The Killing Fields

Moving on to another important site in Cambodian history is the Killing fields. As the name implies, it is a place where people were literally put to death. Like the usual movie scenes, after being interrogated and tortured in the S21 camp, what do you think must be done. Yes, KILL THEM.


I then hopped into my tuktuk and my driver already knew where to take me. S21 is I think more than 7 kilometers away from killing fields (my distance computation based  on the distance of our house from the province to the national highway..hehe). it’s quiet far, like we travelled for more than 30minutes going to the site.



Upon entering the gates, this towering glass building will welcome you. What a nice view huh? Just when I thought it’s one picture perfect – it houses something pala. 





Before I proceeded to that tower, I went to another museum, and more photos and stories about the horrific Cambodian history of Polpot regime surprised me. There’s a film showing for free, too bad wasn’t able to watch it.





Killing Fields Museum



typical Khmer attire

According to history, truck load of prisoners from S21 were brought here in Killing Fields during midnight, or just before dawn. Others were dead already when they reach their final destination. While for some who survived the torture have to suffer a lot more pain in dying.

It was said that some loud speakers were being hung on the trees so as to cover the screaming of the prisoners being killed.


At the back of that towering glass building lies all the graves of the tragic past. Holes at pits open wide, with signages not to walk through them.

Much as I wanted to feel the very fresh air in the area, such traces of mass grave want to make me feel sick.






For my finale, I went to that temple I saw in the entrance. No slippers allowed, so bearing the heat of sun, I left my flip flops and entered and jaaaraaan…

So, just when I thought, it’s a feel-good site… These were some of the skulls recovered from the unearthed mass grave. Whew!

Okay, so maybe this were the reasons why some travelers I read about, don't want to recommend this trip in Phnom Penh. Because this is not really a relaxing site for tourist. I mean, I walked out those exits with a heavy heart, contemplating about how these people were tortured, suffered and died. But it’s quite an experience. Not everyone knows what really happened during this war in Cambodia, and by visiting this museum, you’ll have at least a glimpse of it.
It’s almost four in the afternoon and my stomach was crying for food. I forgot to take my lunch before visiting these two dreadful sites, you think I can still eat? Haha.. Hell, yes.


I hopped back into my tuk tuk service and asked the driver to head on. I was checking my cell phone and saw 8 unread messages. Five from my mom, and three from my boyfriend. I remember, I wasn’t able to text them upon my arrival to Cambodia… I can’t text them back because I’m still using my Vietnamese sim card. So I asked my driver to alight to a mobile phone store so I can buy a new sim card.


Along the way, I saw my all-time favorite chicken food chain – KFC. So I hurriedly stopped my driver and  paid him our tour fee of 10usd and said goodbye.


What’s for late lunch –

KFC 1pc chicken meal for 3usd plus wifi

the untouchables again...

After texting Mama, and Jeriel, I also informed my hotel though text about my arrival in Siem Reap so they can fetch me at the bus terminal.


I killed my time inside the food chain, enjoying free wifi. I wanted to check the Independence Hall of the city, it’s like our Malacaniang Palace, but it’s out of my way going back to the bus terminal.


Past 5pm, I went out of KFC and asked directions back to the terminal. They say, it’s always best to asked the local for directions. A must-try for a solo backpacker wannabe. Yes, as long as you can understand each other, ey? I approached one by-stander and showed him my ticket where the address of the bus terminal was written. Based on his facial expressions, I think he doesn’t know the area exactly, so he called the number of the bus terminal and verified it. Sweet. Once, verified, he referred me to another tuk tuk driver and asked to bring me to the terminal. Driver was charging for 3usd, I bargained just for 2usd and he agreed. Good.



Just like Saigon, Phnom Penh has this love for motorbikes.


I still have 30 minutes to kill before our bus departs for Siem Reap. My back was again complaining about my heavy bag so, I asked the bus terminal clerk if I can leave my bag in their counter, and she said yes. Great.


So I left the terminal, walked around the block, when I noticed just across it was like a tiangge. Some stores were being installed, food stalls everywhere… I think they’re preparing for a night market. So I checked some food, na pwede ko baunin. Assumming I will arrive SR by midnight, so there’ll be no chance for me to have at least a decent dinner.

Much as I wanted to try some exotic local delicacies, I can’t. I don’t want to upset my stomach. I still have to travel six more hours, mahirap na. So I just settled for a breaded shrimp.

While inside the tiangge, can’t help but notice them.

Don’t know if they have to bring the mat themselves or if it’s available only when you’re dining in. I have no much time, even if I want to try that, I opted for a take out.

I also tried sugar cane juice. I must admit, this is my first time drinking pure sugar cane. Just find it amazing how the extract the juice from it. No need for sugar of course. Sweet.

bus to Siem Reap

Thy Kingdom of Cambodia

07.02.2011
Day 3

Crossing the borders of Vietnam and Cambodia was a breeze. Hassle-free for Asians like me compared than those other foreign nationalities because they have to secure visa before entering the Kingdom of Cambodia.

crossing the borders

I met two Pinays while crossing the borders, little did I realized, we were sharing the same bus, only they were seated at the far end, while I'm almost next  to the front seat. They were just as amazed as others when they realized I’m travelling all by myself.


Few minutes after we crossed the border, we had a stop over for a quick breakfast. I joined our kababayan for  breakfast. They ordered some omelette, while I had some hot coffee (15,000 vnd) and paired it with some cookies.

breakfast: tipid mode haha

My  new found friends were in Vietnam for almost a month already. They were actually trying their luck to find a job, but so far, they weren't able to find one yet.


I was really hoping to reach Phnom Penh before noontime, so I can have at least few hours to explore the city before proceeding to Siem Reap, maybe around 3-4pm.


Apparently, the supposed  six-hour drive from Saigon to Phnom Penh made it to almost 8-9hrs. We reached the ferry terminal (more like a ro-ro terminal) at around 10am, plus an hour and half land travel after that.  Whew!

Around 12noontime, I had my first glimpse to Phnom Penh, the city capital of Cambodia. I didn’t know what to expect as most articles I've read were suggesting to skip this part, and just go directly to SiemReap. 

I bade goodbye to my new found friends (I forgot their names, sorry). They’re heading to SR, like me, but they’re taking the next bus, which is around 1245pm. While I still need to explore the city for at least six hours, because I settled for the bus that’s leaving at 6pm – and will arrive SR by midnight. (And will have to wake up the next day at 4am to watch the sunrise in Angkor Wat.. Kumusta  naman..)


I actually have a contact person for my PP city tour, he was charging me for 15usd, Killing fields and Genocide museum is not included. They say it’s far from the city. But that’s where I wanna go. So I started to talked to some tuk tuk drivers. Again, language barriers was a bit of a problem. Good thing there’s this one person who knows how to speak English a little and was able to help me arranged with my tuktuk driver for a four-hour-tour.


I’m not really interested exploring the city. I just want to go to the two memorable and important sites in PP - the killing fields and S21.


So off we go. Here’s to my first tuk tuk ride! (I accidentally deleted my pix for this)


'Twas an awful ride. Imagine your driver had this smell – a very distinct smell of people who has BO… yes.. a very bad BO…and he’s in front of you… and all the air brushing his scent right into your nose… arrghhh…


Finally reaching the Genocide Museum. It was quite a long ride, no wonder, it has a different rate than of the city tour being charged by common tuk tuk guide.


THE TRAGIC PAST OF PHNOM PENH
 

entrance fee: 2usd

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, also commonly known as S21. It used to be an abandoned high school which was used by the Polpot regime as the interrogation camp and was known as ‘the place where people go and never come out.’ *creepiness* According to history, around 20, 000 people entered into S21 and only 7 were able to walked out, alive.

Upon entrance, you will be greeted by a large epitah where it was written the Rules of the Prisoners. Yes, they have rules on how to answer the interrogation or else, they would regret the day they were born.



I never bothered hiring a tour guide inside the museum. My plan was just to do sightseeing and picture taking. I tried entering two to three rooms all by myself, thinking I needed not to be afraid of all these stories or photos on the wall… but each time I set foot on those super scary spooky rooms… goose bumps were in every part of my body.

Imagine yourself, entering a very silent building, in a very quiet room…while watching all this dreadful photos.. nakakapangilabot talaga…

Each room depict a very tragic past.

So to lessen my scary paranoid moments, I decided to join this group of some Caucasians, pretending I’m one of them –  listening to their tour guide.

 

 

Just before I exited the site, I saw these graves. Fourteen graves. They said these were bodies left behind the old school building and were beyond identification because of the bruises and wounds all over their body.

More tragic and horrible stories were explained by the tour guide, pero nakakaumay rin. But as much as ‘nakakaumay’ rin all the stories about Ninoy, on how he suffered on the hands of Marcos – it all meant something to us, as it is to them – to their culture, to their history and to their freedom. 


I think we just have to be thankful, we never have to suffer like this today.

**Nexy stop: Killing Fields

Good morning, Vietnam!

07.01. 2011

Day 2

Saigon Café is strategically located near the beach. I can even hear the waves kissing the shore from my room, especially in the evening. So my cheap fan room was a good choice for a sweet sleep overnight.

room for 6 usd/night

 After I got myself ready, I ordered my breakfast. While waiting for my omelet meal, I took some time walking around the cozy guest house and headed towards the beach.

 It wasn’t a very pleasant view at all. Garbage all over the shore and the smell -  aaugghh!

Took several shots, and observed some fishermen on the shore, before heading back to my guesthouse, where my breakfast awaits me.

breakfast for 15,000 (Vnd)

the unctouchables

I just killed time  inside my room, taking advantage of the free wifi, thank God, Facebook wasn't blocked.

And just before noontime, I checked out and waited for my pick up service from Sinh Cafe.

Travel time from Mui Ne to Saigon is another 6 hours. We’re supposed to depart at 1pm, but there were some delays.

Sinh Tourist office, Muine

Again, I got another window seat (I purposely asked the receptionist to be book me one). But this time, I had this Vietnamese girl as a seatmate. I tried to start a conversation however, much as I wanted to chat with her during the loooong trip, we have this language gap between us. So after saying his and hellos, I started to mind my our business, and tried to find some sleep.

Already in the middle of my dreams when the bus alighted to somewhat a supermarket with a karenderia in it, much like a stopover I think. So I get off the bus, and went to the loo.

While checking some goods in the supermarket, this thing caught my attention. Obviously, that's a snake inside the bottle, it may be a common site for us, but to see it inside a supermarket, is a bit strange. As in normal na paninda lang sya.

After 6 gruelling hours in the bus, we arrived Saigon at around 730 in the evening. It stopped right in front the head office of Sinh Café. 

i think, it's now safe to cross the street

Only in Vietnam

I then hurriedly looked for my travel agency, Viet Vacation Travel. I have yet to purchase my bus tickets to Cambodia, for that night - and that’s another 6-8hours bus travel. They say that's the life of a backpacker, and travelling a sleeper bus is a good alternative to staying overnight in a hotel, only cheaper.

buti na lang, sanay akong tumawid ng kalsada..hahaha

Since it’s the busiest time of the night in District 1 area, I had a hard time looking for the travel agency. I’m tired. My back was complaining already due to my not-so-heavy backpack. So before I drain all the energy in me, I went inside this particular travel agency and asked for a bus ticket to Phnom Penh which I know will be leaving at around 11pm. Unfortunately, they have no available seats for that night. I think, three or four travel agencies more before I was able to secure my PP bus tickets. Much as I wanted to ask for Mekong Express or Sapaco bus, they’re all fully booked so I settled for the never-heard, never read bus service – Kampuchea-Angkor Express for 9usd. (Mekong express and Sapaco Bus are said to be the safest bus overland HCMC - Cambodia).



i don't know how to reload balance to my phone, so i asked to to do it for me...

some street foods

Bus will leave at 1am, so I still have few more hours to kill. Left my luggage in the travel agency, I started my first evening adventure in the backpacking haven of Saigon. First thing in mind is to look for my guesthouse  - Diep Anh Guesthouse.

I’m not checking in yet but I just have to locate them first so I won’t have a hard time looking for them again once I get back to Saigon, from Cambodia.

I was able to find the guest house in one of the many dark alleys along Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien, talked to the owner and checked the room. Now the bad thing was, they were offering me the 20USD double room, when I actually booked for a 13USD single room.  I insisted I’m travelling solo so there’s no need for a double room. Anyhow, I won’t be checking after three more days, so maybe they will have an available single room for me.

again, the untouchables

But just to expand my backpacking experience, I went  to some other guest houses if they have cheaper rooms than that of Diep Anh. Again, all were fully booked. So, I gave up and decided to look for a decent and cheap restaurant for my first official Vietnamese meal. Asian Cuisine.

While eating this one, a familiar song was playing in the background. It’s the ANAK song by Freddie Aguilar, only on it’s English version. Amazing!

While enjoying my nasi goreng, I saw this guesthouse just in front of the restaurant. I told myself to just try this one for the last time.

So after paying my bill, I crossed the alley and entered the place. Much to my surprise, the old man said they have available single room for July 4-7… and it’s just for 12USD. The cheapest among I’ve asked and have been researched through the internet. That’s a private single room, with TV and AC, free wifi and ensuite bathroom. The host asked for one night deposit to secure my reservation  but I paid him full for my three nights stay.  Just to make sure, I won’t be able to spend the money for something else.

Bus left Saigon at quarter past 1am. It’s a sleeper bus with comforter. Comfortable enough for a 6 hour bus ride to Phnom Penh.