Phnom Penh

We arrived in Phnom Penh on Thursday evening and had an interesting weekend learning more about Cambodia’s sad history, visiting the sights and spending time with Erin and Cam. We also met some new friends, who I would get to spend the week with while we all went out to build houses in rural Cambodia (more on this later).

Erin and I traveled through PP ten years ago and out of anywhere I have been fortunate enough to visit again in the past two years, PP has, undoubtedly, changed the most. I can remember arriving in PP, young and naïve that first time, thinking ‘how can this be a capital city if none of the streets are paved?’ Time has done wonders for PP – the people are slowly healing from their horrendous history and the city is vibrant, green and a great spot to spend the weekend. We were shocked by the international goods and full supermarket shelves – a very different sight than we are used to in HCMC. And like I thought ten years ago, I still relished in the smiling, friendly faces of people, many of whom are the only surviving members of their immediate family.

‘Everyone over the age of 30 has a story to tell here.’

Janne Riske, founder of Tabitha Cambodia

PP is a city of contrast – an incredible gold-coloured palace and the horrific photos of the victims of Tuol Sleng, renamed Security Prison 21 (S-21). Then there are the roadside vendors selling barbequed bats and cockroaches outside of the lovely river front balcony of the FCC (Foreign Correspondence Club). We took it all in during our weekend trip. We visited the Royal Palace from where we could view the King’s residence (it is the Kingdom of Cambodia after all) and saw the Silver Pagoda. We found our TZ3 Lumix camera at Central Market and felt that purchasing it ‘used’ there was ok since ours was ‘lost’ a couple months earlier down the road in Siem Reap. On Saturday, we took a car out to Choeung Ek which is better known as the Killing Fields. It was here that almost 9000 people were executed and discarded in open graves. The stoopa, which is made up of row upon row of human skulls, is a strong reminder of the genocide. How something so terrible could happen in our lifetime is horrifying. Our guide had lost his parents, uncle and brother – at 17 years of age, he escaped. But it was obvious, he would never escape the horror of seeing family and fellow Khmers killed during the genocide. We went to Tuol Slong or S-21, the high school turned prison and torture centre for the Khmer Rouge. Like the Killing Fields, S-21 is not a happy place. We were lucky to have Caleb with us and his constant chatter and waving brought smiles to many people at a spot that very rarely sees a dry eye. We enjoyed drinks overlooking Tonle Sap at the FCC balcony where we arrived (almost) in time for happy hour. Could we wait a few minutes to order half price drinks?! For sure! When everyone else went off for dinner, we walked down the main street to the night market – a local, family affair. An entire section of the market was lined with mats where families enjoyed their dinner from the various stalls. We hopped in a tuk tuk to get back to our hotel.

On Sunday morning, I said farewell to Kevin and Caleb who traveled back to HCMC and I got in a van with 10 other volunteers to head southwest of PP. We would stay at the Kirirom Hillside Resort for a few nights and from here, commute to a local village to build homes. Our goal is 16 homes, which these Khmer families have saved a lifetime for ($30 is the amount each family must save to pay for their home). Tomorrow the hard work begins…

Caleb's first tuk tuk ride.

Mom and Caleb at the Royal Palace with the 'puppy'.

At the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek monument.

Erin and I visiting the Tuol Sleng Museum for the second time. The first time we were there was almost exactly 10 years ago.

Family tuk tuk ride.