Phnom Penh

I thought I'd write just a little bit more about Cambodia, before moving on to the first part of our time in Vietnam in a future post. Tomorrow we head to Halong Bay, expected to be a highlight of the trip and our last big destination before we fly back to the States. More on Vietnam soon!


The first thing Katherine and I did was to visit Choeung Ek (commonly called the Killing Fields), a site near Phnom Penh where people perceived by the Khmer Rouge as threats to their vision of an agrarian collective (intellectuals; people who spoke foreign languages; incredibly, even people who merely wore spectacles) were executed. There are over a hundred mass graves with a total of thousands of bodies, and a haunting monument near the entrance with hundreds of skulls that have been exhumed. We also visited Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, which traces the history of the Khmer Rouge and the atrocities they committed, beginning with its rise to power, through the war with Vietnam, and all the way to the present day efforts by Cambodia to bring some of these war criminals to justice. One interesting thing about visiting Cambodia and Vietnam has been learning more about the history of this part of the world from a local perspective -- needless to say, it's a little bit different from the version we're taught in the U.S.!


The other main sight to see in Phnom Penh is the royal palace which fortunately -- but inexplicably -- survived the reign of terror of the Khmer Rouge. Dozens of buildings feature traditional Khmer architecture, and the beautifully landscaped grounds made for a very scenic visit.


Other highlights of our time in Phnom Penh included reconnecting with Gwynne and Amy and sharing some delicious meals, as well as a boat ride along the river, on which we were the only four participants. Amusingly, the boat ride lasted a bit longer than expected, apparently because our captain wanted to swing by his friend's house to show off the three beautiful ladies he'd managed to bring along!