Temperature: 29 Degrees Celsius
Track of the day: 'Little Lion Man,' Mumford and Sons
I can't believe we lost our camera." I say as we fly between Malaysia and Cambodia, "we've been backpacking for almost a year straight and we left it in an airport," I add 
incredulously. "Oh well," Alecs says, "there's no use crying over spilled milk. We have an extra camera and your parents can give us their photos from Malaysia," he adds. Still frustrated, I try and look on the bright side - we will be landing in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia in a matter of minutes. We cruise through immigration and catch a couple taxi's straight to our hotel - The Pavillion - where Alecs and I stayed during our last visit here 9 months ago. Sam, Alecs and I check into our room while mom and dad head over to theirs. While we have a beautiful large room with two bedrooms, a spacious balcony, teak wood floors and a 42" plasma TV it pales in comparison to the room mom and dad are in. The three of us wander through reception and past the large hotel pool to the exact room Alecs and I stayed in during our holiday here last March. This room was our refuge and after spending most of our 3 month journey in $7-10/night hotels staying here was beyond what we could have imag
ined, and it still impresses us. We enter the room and immediately head for the large wooden french door leading to a secluded private patio where looming banana trees and lush foliage surround a good sized private pool for the five of us to enjoy. We immediately jump in the pool to cool off and spend a good chunk of time doing so until finally we decide to head out for dinner. Outside the hotel we scan the street for a c
ouple tuk-tuk's and are flagged down by a pleasant looking man who quickly commandeers another tuk-tuk and we all head to the main strip along the river. "How about this place," I say checking out the menu of a nice little eatery with huge comfy chairs outside where we can feel the warm breeze under the night sky. We settle into a table and order some grub and some Angkor Beer. "Sam, you are going to love Angkor Beer," I say as he pours everyone a glass, "this is one of the very best beer's I've ever had," I add. Sam quickly grows a fondness for Angkor Beer and it soon becomes a staple with every meal. After dinner we arrange to have our drivers pick us up tomorrow and take us to the Toel Sleng Prison and the Choeng Ek killing fields around 10am - giving us plenty of time for a morning swim.
incredulously. "Oh well," Alecs says, "there's no use crying over spilled milk. We have an extra camera and your parents can give us their photos from Malaysia," he adds. Still frustrated, I try and look on the bright side - we will be landing in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia in a matter of minutes. We cruise through immigration and catch a couple taxi's straight to our hotel - The Pavillion - where Alecs and I stayed during our last visit here 9 months ago. Sam, Alecs and I check into our room while mom and dad head over to theirs. While we have a beautiful large room with two bedrooms, a spacious balcony, teak wood floors and a 42" plasma TV it pales in comparison to the room mom and dad are in. The three of us wander through reception and past the large hotel pool to the exact room Alecs and I stayed in during our holiday here last March. This room was our refuge and after spending most of our 3 month journey in $7-10/night hotels staying here was beyond what we could have imag
ined, and it still impresses us. We enter the room and immediately head for the large wooden french door leading to a secluded private patio where looming banana trees and lush foliage surround a good sized private pool for the five of us to enjoy. We immediately jump in the pool to cool off and spend a good chunk of time doing so until finally we decide to head out for dinner. Outside the hotel we scan the street for a c
ouple tuk-tuk's and are flagged down by a pleasant looking man who quickly commandeers another tuk-tuk and we all head to the main strip along the river. "How about this place," I say checking out the menu of a nice little eatery with huge comfy chairs outside where we can feel the warm breeze under the night sky. We settle into a table and order some grub and some Angkor Beer. "Sam, you are going to love Angkor Beer," I say as he pours everyone a glass, "this is one of the very best beer's I've ever had," I add. Sam quickly grows a fondness for Angkor Beer and it soon becomes a staple with every meal. After dinner we arrange to have our drivers pick us up tomorrow and take us to the Toel Sleng Prison and the Choeng Ek killing fields around 10am - giving us plenty of time for a morning swim.After our included hotel breakfast of baguettes, scones, two eggs, a tray of fruit, coffee and fresh fresh fresh juice and quick dip in the pool we are all excited to head out into the bustling city capital. Our first stop ha
s us wading through a sea of landmine victims into the former Toel Sleng S21 Prison turned Genocide museum where around 20,000 people were held before execution. Despite having been here before the gravity of what happened to Cambodia so recently (1975-1979) has not lost it's affect. In mid-1975 Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge party came to power with the idea to create an agrarian civilization forcing city dwellers to relocate to the countryside to work in collective farms and forced labor projects renaming this 'year zero'. The combined effects of slave labor, malnutrition, poor medical care, and executions resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1.7 to 2.5 million people, approximately 1/4 of the Cambodian population. At any one time, the S-21 prison held between 1,000-1,500 prisoners. They were repeatedly tortured and coerced into naming family members and close associates, who were in turn arrested, tortured and killed. We silently walk through the former interrogation cells used for prisoners deemed to have valuable information. Vietnamese photographer Ho Van Thay was the first media person to document Toel Sleng prison to the rest of the world. He and h
is crew followed the smell of rotting corpses to the gate of S21. Inside he found 14 contorted bodies chained to beds, lying in pools of their own blood. These prisoners were killed by guards upon liberation by the Vietnamese and today Van Thay's photographs hang grimly in each cell painting a far too graphic image of the travesties committed here. The museum holds photographs of hundreds of the victims and paintings by one of the 14 known survivors depicting the torture and life in prison. A day in the prison began at 4:30am when prisoners were ordered to strip for inspection. Guards checked to ensure shackles were not loose and that prisoners were not concealing weapons they could use to commit suicide. The prison had very strict rules, and severe beatings were inflict
ed on any prisoner who tried to disobey. They were often forced to eat human feces and drink human urine. Every prisoner brought to S21 was forced to sign a confession and tortured until they did so. We enter a room filled with many of the former torture devices alongside paintings by survivor Vann Nath depicting their usage. Prisoners were routinely beaten and tortured with electric shocks, searing hot metal instruments and hanging. Other methods 
for generating confessions included pulling out fingernails while pouring alcohol over the wounds, holding prisoners heads under water, water boarding and rape. Although many prisoners died from this kind of abuse, killing them outright was discouraged since the Khmer Rouge needed their confessions. Once a confession was given the Khmer Rouge would then hunt down anyone related to or affiliated with that person for extermination. Before leaving the prison we read a simple yet powerful poem by Sarith Pou about life under the Khmer Rouge regime:
s us wading through a sea of landmine victims into the former Toel Sleng S21 Prison turned Genocide museum where around 20,000 people were held before execution. Despite having been here before the gravity of what happened to Cambodia so recently (1975-1979) has not lost it's affect. In mid-1975 Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge party came to power with the idea to create an agrarian civilization forcing city dwellers to relocate to the countryside to work in collective farms and forced labor projects renaming this 'year zero'. The combined effects of slave labor, malnutrition, poor medical care, and executions resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1.7 to 2.5 million people, approximately 1/4 of the Cambodian population. At any one time, the S-21 prison held between 1,000-1,500 prisoners. They were repeatedly tortured and coerced into naming family members and close associates, who were in turn arrested, tortured and killed. We silently walk through the former interrogation cells used for prisoners deemed to have valuable information. Vietnamese photographer Ho Van Thay was the first media person to document Toel Sleng prison to the rest of the world. He and h
is crew followed the smell of rotting corpses to the gate of S21. Inside he found 14 contorted bodies chained to beds, lying in pools of their own blood. These prisoners were killed by guards upon liberation by the Vietnamese and today Van Thay's photographs hang grimly in each cell painting a far too graphic image of the travesties committed here. The museum holds photographs of hundreds of the victims and paintings by one of the 14 known survivors depicting the torture and life in prison. A day in the prison began at 4:30am when prisoners were ordered to strip for inspection. Guards checked to ensure shackles were not loose and that prisoners were not concealing weapons they could use to commit suicide. The prison had very strict rules, and severe beatings were inflict
ed on any prisoner who tried to disobey. They were often forced to eat human feces and drink human urine. Every prisoner brought to S21 was forced to sign a confession and tortured until they did so. We enter a room filled with many of the former torture devices alongside paintings by survivor Vann Nath depicting their usage. Prisoners were routinely beaten and tortured with electric shocks, searing hot metal instruments and hanging. Other methods 
for generating confessions included pulling out fingernails while pouring alcohol over the wounds, holding prisoners heads under water, water boarding and rape. Although many prisoners died from this kind of abuse, killing them outright was discouraged since the Khmer Rouge needed their confessions. Once a confession was given the Khmer Rouge would then hunt down anyone related to or affiliated with that person for extermination. Before leaving the prison we read a simple yet powerful poem by Sarith Pou about life under the Khmer Rouge regime:"No religious rituals.
No religious symbols.
No fortune teller.
No traditional healer.
No paying respect to elders.
No social status. No titles.
No education. No training.
No School. No learning.
No books. No library.
So science. No technology.
No pens. No paper.
No currency. No bartering.
No buying. No selling.
No begging. No giving.
No purses. No wallets.
No human rights. No liberty.
No courts. No judges.
No laws. No attorneys.
No communications.
No public transportation.
No private transportation.
No travelling. No mailing.
No inviting. No visiting.
No faxes. No telephones.
No social gatherings.
No chitchatting.
No jokes. No laughter.
No music. No dancing.
No romance. No flirting.
No fornication. No dating.
No wet dreaming.
No masturbating.
No naked sleepers.
No bathers.
No nakedness in showers.
No love songs. No love letters.
No affection.
No marrying. No divorcing.
No marital conflicts. No fighting.
No profanity. No cursing.
No shoes. No sandals.
No toothbrushes. No razors.
No combs. No mirrors.
No lotions. No make up.
No long hair. No braids.
No jewelery.
No soap. No detergent. No shampoo.
No knitting. No embroidering.
No coloured clothes, except black.
No styles, except pyjamas.
No wine. No palm sap hooch.
No lighters. No cigarettes.
No morning coffee. No afternoon tea.
No snacks. No desserts.
No breakfast {sometimes no dinner}.
No mercy. No forgiveness.
No regret. No remorse.
No second chances. No excuses.
No complaints. No grievances.
No help. No favors.
No eyeglasses. No dental treatment.
No vaccines. No medicines.
No hospitals. No doctors.
No disabilities. No social diseases.
No tuberculosis. No leprosy.
No kites. No marbles. No rubber bands.
No cookies. No Popsicle. No candy.
No playing. No toys.
No lullabies.
No rest. No vacations.
No holidays. No weekends.
No games. No sports.
No staying up late.
No newspapers.
No radio. No TV.No drawing. No painting.
No pets. No pictures.
No electricity. No lamp oil.
No clocks. No watches.
No hope. No life.
A third of the people didn't survive.
The regime died."
Stop number two has us at the Choeung Ek Killing Fields - the
location of mass graves containing 8,895 bodies discovered at after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. Many of the dead were former inmates in the Toul Sleng prison. As we walk around it's hard for us to imagine the atrocities committed here. Today the killing fields seem serene, a small pond in the middle, large palm trees, lush green grass but fragments of teeth, bones and scraps of clothes littler the ground next to empty mass graves where bodies once laid. In order to save ammunition, the executions were often carried out using hammers, axe handles, spades or sharpened bamboo sticks. Some victims were required to dig their own graves; their weakness often meant that they were unable to dig very deep. A large memorial stupa stands in the centre where hundreds of skulls sit on display categorised by age - babies 0-5, women 15-20, men 70-100 - these skulls represent such a small number of the people killed by the Khmer Rouge. Toel Sleng Prison and Choeng Ek Killing fields are notorious for 
the heinous acts committed there but every Cambodian has a story - everyone lost someone to starvation, disease, overworking, disobedience, having an urban accent, looking Vietnamese, Chinese or Thai and no one has yet to be punished. The S21 prison director, known as 'Duch' is currently on trial with a verdict expected to be reached by this March. He has however asked to be released after the trial claiming he too was a victim and forced to run the prison as he did. It is expected he will receive 40 years in prison but for the Cambodian people there is no punishment that can undo what was done.
Until next time so long,
location of mass graves containing 8,895 bodies discovered at after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. Many of the dead were former inmates in the Toul Sleng prison. As we walk around it's hard for us to imagine the atrocities committed here. Today the killing fields seem serene, a small pond in the middle, large palm trees, lush green grass but fragments of teeth, bones and scraps of clothes littler the ground next to empty mass graves where bodies once laid. In order to save ammunition, the executions were often carried out using hammers, axe handles, spades or sharpened bamboo sticks. Some victims were required to dig their own graves; their weakness often meant that they were unable to dig very deep. A large memorial stupa stands in the centre where hundreds of skulls sit on display categorised by age - babies 0-5, women 15-20, men 70-100 - these skulls represent such a small number of the people killed by the Khmer Rouge. Toel Sleng Prison and Choeng Ek Killing fields are notorious for 
the heinous acts committed there but every Cambodian has a story - everyone lost someone to starvation, disease, overworking, disobedience, having an urban accent, looking Vietnamese, Chinese or Thai and no one has yet to be punished. The S21 prison director, known as 'Duch' is currently on trial with a verdict expected to be reached by this March. He has however asked to be released after the trial claiming he too was a victim and forced to run the prison as he did. It is expected he will receive 40 years in prison but for the Cambodian people there is no punishment that can undo what was done.Until next time so long,
Alecs and Meg in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
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