Day 3/4: Phnom Penh, the killing fields


Today we ventured to Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. On our way over, we made a stop where Cambodians were selling all sorts of insects, featuring the roasted spider. Most sellers carried around a live one, and often a cute Cambodia kid yelled “poison” when she thrusted it towards tourists. I can see what Angelina Jolie adopted one! Later that evening had a great meal arranged by our tour guide.


Although many of the restaurants we are taken to in the evening (where we pay), have some arrangement with G adventures, its always been great, servers understand English, and the variety is good. Although the prices are probably a little higher than I'd expect.

The next day we went to see the killings fields, where we learned all about Cambodia's history where ~a quarter of the population in the 70's was killed by a communist group called the Kmer Rouge. 

Our tour guide, "nay", he mentioned his ability to whip and nay nay, this was a solid opener which I'm sure he's perfected over the years.

We were taken to one of the killing fields where it was estimated ~20,000 people were killed, often blind folded and hit on the back of the head, then having their throat cut. Certain areas have been marked off as after rainy season bones would come up, often tourists would notice themselves stepping on them. 

The story behind this is really intense, where the regime had sought out to kill all educated people (doctors, lawyers, teachers), even people with glasses were targeted. Currency was erased, and most people were put to labour, or imprisoned while trying to force fake confessions - people to admit they're a spy, in order for the regime to have reason to kill. Many children/teens 12-16 were used as soldiers and brain washed. 

"First they killed my father", a movie directed by Angelina Jolie is based off a book that captures one perspective of this event, a child whose family was separate and was put to labor and then trained as a soldier. 


From the mass killings, only 7 people survived! They were stationed at prisons, and the regime was not able to kill them in time when Vietnam Invaded. Above is one of the survivors, Chum Mey, he sells his book that incompasses his story, how grusome the conditions were, many people dying from 1. torture, 2. starvation, 3. disease.



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