Wanting some time to myself again I’ve wandered over to the other restaurant next to the hotel. It’s on the same side as where I was yesterday, but it’s so small that I didn’t notice it at first. French Fries and Garlic Bread on their way.
It’s difficult to write about today.
This morning we went to church. We boarded the bus we hired for the day and were going along just fine when the driver pulled over and mounted the kerb in front of a long green metal fence. At the end of the fence was an alley running slightly down hill for a couple of hundred metres. It was an alley in the Oliver Twist-slum sense, and down it we went. At the end of the alley was an open area for the four or five railway lines running along it. We turned left and followed the lines for only a hundred metres or so and we found ourselves in front of one of the slum-looking places with a sign on the front proclaiming Jesus as Saviour and advertising itself as a church. Down the steps to our left were 25 or so children who waved excitedly and said “Hello!”
Some of us spent time with the children, acting out bible stories and teaching songs (with the help of a patient interpreter). Then some of them sang for us too. Inside the church the atmosphere was open and cheerful. Musical accompaniment was in the form of a young man handling two fancy keyboards worth of backing – drums, chords and melody. Singing was poor but very heartfelt. People interacted with each other and the speaker throughout the service. The “passing of the peace” turned into a morning chat. The people were all friendly and happy to be there, and happy to chat afterwards.
We didn’t realise straight away, but the hut we were in was on stilts over the river! At the back was a door with a view over the green water to the other huts on he other side, and up and down and around the bend. “Morning Glory” was growing behind one hut, and there was rubbish under another. Some children came paddling past on a large mattress-sized piece fo foam, laughing and having a great time.
This afternoon we visited the memorial museum and killing fields of S21. S21 was a high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a prison and torture-house, and the killing fields is the place 15kms out of town where the prisoners were taken to be killed. Over 20000 people were estimated to have gone through S21 and there are 7 known survivors. The killing fields have a monument holding 8985(?) skulls of bodies that have been dug up. Less than have of the “mass graves” area has been dug up and even walking around the grounds you see and walk on lots of surfacing bones and clothing that haven’t been excavated.
S21 itself is very unpleasant. Some rooms have been left as they were found, with torture implements sitting on steel bed frames. Other levels of the buildings have the makeshift brick cells – too small to lie down in – still erect in what was once a classroom. Quite a few levels contain photos of all the people taken through, and paintings of some tortures. There was no gender or age discrimination on the part of the tormentors. Elderly folk as well as children were all photographed and imprisoned, to be killed soon if lucky.
“EU Food”
next to “Golden Gate Hotel”
Phnom Penh
Cambodia
It’s difficult to write about today.
This morning we went to church. We boarded the bus we hired for the day and were going along just fine when the driver pulled over and mounted the kerb in front of a long green metal fence. At the end of the fence was an alley running slightly down hill for a couple of hundred metres. It was an alley in the Oliver Twist-slum sense, and down it we went. At the end of the alley was an open area for the four or five railway lines running along it. We turned left and followed the lines for only a hundred metres or so and we found ourselves in front of one of the slum-looking places with a sign on the front proclaiming Jesus as Saviour and advertising itself as a church. Down the steps to our left were 25 or so children who waved excitedly and said “Hello!”
Some of us spent time with the children, acting out bible stories and teaching songs (with the help of a patient interpreter). Then some of them sang for us too. Inside the church the atmosphere was open and cheerful. Musical accompaniment was in the form of a young man handling two fancy keyboards worth of backing – drums, chords and melody. Singing was poor but very heartfelt. People interacted with each other and the speaker throughout the service. The “passing of the peace” turned into a morning chat. The people were all friendly and happy to be there, and happy to chat afterwards.
We didn’t realise straight away, but the hut we were in was on stilts over the river! At the back was a door with a view over the green water to the other huts on he other side, and up and down and around the bend. “Morning Glory” was growing behind one hut, and there was rubbish under another. Some children came paddling past on a large mattress-sized piece fo foam, laughing and having a great time.
This afternoon we visited the memorial museum and killing fields of S21. S21 was a high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a prison and torture-house, and the killing fields is the place 15kms out of town where the prisoners were taken to be killed. Over 20000 people were estimated to have gone through S21 and there are 7 known survivors. The killing fields have a monument holding 8985(?) skulls of bodies that have been dug up. Less than have of the “mass graves” area has been dug up and even walking around the grounds you see and walk on lots of surfacing bones and clothing that haven’t been excavated.
S21 itself is very unpleasant. Some rooms have been left as they were found, with torture implements sitting on steel bed frames. Other levels of the buildings have the makeshift brick cells – too small to lie down in – still erect in what was once a classroom. Quite a few levels contain photos of all the people taken through, and paintings of some tortures. There was no gender or age discrimination on the part of the tormentors. Elderly folk as well as children were all photographed and imprisoned, to be killed soon if lucky.
“EU Food”
next to “Golden Gate Hotel”
Phnom Penh
Cambodia
posted by Tim at 4:35 pm
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