KILLING FIELDS – a grim blog

A phrase that rolls off the tongue so easily – stories, news articles, films – but face to face with the reality that Cambodians faced in the mid 1970’s is rightly shocking and moving.  We were starting our careers, getting married, going to Bermuda, enjoying life – what were you doing? 

If you were Cambodian and educated, a teacher/doctor/wore glasses, you would undoubtedly be arrested, tortured, made to confess all your wrong doings and then hacked to death – not even a quick death with a gun.

One in four of all Cambodians died like this or of starvation in the fields – millions were forcibly removed from Phonm Penh over just 3 days and dispersed to the villages to work in the fields with hardly any food for 3 years (2 bowls of rice a day).  Hospitals were emptied in those 3 days and staff taken away to be questioned and killed and the injured, pregnant women, dying were just left on the streets to die, if they couldn’t make it to the countryside. 

The questions of how, why, what for, were only partly answered  by the guide (who lost a brother and cousins) and the museum – but there are no real answers and many of the perpetrators now even hold office here.  Some were put on international trial, some in prison  (no death penalty) and Pol Pot died in his eighties after a comfortable life.  Amazingly (or not) many of the Western nations (including Britain) supported Khymer Rouge – all pretty complicated though and look at Syria and elsewhere – who is right and who is wrong?  But the massacres still go on.

"When will they ever learn"

This looks like a school doesn’t it? – it was, in early 1970’s.  Now it is the Genocide Museum and is where thousands of Cambodians were tortured and then sent to their brutal deaths.  You and me would be included.










The barbed wire that prevented suicides












One of the cells still with chain in the floor – other cells have also been left as they were found with beds, shackles and batons lying around the sparse rooms.



Just one board of many with the photos of those who passed through centre – the documentation of the prisoners is being kept to remind us all of the atrocities.  The most moving boards told the tales of the few survivors – just horrific.

How does a country recover after losing all its teachers, doctors and professionals ? and with a population with deep pyschological scars – it takes years to rebuild and educate again.

And people on the trip still complain that the coffee/breakfast/traffic/rubbish isn’t like home!!

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KILLING FIELDS

These lay a few miles outside the city in an ordinary countryside area and an excellent audio programme led us around so that individuals could contemplate alone at the different scenes that were presented to you. 

The place where the trucks unloaded the bound prisoners, the checkin desk that recorded every person to make sure the list matched the list as they left the prison (hence the detailed records of the individuals – although many are still unkown), the new building that houses thousand of skulls(all carefully documented as they were discovered), the areas of mass graves where bones and remnants of clothing still come to the surface after rain and are collected, the tree where children were banged against it to kill them before throwing into the  pit, the tree where music blared out to cover the screams, so that locals did not know what was going on.

Endless horrific thoughts and stories of victims and perpetrators made it an unpleasant experience – but

“Lest We Forget”.

LIFE ON THE STREET–scenes from a bus

A bus window look of Cambodia – using the “Sport” function on camera – works pretty well considering we are travelling at speed much of the time – literally point and shoot.


Long distance bus stop – snacks of fresh or dried fruit  or dodgy looking hot food














Street stalls all along the way – the bottles are fuel for the many motorcycles in re-used litre or smaller bottles – no petrol stations in rural areas

Fish from the river drying on the roadside – we met some mashed up fish paste in a sweet glazed roll that we thought was like a donut – disgusting!!!!













Live cockerels on motorbike – off to the pot!







Views as we passed through the countryside:-




Phonm Penh traffic – busier than Beck Head






Our 7 hr bus ride – only kidding, the public bus we had showed films, gave out free water and had free wifi!













Duck’s off!!

 Look we have no bananas

BAMBOO RAILWAY AND OTHER ODDITIES

 

After 7 hr boat trip, we had 15 mins turnaround (typical Explore pack-it-in formula) and then off in tuk-tuks in mid Cambodian old French town, Battanbong where stopping overnight, to the Bamboo Railway – surely the only one in the world and maybe for not much longer, if they reconstruct the rail line from Phnom Penh to Battanbong in a few years time.  It was the original line, which fell into disrepair during the civil war and then just used by local farmers to transport local goods between local villages.


What a hoot!  Rickety old flatbed bamboo trucks with lawnmower/motorbike engine laid on top of couple of sets of wheels – see here as our driver puts it back together again after we came off track

– already unnerving with no sides, gaps in buckled rails and thin, worn cushion over spiky bamboo slats.  Then went at 30 mph along the single track (stopping again to unload and let trucks past coming other way (other tourists – 12 to a truck as opposed our luxury 4!).  H&S would have a field day – but it was more exhilarating than the safety conscious big dipper rides – once it was all over and we remained in one piece!!

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BIRD WATCHING
Certainly an oddity as far as Cambodians are concerned, but we found a local firm of enthusiasts catering to the wildlife lovers after they get templed out in Siem Reap. 

As with many 3rd world countries, the leaders are more concerned with logging, building roads and expanding their industrial output, than conservation of their precious habitats.  If only they had the foresight of Costa Rica, whose leaders saw that their greatest asset could be their jungles and wildlife and are now reaping the benefits in tourism.  Progress, but at a price – everyone wants to be like us and make our same mistakes – pollution darkens the skies everywhere here, as in India and Nepal when we were there and all over China’s cities – at least the monsoons wash it away for a while, but as we travel in dry seasons, we get to not see the blue skies.

But we found a wonderful young man who, much to his parents disapproval, preferred birds to university and trained with the local conservationists to become a font of local bird knowledge.  He took 4 of us out for an early morning trip for 4 hours and showed us 47 species in the fields and lakeshore. 

 

We spotted alongside the local families going about their business in the rice paddies and the morning was a true highlight. 

We think that may be our only opportunity for birdwatching on the trip, as much of the countries have lost most of their birds to city expansion – very sad.  

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BATTY STUFF

These may look like birds but are in fact huge fruit bats living in the gardens in the centre of town

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TRAFFIC

Getting across the lines of motor bikes and cars, going in both directions on all sides of the roads, is a nightmare (trick is to walk slowly, not do the tourist stop and start sprint, so drivers have time to go around you) – but loved this pedestrian traffic light that showed the walker going faster and faster as the countdown from 30 seconds to zero progressed.  Maybe some of ours do it – but I’ve never noticed, as mostly we obey little green men in Western cities.

FLOATING VILLAGES

Leaving Angkor Wat and the other temples behind, we had a brilliant 7 hr trip along Tonle Sapp lake and river to Battanbong.  Had our own boat to walk around and laze on, whilst watching the fascinating lives of a very different culture. 

There are over 1100 families living in floating villages along its banks - the lake varies between 1.5m to 12m high according to the dry and wet seasons – we were in the dry season and only just got along the river – the next Explore trip will be going by bus, so will miss out on a great experience.  The water was pretty muddy and polluted, but people were washing clothes, bathing and being cremated – a pretty basic existence even for the 3rd world. 



The water in the river flows in 2 directions, to and from the lake and the Mekong Delta according to the seasons and the people live in houses that can be moved anywhere as the water rises and falls.  Half of them looked like they were ready to collapse into the water, but some were well constructed and there were lots of houseboats, which looked a bit like gypsy caravans on a boat.  There were floating temples, schools, police stations and shops – all of village life, but on the water.     



This is how Witherslack Community shop will look if it keeps on flooding and raining in the UK!
         

Tesco Direct delivers to your home (maybe not so far-fetched, as many have mobile phones, with masts seen along the way)   Many houses have TVs (bought from the TV floating shop!) and the occasional satellite dish, so presumably with generators, as flooding and permanent electricity would seem a bit incompatible.

Just-in-time deliveries to the local shop  

 One of the many large scale fishing nets, with smaller net baskets all along the river banks.  The families live off fishing with 200 species of fish and supply Cambodia with its main source of food, along with rice.   As well as fishermen (and women and children) there were also loads of fishing birds – kingfishers, fishing eagles, cormorants, egrets, herons and bee-eaters.  So lots to keep our binoculars busy.    

       Graham got to drive the boat – a bit!

 After all the consumption – getting rid of the waste and recycling  

STILL TRYING TO LOSE HUSBAND (+ some old temples)

First try in UK leaving at pub, then on shuttle train at KL airport, then crossing into Cambodia (see last blog post) – eventually managed to leave G behind in Siem Reap in massage parlour!


He reckoned it was only 30 minutes foot massage (for US$3) but he seemed fairly blissed out afterwards – said it was because it cured his swollen ankles and calves after flight and then full day on train, but I’m not so sure!  Especially when he said he wants to return.

Then he waved goodbye to me after the dancing girl show – so not sure who is trying to get rid of whom!




ANGKOR WAT AT LAST

Been waiting a while for this one –and just as stupendous as expected.  Massive areas of surrounding countryside of Siem Reap just home to temple after ancient temple (12th century onwards).  Some originally built by kings to praise Hindu gods after pronouncing themselves God Kings (must try that one – I am a God King, so you must all worship me and give me your offerings.) and then taken over by Buddhist monks and some maintained by them and others just let fall into disrepair and the jungle retook them.  They were “discovered” in 16th century by Portugese but noone believed his tales until French found them again 200 years later and alerted the world.  The whole area is now a World Heritage site (since 1992) and consequently overrun with tourists (mainly Chinese, Korean, japanese as well as westerners) but we had a good guide and the various temples were still amazing to see and wander around.

Angor Wat – the main attraction – crumbling sandstone but maintained by monks and now the conservationists













Other temples and their incredible friezes – such workmanship, so long ago.










This is what happens when the monks didn’t look after the temple – the jungle returned. 

The authorities are leaving this one as it is – everyone loves it and there are plenty of other temples to maintain and restore.

TRAIN TO CAMBODIA – Explore excels

As predicted, the 4.30 am start was a bummer – breakfast at 5 and taxi to station and on to train and away by 6. 

The value of Explore and its leaders yet again proving to be above and beyond call of duty.  The guide got us all into 3 taxis and then photo’d each number plate before we move off, gave us the taxi money and his contact number if we got into difficulties and reminded us to take all our things with us, especially small stuff.   Reckon he has had trouble with jet lagged OAPs before, as one of us got on the train before realising she had left the camera (and no, it wasn’t me – I only leave husbands behind at pubs – another story1) in taxi.  Guide rings taxi firm, who pages taxi because we have number plate, who returns to station and reunites camera with very grateful Canadian – guide holding up train with 9 carriages of locals and travellers. 

He then tells us he has been up until midnight at doctors and hospital dealing with insurance companies and couple who should now be with group, but she has got infected mossie bite on foot (they have been here a few days in advance doing more of Thailand).  And we think tour guides have an easy job walzing around having a good time!

The train was hard on the bum, but a fascinating 7 hr journey across Thailand, stopping at all sorts of local stations with locals going about their business to school, work and markets – these are just a few sights but through the dirty train window so apologies!



A lot of the way was like going through a great bird reserve, the rice paddy fields and lakes and canals being brilliant for big and easy birds to spot like egrets, herons, kingfishers and storks – all bigger and better versions than the UK and similar to our trip to the Everglades last year. 

We arrived at the border around lunchtime and after sorting out visas for Cambodia we eventually crossed to next country- tried again to leave husband behind as his passport wouldn't scan, but then piled into bus for 3 hr journey to Siem Reap,  Seems to be poorer country than Thailand but guess that is the price of civil war.

Noodles and rice for breakfast lunch and dinner, but all very yummy and restaurants are mostly local and good fun.  Our group is 11 at the moment but will go up and down as people leave and join at different points of the trip.

Ankor Wat tomorrow to fulfil one of the must-dos from our travel list - temple mania about to break out!

NO BANGS IN BANGKOK

Another adventure to share with friends and remind us of the trip when we get back home.   This trip we start in Bangkok for a day and then bus it over the border to Cambodia, 5 days there then on to Vietnam for remainder of trip.

Arrived in Bangkok after 2 days of travelling – with thanks to Joan and Phil for taxi to Oxenholme station and Fiona and Trev for  Dinner, B&B in London on way to Heathrow.  Pretty weary after 12 hr flight to Kuala Lumpur and then on to Bangkok – in some trepidation as FCO advice to travellers (backed up by our even more important contact – Christine our hairdressing friend whose brother lives there and expects the situation to get much worse) is that it is best avoided at present due to protest movement blocking off main intersections – including the streets around our hotel.

However, our reliance on the Explore local guides was well founded  -met at airport, with all latest on situation, along with other vital advice such a do not eat street food or drink local water if you value your stomach!  Straight into Explore local experience mode with local deep fried banana during bus trip to hotel, diversions around blocked streets, half an hour to freshen up and not go to sleep and straight out to action packed afternoon.  If you travelled on your own it would be, get over jet lag for rest of day by pool, eat in hotel, not venturing out, next morning visit tourist office, decide what want to do and start tourist trail – by which time we are in Cambodia with a wealth of Thailand experience behind us.

The afternoon experience over 6 hrs included:-

• Walk through busy streets past interesting shops/markets/street food stalls – mainly cars, tuk-tuks and motor bikes – unlike India/China with preponderance of bicycles
• Canal cruise with echoes of Venice and gondolas (with huge engines)  - shanty houses on stilts, cold water reptiles, temples, feeding catfish, water hyacinths blocking waterways
• Visit to the first temple of many, many expected – so still full of enthusiasm! 
• Local ferry across the main water course (sort of like Venice Grand Canal but not)
• Stop for local stall selling fresh mango slices and exotic fruits to taste - only type of local street food allowed!
• Learn that Government has imposed Special Measures (sounds like Ofsted!) and locals will have to stay of streets after 8pm – we think this starts after we have left and does not apply to tourists – but still a bit worrying!  Anyway, no explosions or bangs to be heard and we get away safely next day
• 2nd temple with huge lying golden Buddha – pretty impressive and take shoes off to walk around – sit for a while and listen to monks chanting in front of golden altar – very atmospheric and calming after a busy day.

• Back to hotel for 10 mins before team meeting and details about tomorrow (4.30 am wake up call – aaaargh!!)
• Walk to nearby outdoor restaurant (passing a Boots store on the way but no time to test out if they would accept my Boots storecard – and anyway I have the entire contents of Boots in my medicine bag – few clothes, but oodles of pills and potions for all eventualities.  As does everyone else on the trip!)  Excellent meal with us all testing out the thai curries, pad thais and stir fries for real.
• Back home for bed by 9 pm and welcome sleeeeeeep!

Temple cat

 

This one is for Phil and Joan – a reminder of Jaspar – and for Niki, our friend in Perth, who is in the wars, with her broken femur and Paul in hospital – we are thinking of you and are just up the road now and nearly in the same time zone!