Yikes! What kind of trip was I on? First, I visit a site where the Vietnam War took place, and now I go to the place called the Killing Fields? What I can say is I wasn’t prepared for the emotional response I’d feel from my experience. Chenda, our guide, prepared us for the morning and promised a lighter and brighter afternoon (which will come in a later post).
Despite the visit to very traumatic sites (in our near future), we began the morning at the Wat Phnom Temple. Maybe I was preparing for the horror, but today my body did not align with touring. For the first part of the morning, I felt the after effects of unfamiliar foods. My typically gregarious behavior paused, and everyone noticed. I became a quietly reserved spectator.
Upon arrival to the temple site, we talked about the process to enter the temple. Mainly, we needed to remove our shoes, dress modestly, and keep noise soft and to a minimum.
Stairs…stairs when your stomach churns, it seems nearly impossible, but we all (I) ascended successfully.
Blake and I had noticed these intricate mailboxes at every building when driving from the border to our hotel. We surmised there must be more to the story, so when we saw one atop the temple grounds, we inquired with Chenda.
According to ancient animist beliefs homes, businesses, and even temples have Spirit Houses. These tiny homes have been placed on properties to appease the spirits whose home was disturbed by building on the land. Often incense and daily offerings are placed in them to bring good luck, prosperity, and protection. I enjoyed the closer inspection.
Our next spot was inside the temple. We removed our shoes, and I asked if pictures inside the temple would respect the Buddhist traditions. Chenda affirmatively agreed, so I captured some shots. There was so much to see.
Buddha sits in the middle with smaller Buddha statues surrounding. Candles, incense, and other offerings fill the front of the altar. The ceilings and walls brighten the temple with art illustrating Cambodia’s national poem, The Reamker.
Chenda asked us to walk behind the altar as a priest would bless us. We sat on the ground near the priest. He used a brush to spray water on us. This ritual is meant to wash away negative energy and bad luck. The water, along with flower petals are tossed on us and meant to transfer positive energy our way. As a final act, a bracelet is tied to our wrist, so we can take that protection with us.
Once our blessing concluded, we descended the temple stairs and saw many beautiful sculptures. A large clock also filled the park. The bats? Well they “hung out” in a tree across the street!
The peaceful feeling we felt at Wat Phnom quickly vanished in Tuol Sleng. In the heart of the city Phnom Penh, a former secondary school stands that the Khmer Rouge turned into a torture and execution site. It is believed that this facility, known as Security Prison 21, held and tortured nearly 20,000 people.
The atrocities that occurred in this facility become unfathomable despite having the proof before your eyes.
The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, took over Cambodia from 1975 through 1979. During their ultra communist reign, they murdered and tortured nearly one third of all Cambodians. Thankfully, the Vietnamese troops invaded and ended their reign in 1979.
What we witnessed as visitors was horrific. We saw torture (interrogation) rooms. We also witnessed the devices they used for torture. The most heartbreaking display had to have been the thousands and thousands of pictures of the people who died there. I could not bring myself to photograph the people as some pictures displayed them in the cruelest way. Room by room we saw pictures of people who were once shining members of their communities, suffering at the hands of other Cambodians. If you want more details than I’m willing to share, please look up this place. It is unforgettable.
The one picture I did take shows the survivors. These are seven of the twelve.
As we departed from Tuol Sleng, we made our way to Choeung Ek Genocidal Center. This place, also known as The Killing Field, served as a place for killing the prisoners taken by the Khmer Rouge. 8,895 bodies have been exhumed from this site alone.
Wikipedia displays this image of the site:
Today the area has many walkways that help you move from one spot to another. In the center you find a catacomb of sorts. Skulls and other bones have been placed in a sacred building.
Choeung Ek stands as one of the approximately three hundred killing fields throughout Cambodia. Death came more often through pickaxes as the Khmer Rouge tried to preserve their bullets. I try not to imagine what that event entails.
We had a guide dedicated to this area take us through the site. Seeing the mass grave for the women and babies reached into my soul and tore a little piece of it. We walked past many different parts of the field, but the babies gravesite hurt most…so much unrealized potential. Other travelers left their mark in an attempt to show remembrance for the lives lost.
It’s hard to believe the terrible events that occur to some at the hands of others. Witnessing the aftermath has left me grateful for the unearned privilege I have received my entire life, yet it also lets me mourn for the suffering of others. I hope we as a people will always look to tragedies like this and commit to living and loving others better than we have.
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