Tourists in Phnom Penh
Woke up early today (we hate it) and had breakfast at our hotel. On our to-do list today, among other things, were the Killing Fields, so that's exactly where we went. The bus left 9 am and half an hour later we were there. The Killing Fields are, like we wrote yesterday, the fields were the people of Cambodia "not fitted" to be a part of society - according to the Khmer Rouge - were taken for execution. The area is filled with mass graves, today excavated. One of the mass graves held up to 450 people - women, children, young. Many of the trees on the fields were used as "killing trees" - where the Khmer Rouge would smash the heads of the people, especially children and infants(!). It was a way to save bullets. Others ways including using hatchets, knives & axes. Since the main religion in Cambodia is Bhuddism, the graves were excavated so that the bodies and spirits of the dead could be placed in a place where they could be honored by the living. So, a memorial stupa was built, now holding the bones of the victims. It's a really depressing place. Feels strange walking on the fields. So terrible things happened there. It's astounding how people could do this to each other. And it wasn't even in war or people of a different religion. This was their own people they massacred and slaughtered. Terrible. But it's a good thing that this place exist - to remember the ones who died and to never forget what happened.
Chris in front of the Memorial stupa.
Skulls.
After the Killing Fields we headed back into town for some sightseeing. We had lunch, enjoyed a coffe by the river, and then had a massage - performed by blind masseurs - hence the name of the place: "Seeing Hands Massage". Relaxed, we continued our tour through the city, past the royal palace, a silver pagoda,a couple of other monuments and even watched saw some monkeys climb the electrical wires just above the street.
A monkey playing with an electrical wire. Living on the edge!
Tomorrow, we're off to the city of Battambang, 30 km northwest of Phnom Penh. Staying there for just one night and from there we're going by boat to Siem Reap - and Angkor Wat :D
/ M & C
Chris in front of the Memorial stupa.
Skulls.
After the Killing Fields we headed back into town for some sightseeing. We had lunch, enjoyed a coffe by the river, and then had a massage - performed by blind masseurs - hence the name of the place: "Seeing Hands Massage". Relaxed, we continued our tour through the city, past the royal palace, a silver pagoda,a couple of other monuments and even watched saw some monkeys climb the electrical wires just above the street.
A monkey playing with an electrical wire. Living on the edge!
Tomorrow, we're off to the city of Battambang, 30 km northwest of Phnom Penh. Staying there for just one night and from there we're going by boat to Siem Reap - and Angkor Wat :D
/ M & C
Kommentarer
Postat av: Linnéa
En bok att varmt rekommendera om den hemska, hemska Khmer Rouge-regimen är "First they killed my father". En sann berättelse om en liten flicka som drabbas av Pol Pot och hans äckligheter. Väldigt värd att läsa när man är i Kambodja.
Postat av: Christina
Usch, det var inget vidare att läsa. Så mycket hemskt! Den lilla apan var söt, får visa den bilden för mina arbetskamrater:) Ha det gott!
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