Wednesday 27 September 2017

Day 3

Day Three: 27/9/17

Today opened our eyes to Cambodia's past, providing us with a new perspective on the country. We started off with a breakfast of bread and fruit in the Pastoral centre that we are currently staying at. By 7:30 we were on our way to the S21 museum, where we learned about the horrors of the Pol Pot regime. Our guide, Mr Lungdi, openly provided us with a understanding of Cambodia's past and how it has shaped the country today. The S21 museum was originally the torture prison of the Khmer Rouge. It was one of many prisons in which 3 million innocent Cambodians were interrogated, tortured and murdered. After the confronting visit to the museum, we travelled to a local cafe where we met Sokhany, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge. She was happy to openly share her experiences as a 17 year old female living through Pol Pot Era. After lunch (which consisted of a range of food from pizza to spring rolls), we journeyed to the Killing Fields. During the Khmer Rouge, the Killing fields were used as a location for mass murders. We were guided by an audio tour, which took us around mass graves, a lake, and a stoupa, where remains of victims are kept. Overall, the stories we heard and the sights we witnessed provided us with a new view on Cambodia's past. They have allowed us to appreciate the simple things we have and the opportunities we are given.

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