Well we arrived yesterday just after 8am in Phnom Penh. Once we had sorted our visas etc we hopped into a taxi which took us into the main part of town, dropping us off at a hotel we had found on the internet. We seem to be staying in the most touristy area as we are surrounded by european looking cafes and restaurants. The location is also good for visiting the National Museum and Royal Palace. So after lunch we headed out to tkae in the sites.

First stop was the Palace. Unfortunately we couldnt go in as our shoulders were bare but we were able to see quite a few of the buildings from the outside. We then walked around to the Independence Monument. Enjoying just being out and about we continued to walk...unfortunately we got a little carried away and ended up covering a fair bit of the city! Our sense of direction also got a little ropey - we tried to head back to where we were staying a few times but ended up further away. excellent! We finally made it back but not before being asked at least a thousand times whether we wanted a tuk tuk or a motorbike taxi.

Today we headed to Tuol Seleng aka S-21. The central prison during the Khumer (KR) rule. It had originally been a school until the KR took it over. This place only measures 600m x 800m but at any one time was holding thousands of prisoners. As we walked through the classrooms that had been transformed into either individual cells measuring 0.8m x 2m or mass holding areas, the instruments used to torture the prisoners were displayed. At all times they were bound by metal shanks which often held 20 to 30 people together. There didnt seem to be a strict guidline as to who was to be arrested. It varied from teachers, farmers, government officals, women and children. Often whole families, including mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles were captured en mass if one member of their family was already in prison.

In another building they displayed the photos of the prisoners. Photos were taken when a new prisoner arrived. Most of them were just head shots but some showed people with cuts, broken limbs and often dead.

The thing that I found most shocking was that this only took place in 1975 - 1978. Thats only just over 30 years ago and not a lot seems to have been done to repremand those who committed the crimes.  When they were overthrown they just moved into the jungles and it seems they have just been left there. Reading some of the captions that were attached to the photos, most families had no idea that their other family member had been killed at the prison until they saw their picture there. Something like 14,000 people went through S-21 and only 7 survived. It seems that most people in Phnom Penh know of someone who was killed during the KR reign.

After S-21 we headed to the killing fields which are situated 14km outside the city. This is where the prisoners were taken to be killed. They were blind folded, told not to make a sound and then led to the edge of a large mass grave. They were then shot, but this became too expensive and a waste of bullets, so they decided to just club them around the head with an axe or machette etc.

It was in the 80s that they discovered the mass graves, unearthing 86 of them. The skeletons still had their legs bound together by the metal shanks. They have created a memorial that displays hundreds, if not thousands of skulls to remind people of those that died during that horrific time. As you walked around the site, they had marked several places, including the Killing Tree, where they clubbed the children to death.

The two places were extremely interesting yet disturbing to walk around. I still just find it so hard to comprehend that this all happened only 30 odd years ago. Scarily this still goes on in other countries. Definately worth a visit if only to show your support for those trying to bring the KR to justice.

We are off to Siem Reap tomorrow - only a 5hr drive so not too bad!