A Visit to the Killing Fields Memorial - July 5, 2013

I am back in Phnom Penh, the home of the most famous memorial to those who perished in the killing fields. In all, there were about 300 such places of torture and death throughout Cambodia.

Again, Pol Pot wanted to start over in Cambodia and return the country to an agrarian, classless society. In his mind, there was no need for technology or money or anything else but farming, which made any professional people obsolete and a potential threat to the state. The other day I read that more than 20,000 engineers were put to death across the country and essentially all architects, which has made it especially difficult for Cambodia to develop to this day.

By looking at the memorial, you'd never know an estimated 17,000 people died at the extermination camp. When Pol Pot finally lost power, the Cambodians ripped down all the structures, but there is still evidence of the pits used for mass graves. The memorial is quite well done. Visitors are able to listen to an audio presentation while walking through the grounds, which adds a lot to the understanding of what happened there.

At times, it was a bit overwhelming. Bone fragments still wash up during rainy season, and there are numerous skulls displayed in cases throughout the facility I think I'm ready to be done with the killing fields.

Getting to the killing fields was an adventure in itself. I negotiated with a motorcycle taxi to take me out to the grounds and bring me back. As I've mentioned before, I enjoy negotiating. It's all done in a friendly way, but tourists need to have a general idea of the price, or they could be quoted an exorbitant fee.

After completing the negotiations, I climbed on the back, and we were off, weaving through the heavy traffic of Phnom Penh. At times, I cringed, as we motored between rows of cars, but I kept telling myself, "He knows what he's doing."

There's a strange law in Cambodia. The driver must have a helmet, but no passengers are required to have one. I've seen some strange riding arrangements. Today, a woman was on the back of a motorcycle with three boxes in front of her, and her toddler riding on top of the boxes, clinging to the driver.

A week ago, I told you about the lack of regulation here. If a driver is caught without a helmet, the fine is the equivalent of 75 cents. Many drivers who can't afford a helmet just carry the money in their pockets to pay off any fine.

I've been debating about bringing it up,but it seems appropriate because the sex industry is an epidemic around the world, including Southeast Asia. In Thailand, it was especially apparent in Bangkok. It's also quite common in Phnom Penh.

Throughout my trip, people have been asking me if I want drugs or prostitutes. Last night,  a guy said, "Mister, you want smoke?" Of course, I said, "No!" Then, he said, "You want pretty woman?" Again, I said,"No!" and was getting a little annoyed. Finally, when he asked, "Do you want a young boy?" I snapped, got up in his face, and yelled at him. That probably wasn't a smart thing to do, but it just happened.

The fate of those forced into prostitution is tragic enough, but what really pisses me off is looking at older Anglo men walking around with young Cambodian girls or boys or Anglo men being accompanied by young Thai girls or boys. It's obvious they aren't related, and the expression on the faces of those hiring the prostitutes says it all.

Before I sign off, I wanted to let you know this might be the end of my blog for the summer. Today, I read that Vietnam, like China, blocks a lot of internet sites, especially any sites referencing Vietnam in any context. So, this could be my last entry. I just didn't want anyone to be concerned if they don't hear from me for the next couple of weeks.

Tomorrow, I head to Vietnam.

I've enjoyed sharing the details of my journey. So, from now on, I may or may not be in touch.