Summary

The provided text is a personal travel journal entry detailing a visit to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in January 2003, focusing on the emotional impact of visiting historical sites associated with the Khmer Rouge atrocities.

Abstract

The author recounts their experiences in Phnom Penh, beginning with a departure from a "horrible hotel" and enjoying a pleasant breakfast at the Garden Bar. The main focus of the entry is the visit to Cheong Ek, also known as the Killing Fields, where the author is deeply affected by the monument of skulls, the stories, and the visible remains of victims. They also visit Tuol Sleng Museum, a former school turned into a prison and torture center, which leaves them overwhelmed and in tears. Interspersed with these somber experiences are moments of everyday Cambodian life, a trip to a rifle range, and shopping at the Russian Market. The day ends with relaxation at the Cozyna hotel and dinner at the Foreign Correspondents Club, providing a respite from the emotional weight of the day's historical explorations.

Opinions

The author was unprepared for the profound sadness experienced at Cheong Ek, particularly moved by the sight of a fellow Australian among the victims' photos.
The beauty of Cheong Ek, with its abundance of butterflies and dragonflies, contrasts starkly with its history as a mass burial site.
The author feels a mix of emotions at Tuol Sleng Museum, including shock, dismay, and sorrow, especially when viewing the prisoners' photos and the cramped cells.
The experience at the rifle range, where the author shoots an AK47 and an M16, is initially nerve-wracking but becomes somewhat enjoyable.
The Russian Market is deemed disappointing due to aggressive beggars and hecklers, with goods not cheap enough to justify the discomfort.
The author expresses a desire to ensure the memory of the Khmer Rouge atrocities remains alive to prevent future occurrences.
The author values the act of journaling as a means to remember and reflect upon travel experiences and plans to digitize these journals for posterity.

Travelling in Thailand and Cambodia 2003

The Life in the Killing Fields After the Khmer Rouge

Phnom Penh January 10th, 2003 Day Four of my first overseas adventures as an adult.

Phnom Penh Riverside from the rooftop of the Foreign Correspondents Club Cambodia. The elephant is about to be fed baguettes. Photo by Author.

This morning we left the horrible hotel and left our bags at the Cozyna before having an amazing breakfast back at the Garden Bar. It was nice to have some bread.

We then headed off to Cheong Ek. I wasn’t prepared for how sad it was. The skull monument was gruesome, but what really got me was the explanation and the photos. The explanation was so full of the regret and sorrow of an entire nation. One of the photos was an Australian. It really hit home then. I don’t know why, but his face staring out from the photo really struck a chord. The other poignant aspect was the clothes that were coming up through the dirt of the various paths. At one point we even came across a bone sticking out of the path, revealed by so many feet walking through the graves. I was amazed by the beauty of the site. There were millions of butterflies and dragonflies everywhere. I guess their larvae had a great habitat down there.

Author’s note: Cheong Ek is the site of a mass burial of victims of the Khmer Rouge. It is also known as the Killing Fields. More than one million people were executed and buried there. As they have excavated the site they have built a huge Buddhist monument from the more than 5000 skulls found there. They also used Khmer Rouge records to document victims where possible in a photo gallery. They encourage people to visit in a effort to ensure that the memory of the atrocities stays alive. They hope that this awareness will prevent it from happening again.

On the drive we had a chance to see more of Cambodian life in action. The further we travelled from Phnom Penh we saw fewer motorcycles and more bicycles. We also saw some ponies and some brahmans.

On the way back from Cheong Ek, we detoured to a rifle range and shot an AK47 and an M16. I was a little nervous at first, but after the AK47 I felt better about the M16 and would have shot some more except that I wanted to make sure that there were shots left for the others.

Our next experience was the Russian Market which was not nearly as good as I thought it would be. The beggars made it a little uncomfortable. I hate saying no, but I can’t afford to say yes.

The goods were not very cheap or at least not cheap enough to justify the trouble of getting past hecklers and beggars. We bought some silk pants and I got a gift for Fiona (my housemate back in Australia).

Tuol Sleng Museum was overwhelming. I was shocked, dismayed, horrified and brought to tears. In fact I spent a good part of the visit fighting back tears. The photos were the worst. The image of one old man will stay with me forever, he was the embodiment of defiance and dignity with a piercing gaze that left the confines of the photograph.

Author’s Note: Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum was a secondary school that was used as a torture and execution centre by the Khmer Rouge from 1975–1979. The prison’s chief was convicted of crimes against humanity and breaches of the Geneva Convention in 2010.

The cells were painfully small. I felt immediately claustrophobic. That experience will never leave me and yet it is nothing to what the victims must have gone through or indeed the Cambodian people.

I felt sick to the stomach by the end.

We headed back to the Cozyna to have a shower and watch some TV (!).

LATER…

Well after watching MTV and some of The Wizard of Oz we headed out to dinner at the FCC. The food was good and it was nice to relax away from the beggars and amputees.

After dinner I bought a copy of the Phnom Penh Post and settled down to read it and keep one of my sisters company as she has a bad headache. The others headed out a couple of hours ago to the One Way Bar for drinks and rock ’n’ roll. I am going to wait up until they get back.

Next time: we explore the “Old City” of Phnom Penh, the Silver Pagoda and the palace.

The rest of the journal entries can be found here as they are published:

Travel Journal: Thailand and Cambodia

Journal: Thailand and Cambodia medium.com

The Backstory

In January 2003, my sisters and I were taken overseas as a Christmas present from our parents. Generous!

It was a new experience for all of us. My sisters had only been overseas for high school ski trips and I hadn’t been overseas since I was a toddler. At this point I was 26 years old and six months from finishing my Bachelor of Education which I planned to use to teach in Europe, but more about that much later.

When I travel I keep a journal. I’ve found it a wonderful way to keep track of what happened when and to remember everything that happened. It’s my plan to digitise these journals over the next year or so. I plan to include everything verbatim except for the occasional utterances that I would prefer to keep private.

Unfortunately, I only have a few photos from this trip. I can’t remember why or how that happened, but perhaps it will be discovered as I relive the experiences through my keyboard.