Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Day 2

I really treasured my time in Cambodia and saw it as one of the highlights of my trip. I enjoyed exploring the temples in Angkor Wat and valued it more on my subsequent trip as I could appreciate some of the minute details that I missed the first time while battling temple fatigue, oppressive heat, and throngs of tourists.

On my second day in Phnom Penh, I spent time at the killing fields and the S21 high school. The Khmer Rouge turned a high school into a torture facility and holding pen for prisoners before shipping them by the bus loads to the killing fields for mass executions. In some cases, the Khmer Rouge wanted to save bullets so they would beat the victims over the head with shovels and buried some people alive.

The bifurcation between the amazing culturally breathtaking monuments at Angkor Wat and the horrific destruction brought upon a cruel dictator in a country which once ruled most of what is now south east Asia is stunning. The fact that the Khmer Rouge ravished the country less than 30 yrs ago and that the country is still trying to replace the void left by the educated doctors and scholars being whisked away never to return is heart wrenching. The somberness is taken to another level when you experience the genuine joy, hospitality, and sincerity of the Cambodian people while living with meager trappings, few material luxuries, and in some cases downright squalid conditions.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Day 2