Cambodia is a whole different world from anything than I have experienced. It reminds me a bit of Vietnam, but only in the small roadside shops, lack of serious development sort of way. Cambodia is by far (in my eyes) poorer than Vietnam and it breaks my heart to see all of the people who don't have anything, or very little anyway.
Children sleeping on the sidewalks and begging for money and selling fruit for so cheap to make a little bit of a living makes me question why there is such injustice in the world. Some can afford to spend money like it's nothing on yachts and houses and cars, while others can't even afford to live anywhere but on the public sidewalk. It also makes me feel very fortunate to be able to have the things I do and experience life in the way that I am...traveling and viewing these lifestyles with my very own eyes is something in itself.
After a grueling set of flights and waiting in the "aircock bangport," we finally reached Cambodia, but with much exhaustion. After settling in at the Okay Guesthouse, Seb, Rahul, Jake and I took a four-hour nap to recharge for some exploring. Our first destination was the Killing Fields of Cheoung Ek which I soon found to be a waring experience on the heart and mind...something I was not prepared for. As soon as we entered, I set eyes on a monument dedicated to the victims of the mass genocide in Cambodia in the 1970s. I prayed for them with incense and a small donation before stepping into the little sanctuary with a glass case filled with skulls and other bones. These were real people who died because of hate and ignorance. I couldn't bare to look at them for very long, as my stomach started to churn and my eyes began to well with tears. We were also able to see some of the mass graves with horrific descriptions and the walk around the field was eerie and chilling. How can people do this to each other? What drives someone to want to kill another person, much less an entire population of people? It baffles me and I'm sure others feel the same way. It's just so sad.
After that, we headed to the 'museum' which was code for the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum which was a former school turned prison during the same genocide period. Over 14,000 people were tortured at this prison named S-21 and we saw the prison cells, the torture instruments, beds they were chained to, and worst of all...the pictures of the victims. The childrens' pictures were the most heartwrenching part of the tour...little innocent lives being imprisoned and then burned to death, sometimes by other children who were bred to be evil by the Pol Pot Regime. These two site visits were a silencing way to begin our trip, but traveling isn't just about beaches and having fun.
To be exposed to the realities of the world, past and present, is surely a gift. So many people I know have no idea about the world outside of their own small sphere, and my naive eyes still aren't aware of much of what the world has to offer. I'm still learning, but it's a rewarding experience.
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