Cambodia – December 2014 | D & D Adventures

Two days after returning to CT from our big family gathering in the Dominican Republic, we were off to Cambodia to rejoin the ship. But first, we spent a few days in it’s capital, Phnom Penh, to see the sights and get over jet lag. This was more like a trip back in time than the other Asian cities we’ve been to. This is due, for the most part, to the terrible set-backs of the Vietnam war, then a civil war, and finally 4 brutal years under the Khmer Rouge.

In 1975, the Khmer Rouge took Phnom Penh. Survivors remember thinking that would mean the end of the civil war and looked forward to peace. But Pol Pot, the Khmer leader, wanted an agrarian communist country and forced the 2 million people of Phnom Penh into the country to farm. It was a death march. Toul Sleng High School was converted into a detention center for the educated and any expressing opposition. There they were tortured until they confessed, and then they were slaughtered in what became known as the “killing fields.” We toured the grounds of the high school, which is now called the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. It was primitive as museums go – but effective. A very sobering site – an important memorial to the 20,000 who went through the gates to their eventual demise.

HS converted to a prison

Cells built in classrooms

The “rules”

Despite the horrors of 40 years ago, the country is on the mend. The people of Phnom Penh seem resilient, hard-working, and friendly. On our first day, we walked through the market, and then sat down outside a very local eatery to take in the sites. Heavy traffic and almost no traffic lights made for quite a sight at the intersections. But somehow, traffic moved well – every 30 seconds or so, the cross traffic would edge through the intersection and their turn as if there were lights. It was fascinating.

But as novices, we couldn’t figure out how to safely cross the street. It seemed everyone knew the system but we couldn’t break the code. After lunch, we reluctantly took a tuk-tuk, an open-air trailer pulled by a motorcycle. It was so cheap, practical, and fun, we did it throughout our stay in the city. While it seemed dangerous, it was safer than walking! (see video below)

We did not have time to travel to Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world and prime tourist destination of Cambodia. Phnom Penh isn’t a “destination” city, but if you go to Angkor Wat, it’s worth a stop to get a fun feel for the people – and to learn how to spell the city. I had to google it numerous times!

Though we were only in the country for 3 days, we really enjoyed the culture, the energy level and the spirit of the whole place.