So, the capital, Phnom Phen, was a bit of an experience. Sobering indeed — we felt that this part of our trip called for a more serious post. We didn't take any photos today.
 
Today we had a bit of a history lesson on the crimes, and general insanity, of the Khmer Rouge regime, which has left some obvious scars on the Cambodian people. We visited two monuments to the genocide which took place under the rule of Pol Pot: the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek and Tuol Sleng Museum. It was a grim morning, but essential for understanding just how far Cambodia has come in the intervening years.
 
Tuol Sleng is home to Svay Prey High School, which was taken over by Pol Pot's security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). Apparently this was the largest centre of detention and torture in the country; a fact not too difficult to believe (if a little hard to stomach) after seeing room after room of harrowing black-and-white photographs of each prisoner who passed through S-21, both before and after torture. Its sickeningly striking how similar the Khmer Rouge were to the Nazis, who were similarly meticulous in keeping records of their barbarism. It is a haunting place. The shell of the old school, with remnants of its once innocent purpose, now stands tribute to the 17,000 men, women and children held here before being taken to the killing fields of Choeung Ek.
 
The Killing fields, as their name suggests, are the execution grounds (also described as the extermination camp) and final resting place for countless innocent soles. It struck me how peaceful a place it is today, masking the horrors that unfolded here less than three decades ago. We wondered the grounds listening to an audio guide, which included stories by those who survived the Khmer Rouge, plus a chilling account by a guard and executioner about some of the techniques they used to kill innocent and defenceless prisoners. I won't go into details, it is too disturbing. 
 
One final thought...all of this county's pain literally stems from the undifferentiating mistrust of one man — Pol Pot condemned to death anyone who might even possibly appose his ideas... The well educated, the multilingual, and most rediculously those who wore glasses. Even going as far as to kill their family members, so as to leave no one who could later seek revenge. This led to a quarter of the population simply being erased. Insanity!