Monthly Archive for December, 2005

What an Adventure!

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Callum
2 years, 9 months ago
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We hired a motorbike this morning and took a trip out to Choeung Ek to visit the killing fields. It’s 15km from central Phnom Penh and is well sign posted according to the trusty Lonely Planet.

Naturally, it didn’t quite work out like that…

To start with, we, well, technically I, missed a signpost and went left instead of going straight on, which took us on about an hour’s circular trip back to where we started, which was fun! The roads are orange dirt roads, so after bouncing down them at roaring speed I was suitably covered in orange dust!

Then Kelly had to be at the American embassy at 2pm, so we decided we didn’t have time. We went to the American embassy, Cambodian immigration, a payphone, and finally headed back in the afternoon.

Having already been to the museum, the actual fields was just that, a field with some holes. Knowing the story already and having seen the pictures and the movie, I didn’t feel seeing the field in the flesh was any different to the having seen the pictures.

However, as promised, some photos…

Cambodia - Killing Fields

The monument is huge, to try and reflect the scale of the atrocity. On the shelves within it are over 8′000 human skulls, sorted by sex and age. Although somehow it wasn’t as striking a sight as I thought it would be. It does give you a very real sense of the scale of the genocide that went on though.

Overall, my memory of the day is the adventure getting there!

Another Day in Paradise

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Callum
2 years, 9 months ago
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Fergus has gone south to Kompot today, he’s going to spend a few days there touring around on a motorbike before we meet up in Sihanoukville for xmas. We’ve already agreed on a no gifts policy, so that’s taken a weight off my mind! :)

I’m still hanging around in Phnom Penh waiting for Roland to arrive. He’s talking about a flight on Wednesday or something equally ridiculous. Not to worry, I’ve told him to get his ass in gear and get a flight today, so we’ll see what happens!

I guess another day (it’s already 2pm!) by the lakeside playing a bit of pool is called for…

Our Guest House

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Callum
2 years, 9 months ago
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I thought it was only fair that I share the view from our Guest House with you…

Guest House View

Jealous much? Don’t worry, it’s not always quite that idyllic all the time, I mean, it’s just plain sunny during the day! :)

Tuol Sleng Cambodian Genocide Museum

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2 years, 9 months ago
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I went to visit the Tuol Sleng Cambodian Genocide Museum today. From 1975 to 1978 an estimated 10′499 prisoners were tortured and subsequently executed there. Of the some ten thousand people sent to the prison, only 7 survived. Following weeks of months of torture the prisoners were taken to the killing fields of Choeung Ek. I’m probably going there tomorrow.

The building was previously a high school before it was converted to a prison. The original structure is unchanged, the Khmer Regime simply added barbed wire to all the open spaces, and built brick or wooden walls within some of the class rooms to form smaller cells. Prisoners slept on the floor with their feet in metal shackles bolted to the floor.

The prison is unchanged since it was closed. The shackles are still there, cells are still in their original condition. Some of the cells have been removed to make space for the exhibitions, but the marks on the floor remain where the walls stood. There are countless photos of people who were detained there prior to execution.

I took a few photos, although it’s hard to capture the essence of the place in an image. The photos below show a torture cell, a prison cell, the outside of the one of the blocks and one of the barbed wire gates. All of the buildings were covered in a barbed wire mesh on the front to stop people attempting suicide from the higher floors and to stop anyone escaping.

Cambodia - Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

From a museum point of view, I thought Tuol Sleng was one of the most factual and un-biased museums I’ve visited. The facts are presented in a very factual way, without the dramatics I’ve seen in other museums. For me, it’s a staggering reminder of how human behaviour is influenced by circumstance.

How so many prisoners could be kept in thin wooden cells by a fewer number of guards, and how so many people could be so cruel and execute so many of their own countrymen. I was recently reading about the Stanford Prison Experiment (new window) conducted in 1971 and it reminded me just what people are capable of under extreme circumstances.

More photos to follow of the killing fields and a very dark time in Cambodia’s history.

Cambodian Broadband

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Callum
2 years, 9 months ago
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I saw an advert in a magazine for broadband today, I was quite excited … until I saw the prices! Crappy connections start at $60 dollars a month and an unlimited connection will set you back about $265 dollars a month! Eeek, I hope it’s going to be cheaper than that in Thailand.

Internet cafes over here (Phnom Penh) are around 1 dollar an hour, which is not bad compared to home, but clearly the internet costs a whole bucket load more. Not great for my plan to work online while I’m travelling, but we’ll see how it pans out.

Fear not, you can trust me to bring you the latest hi-tech gossip from around the globe… :)

Cambodia Continues

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Callum
2 years, 9 months ago
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I met Fergus yesterday, totally randomly, in the market. I was wandering around when we decided to stop at a food stall and get something to eat. Who should be sat there but the wee man himself? Even in South East Asia, it’s still a small world!

I’m finally starting to see the sights today, after being here for about 4 days. We’re going to see the palace this afternoon, it’s supposed to a fantastic example of Khmer architecture in it’s day.

Fergus has already been to the ex-prison which is now a museum, so I’m probably going to see that and the killing fields tomorrow. There are over 8′000 human skulls in the giant memorial at the killing fields, and the museum is supposed to be even more harrowing with pictures of the tortures that went on.

The sun is still beating down (yes mum I’m wearing a hat and factor! :)) and the mosquitos are still on the rampage. I’ve officially declared war and am preparing various forms of chemical warfare, I don’t intend to be beaten by a bunch of damned insects!

Another significant event, I beat Ferg in 2 out of 3 games of pool yesterday. He plays snooker for his university team, I can assure those of you who don’t already know, it’s a big deal!

Photos from Vietnam

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Callum
2 years, 9 months ago
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I’ve just uploaded the rest of my photos from Vietnam. Check em out, keep the comments coming in…