Cambodia has had a truly awful past, which before I arrived I knew very little about, for which I know feel slightly ignorant. However, since arriving, I have researched and read up on the history of the country, which is devastating and heart wrenching. The worst part is that it happened between the years of 1975 - 1979, just before our lifetime, which makes it al th more worse.

When we arrived in the capital of Phnom Penh, after yet another painstakingly long us journey, it was quite shocking to discover that 50% of the country's population is under 18 years of age - the rest having been erradicated.

After arriving at our hotel, a short tuk-tuk ride from the city centre, the sings of poverty are prevalant from the offset. Signs in the hotel clearly state a 'child-safe' policy, which will not tolerate child prostitution. It's devastating that a respectable hotel would even have to acknowledge this; it just shows how common this issue is. Unfortuntately, we witnessed this firast hand, which was quite upsetting. Whils chatting in the hotel lobby, we encountered around six prostitutes, some of them barely scarping sixteen - entering the hotel with different men. However, worst of all, when they later emerged from the lift alone, not one had any look of shame or disgust on their faces, and they chatted to the receptionist as though they had been there before. I found i quite a difficult experience to encounter - it's all these kids hae ever known from such an early age, forced into i by their parents,all innocence taken away from them as they giggled and left in search of their next $10.
I think it really made us all realise just how lucky we are to be from a civilised clture and get a decent education. These people are just so desperate for a dollar. Anywhere you walk in the street, children who look as young as seven, hound you with goods to buy, absolutely begging for one dollar. It's heartbreaking to think that there's no real way to help them, as the money goes straight into their parent's hands.

I've digressed somewhat from my original intended topic, but felt that this was a neccessary and very real issue.

During our stay at Phnom Penh, we visited the Tuol Sleng Museum - a former high school, which was converted into 'Security Prison 21' during Pol Pot's communist regime. The classrooms were turned into torture chambers, containg various instruments for inflicting pai, which are still there now, and the other rooms, were made into tiny cells. It was an extremely eerie and profound experience. Remnants such as playgound bars still occupy the outside space, but were used as aids and tools of torture within the prison. Hundreds of thosands of Cambodians and some foreigners were brutually tortured at this prison, before been taken to Choeung Ek, known as The Killing Fields to be murdered and disposed of. It is thought that Pol Pot is responsible for around two million deaths during his reign, along with deaths of hundreds and thousands more who died as a direct result of his empowerment, due to malnutrition and suchlike.
Pol Pot had and wanted to successfully erradicate any khmer (Cambodian people) with any intelligence. He wanted to be the only educated person in the country. Anyone with glasses, fairer skin, soft hands, or could speak a foreign language were all murdered, along with their entire families, including babies. Mothers and their babies were seperated, and every female in the prison was raped before been tortured, although amany tried to comit suicide after been raped. Babies were killed by being hitting their heads violently against a tree, or alternatively, here were thrown in the air and a pear was put through their bodies.
The museum is host to an array of graphic images of murder and paintings by one of the survivors of S-21, who has now written a book on his experiences in the prison. The museum is home to hundreds of photographs as each victim's photo was taken before they were killed.
The whole experience was overwhelming, shocking, disgusting, powerful, tragic, but interesting too, and it's difficult to sum he museum up in words, as the images will never escape my mind. To actually stand in a building where these events took place is smething I will never forget.

We later visited the killing fields, where all these poor victims are buried. Each year, as the heavy ains falls, human remains surface and bones and teeth are visible in the paths. Clothing is strewn around the trees, as many of the victims were buried naked, particulalry all the women.
There is a large white stupa which contains around 9,000 skulls, which were placed there during an excavation in 1980.
Pol Pot died in 1998; however it is a mystery as to whether he committed suicide or died of a heart attack, meanin gthe Khmer's never received justice and answers to so many questions. Another disturbing fact is that Pol Pot had a seat at the UN to represent Cambodia up until 1991.

A micxyture of emotions was felt today - interest, sadness, but most of all disturbia.

Ona mlighter note, whilst at the killing fields, a snake dropped out of a tree to chase a lizard, which was quite a shock, but thankfully was just a python. We also ate at a lovely restaurant sat on the floor on cushions, plus were off to the beach for the next few days for some much needed relax time!