodian's to discuss. First up was S21 a primary school turned prison and torture camp. The floors and even sometimes the ceilings are still stained with blood and torture instruments still remain where they were used. Worse still photographs on the walls show their blood soaked bodies and distressed faces. We were told in detail how children would be torn from their mothers' and brutally killed in front of them. The same applied for husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, nobody was spared from suffering and mug-shots of the innocent victims line the walls. It left a lump in our throats so its a wonder that the Cambodian's are able to visit it with the knowledge and the fresh memories that this is where their close relatives were forced to endure such pain. Afterwards we took a short journey to the mass graves at one of the many killing fields where we learnt that thousands were killed using a serrated branch of a palm tree to cut their throats in order to save the costs of bullets. Many of their bones and pieces of clothes are beginning to emerge through the dusty soil. It was a pretty horrible day in that sense but definitely worth seeing and in the evening we went out for a nice supper and we can proudly tell you all that not only have we now eaten fried cricket but also fried beetle and fried tarantula leg!!
Em x
Comments
Heloo there ems and ve, hvae just been reading of your fantastic travels with lara, and I'm so envious, I wish you could bottle some of the sights and sounds for me! I have asked sam if when johnny and lara leave home, if we can go backpacking!! Look forward to hearing more and welldone to keeping up your blog and sending such great photos! Big hugs and lots of love Georgie X
Thanks George! You and Sam should definitely go travelling, I would recommend this part of the world! Slight hiccup with photos at the moment but more should be coming soon, lots of love to you all xxxx