16 September 2005 – Phnom Penh

The day started early – at least for me on vacation – with an appointment with Lucky at 7:30. We rode his motorcycle (“moto”) about 30 KM out of the city to Chœung Ek, on of Cambodia’s notorious killing fields. This is my first visit to Phnom Penh and I surprise myself that I did not visit this site sooner.

The ride was longer than I expected with at least ½ the route on dirt roads. Although a little worse for the wear, we arrive at the site without any traffic incidents or close calls.

The site is very simple – a scattering of open pits that, due to the rainy season, are filled with water and vegetation. There is a large modern glass stupa. Inside are hundreds of human skulls, sorted out by age group, displayed on tiered shelving. On the lowest shelf is a pile of ragged clothing, presumably removed from the mass graves as well. It is a shocking, effective, and respectful display.

On the ground around the pits are scraps of cloth which I believe are remnants of the victim’s clothing. Femur bones are arranged in tidy piles near several of the mass graves. A delegation of Vietnamese diplomats tours the site at the same time. The men appear to be my age or older so I presume they recall this happening as young men like myself.

Lucky and I hop on the moto again and head to a place he recommends I visit. It turns out to be a shooting range where I could rent a semi-automatic rifle and target shoot for a small fee. I tell Lucky that his country has seen too much violence and shooting already and that I do not want to add to it. We depart and I don’t think he understands why I am not interested in this activity.

Returning to Phnom Penh city we pass a small lake that appears to be a farming community growing water hyacinth. We stop at the “Russian Market” to do a little shopping. I did find a 14-inch high soapstone carving I like but have no idea how I will get it back to Taipei in one piece. I end up buying two sets of earrings at my favorite charity shop.

Lucky takes me to the riverside and shows me a gaudy new casino being built. This country needs industry – not gambling.

Afterwards, Lucky drops me at a wat (Buddhist Temple) to walk around. The temple area was closed off, but the housing area surrounding the temple was wonderful. There are monks hanging out and chatting. Other residents (all male) were doing their chores. Most were friendly and it was a wonderful spot for photos. A favorite shot was one of a monk sneaking a smoke in his dorm. There were saffron robes hanging out to dry, people playing games, and everyone was just living their humble lives. I wonder what this place was like during the Khmer Rouge period where the monks were persecuted and murdered.

I had lunch at a favorite restaurant called “Friends”. It is a non-profit organization that teaches street kids how to work in a restaurant. There is a long story about how the founders initially established a school but later learned the kids just wanted to learn practical skills they could use to earn money. I had a wonderful humus with sun-dried tomatoes on curried wonton skins and a pineapple and chili margarita. The food was expertly prepared and plated with the staff doing a great job serving.

Spending more time in the city today showed me that more of the colonial architecture is being or has be renovated and restored. Lucky remarked that property values have increased dramatically and that the average Cambodian has a difficult to impossible time affording to buy a home.

There appear to be many Korean people here visiting. Some appear to be on business and some appear to be on vacation. I wonder what type of business they are doing.