Sweaty SEA: Cambodian Cadavers

After a beautiful couple of weeks in well-developed Thailand, we headed to Cambodia. Now, the border between Cambodia and Thailand near Poipet has been rightly called "the armpit of Asia." I'll let my sister describe the scenario:

        Crossing the border by foot. A seemingly simple procedure made arduous by crooked border officials who jack up the price of a visa. The scam is so classic that Lonely Planet describes it in detail. We told our Thai bus driver that we'd pay for the visa at the border. He became irate and made us separate from the rest of the group. They took us to a desolate building with a sign that said "Cambodia Immigration Department" or something and again tried to make us pay the inflated price. When we refused again, they basically dumped us at a random parking lot and told us good luck, that it would take hours for us to cross by ourselves without their expedited help, and that the bus on the other side wouldn't wait for us. They were very careful to pull the truck over right next to a huge pile of garbage that we had to step in to get our backpacks out of the back. Then we wandered a bit, found a steady stream of foot traffic, and followed it to the official crossing. We made it into Cambodia in under ten minutes! We even found the rest of the gang from our mini-bus, who had grudgingly paid the extra money, and guess what? They were way behind us in line to get our passports stamped.

Talk about a business model! Once we got to the border, the Cambodians were so much nicer, and not trying to rip you off. It was a welcome change. The entrance to Cambodia:

In the style of Angkor Wat.

Before coming to Cambodia, I knew nothing about the Killing Fields. I'd heard of the movie, but had no idea. So in a bookstore, I traded in some books for Survival in the Killing Fields, by Haing Ngor. It is an autobiography about living in Cambodia before, during, and after the Khmer Rouge reign of power. This poor man was a doctor in Phnom Penh before the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. While four years doesn't sound like a long time, the Cambodian population was reduced by a quarter due to leader Pol Pot's insane regime. Haing Ngor's family was completely destroyed.

Haing Ngor eventually escaped when Vietnam invaded, and traveled to the US, where he was chosen to star in the 1984 film, The Killing Fields. He won Academy Award for best actor in supporting role. A more sorry history I have never read. However, it provides deep insight into why Cambodia is the way it is today, and its history of the past 50 years. It is excellently told, a tear-jerker, and a must-read.

The book, pic provided by Amazon.com. Don't sue me.

So I was reading this while riding the bus into Angkor Wat. Looking up at the fields of rice and grass, the flat land was suddenly embroidered with the scent of death. On the road in front of the fields, signs were posted, warning of mine danger. It chilled my blood to read these experiences and look up to see the land that was so devastated by such thoughtless, malicious people.  I saw many amputees during my stay in Cambodia, one in particular who had his face burned off. I was leaving Cambodia at the time, and I just emptied my wallet for him. Horrific.

Alix and I visited S-21 in Phnom Penh. Now it is Tuol Seng Genocide Museum. It originally was a high school, but under the regime it became a prison camp/torture camp. Thousands, including children, entered; only twelve people are known to have survived. It poured buckets while we were in there, but we didn't linger. It's easier to get drenched than think of the infinite capacity for human suffering.

S-21, the infamous prison camp.

Later on, we visited the outskirts of Phnom Penh to visit Cheong Ek, one of the killing fields. The whole time we were in Cambodia, every delight was outweighed by the heavy thought that these people suffered and are still suffering. The children beggars, the amputees, the minefields in every direction. It made it hard to enjoy the trip.

Sorry to dwell on that, but you can't be in Cambodia without thinking of two things: the Killing Fields, and how truly epic and amazing Angkor Wat is. What completely opposite feelings they inspire.