Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh's atmosphere sat nicely between the calm of Vientiane and the craziness of Hanoi. The city was gearing up for the water festival, Cambodia's version of the Laos boat festival, so it was a bit more lively than usual.

View from a tuk tuk

We visited the king's palace and a few temples, but the main tourist attractions in Phnom Penh are connected to Cambodia's not so distant dark past.

Tuol Sleng Museum aka S21 Prison

After the French left Cambodia, Pol Pot came into power and made everyone migrate from rural areas to cities. From there they would round up people and imprison them before they were executed. S21 is a prison that has been preserved and turned into a museum to highlight the genocide that took place. We hired a guide who took is on a tour through the prison and told us how the majority of her family had been killed. Like the war museum in Ho Chi Minh, it was a sobering experience but something everyone who visits Cambodia should see and learn more about. Prior to the research I did before coming to Cambodia, I knew nothing about this atrocity.

                   

Prisoners were for to relieve themselves in this box            Prisoners had their pictures taken upon arrival at S21

Graves of the last 14 victims at S21, killed right before the prison was liberated

The next day we visited the killing fields. After being tortured and made to confess to crimes they had not committed prisoners were taken here to be executed. The fields have been turned into a memorial now, but plenty reminders remain of what it used to be.

Tree where the Pol Pot soldiers beat children to death

Zoe and I pictured with Chum Mey, one of 7 survivors of S21. He lost all of his family. We purchased his book detailing his time at Tuol Sleng.

Phnom Penh wasn't all grim however. Since we were in the capital city there were more nightlife options and we met up with one of Zoe's old co workers a couple of times, and we managed to put together costumes for Halloween. 

Halloween. I was supposed to be a zombie Heisenberg, and Zoe the wicked witch.