Cambodia > Deep impression at the Killing Fields

Our VIP room had something unusual. Just as we got into bed, the phone rang. It was the reception. Apparently, yesterday during the room changes, they had borrowed our key from the cleaning staff. She needed it to clean rooms and asked if she could come and pick it up. We agreed, and a little later, someone shyly knocked on our door.

Cambodia - The torture chamber in the Tuol Sieng Museum

We went back to bed. During the night, I woke up and saw that our door was wide open. I startled awake, saw my money and passport still there, but heard noises from the bathroom. When I got out of bed, someone was urinating in our toilet. Surprised, I asked what he was doing. Not much came out. Staf was awake by now and, with Belgian finesse, escorted the man out of the room. He was probably a Korean who had had a bit too much to drink. We quickly closed the door and went back to bed. In the morning, we quickly switched rooms. Fortunately, the new room was just two doors down and had a window! We were just in time downstairs for the excursion. Today we visited the famous Killing Fields and, in the afternoon, the Royal Palace. Normally, the program is the other way around, but because a Thai minister was visiting the palace in the morning, we could only visit in the afternoon. The Choeung Ek Genocide Center, better known as the “Killing Fields,” is located 15 kilometers outside Phnom Penh. Here, the Khmer Rouge regime executed their enemies in the 1970s.

Cambodia - The Genocide Museum

The Killing Fields are a reminder of the atrocities committed under Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer Rouge. Upon arrival, the memorial immediately draws attention. Inside the square stupa lie the skulls of genocide victims, arranged by age and gender. I enter through a glass door and look at the skulls inside the memorial. I immediately regret it, complete the circle, and walk back outside. I cannot imagine that these events happened only thirty years ago. Between 1975 and 1987, three million people—half of Cambodia’s population—were killed under Pol Pot’s regime. At the Killing Fields, we also see the excavated mass graves. Deep pits mark the events, and here and there, clothing protrudes from the ground. Informational signs provide details. It seems odd to me that visitors can walk among the graves. In my opinion, it would have been more respectful to view them from a walkway. Overall, the visit to the Killing Fields leaves a deep impression. Next, we visit the former Tuol Svay Prey High School in central Phnom Penh. This school was turned into Prison S-21 by Pol Pot’s regime. Prisoners were tortured into confessions and then transported to the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek.

Cambodia - The Royal Palace

The museum now displays the cells, torture devices, and many photographs of victims. I walk through the buildings in silence, barely able to imagine what happened here. After leaving the museum, I join the rest of the group across the street for a cup of coffee, letting all the impressions sink in. At midday, we have lunch on the boulevard. Daily life continues as usual. The six of us eat at a small table in a side-street restaurant. We are quite hungry. Fred is unlucky—halfway through his sandwich, his plate tips over while cutting, spilling bread all over him and the floor. In the end, he can still laugh along with us. In the afternoon, we first visit Wat Phnom, the temple from which the city takes its name. Inside, there is a colorful collection of Buddha statues. Around the temple, many (slightly too many) people approach us asking for money. Phnom Penh remains a city full of contrasts. We then drive to the Royal Palace, located in the city center and surrounded by a high wall. Immediately, it’s clear that everything is well maintained. The white-plastered Throne Hall stands out with its 59-meter-high tower, used for coronations and official visits. Next to the hall is the Napoleon Pavilion, an iron building given as a gift by the French. We continue through the northern gate to the Silver Pagoda, named for its more than 5,000 silver floor tiles. Most are covered by carpet to protect them. At the center of the pagoda is the emerald-green Buddha statue, about 50 centimeters tall, as well as a life-sized golden Buddha adorned with diamonds.

Cambodia - The Silver Pagoda in the Royal Palace

The entire palace is full of splendor and culture shock, especially compared to the morning program. We leave the palace, and most of the group takes the bus back to the hotel. Els and I visit the National Museum, a striking reddish-brown building in classical Khmer style. Inside, we see a large collection of stone and bronze sculptures from Khmer art—a preview of the Angkor Wat temples we will visit in two days. It’s a pity I forgot my travel guide, as it would have clarified what all the sculptures represent. We decide to have dinner on the boulevard and then take a tuk-tuk back to the hotel. The tuk-tuk driver goes in a completely different direction. Hesitantly, we follow him. While other drivers take the shortest route through dark streets, he sticks to main roads. It’s probably over two kilometers out of the way, but we arrive safely at the hotel. Likely, the small streets aren’t very safe at night. One of the internet PCs is available, so I update my family on our day before going to bed early.