Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields are located in Phnom Penh. As you can imagine, with a name like that, they're not the most cheerful places to visit. Yet, as gloomy as they are, these are the place I would recommend not missing when you are in Phnom Penh.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

I would suggest you start your visit at the Museum. The building was a school at first. It became a detention and torture center named Office S.21 in 1975 under the Khmer Rouge regime. It was then transformed into the museum it is today.

(Photo Credit: Explorer Cambodia)

Out of the 20,000 prisoners incarcerated here, only 7 survivors were found.

On the day of my visit, a photographer for the regime and a survivor were present. It was interesting to hear how, despite being on two opposite sides of the regime, they both held the same fears. When asked about whether he felt empathy for the victims, the former photographer said there was no place for that. He only had one thought "Do your job well or you will end up on the other side".

The tyrannic regime had previously been hailed as savior by the nation. That was when the Khmer Rouge first took power after years of civil war. It didn't take long to see that nobody would be safe from the regime, as paranoia grew within the party. Educated, non-educated, politicians, students, men, women, children, elderlies and foreigners. Nobody was safe.

To think that the leaders of the party, upon their arrests, pretended not to know of the existence of this prison and of the torture and killing taking place!

(Photo Credit: Explorer Cambodia)

Today the museum honors the victims by showcasing the pictures of about 5,000 of them, written documents and some paintings created by a survivor. The museum is an eerie place with the pictures arranged neat and tidy rows and the skulls in displays. As for the people in the pictures, some of them are defiant, desperate and some others are smiling because they know they have done nothing wrong and they expect to be freed as soon as the misunderstanding is cleared. And yes, some of them are children.

(Photo Credit: Explorer Cambodia)

When I was  visiting I could hear the cries of an animal in the distance, which gave me chills and prompted my over active imagination to create scenes in my head.

Killing Fields

Side note: I have included many disturbing facts in the rest of this post. If you are of a sensitive nature, you might not want to keep reading.

Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda

Ok, here too, I have had problems with my camera (recurrent thing isn't it) so, sadly, my next photo will be for Siem Reap only.

Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda of Phnom Penh

One of my pet peeve about any attraction is not being told when a major portion is closed off. If I know, than I can decide either to go in or to go another time. That is what happened here. I went to the Royal Palace, once I paid my entry and actually made my way in the site, I realized big portions were closed off including the throne room and the garden. Forget about having a refund or any sympathy from the staff.

This being said, I can't tell you much about the Royal Palace portion because I didn't linger here too long. However, this is what I know: the Royal Palace is both a symbol of the country and the residence of the king. During the Khmer Rouge regime, it also served as a prison to the king and his family.

(Royal Palace, Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Apart from the palace, there was still quite a bit to see. The Silver Pagoda was quite nice with many objects on display. Problem is, it's so crowded that it's hard to really stop to look at anything. The name of the pagoda comes from the 5,329 silver tiles that cover the floor. Each tile was handcrafted and weighs 1.125 kg. However, the beautiful tiling is mainly covered up by musty carpet.

(Silver Pagoda, Photo Credit: Angkor Focus)

The primary Buddha, to which the pagoda owes it's proper name, is the Emerald Buddha. It is claimed that the Buddha is not actually made of emerald, but rather of baccarat crystal. In front of it stand another Buddha, the Buddha Maitreva (Buddha of the Future). It is a 90 kg sculpture encrusted with 2,086 diamonds, including a 25 carat diamond in the crown and a 20 carat diamond in the chest. The exhibit contains many more items, including a relic of Buddha (a piece of finger if I remember correctly).

(Emerald Buddha, Photo Credit: Samsara Shmamsara)

As you walk around the ground you can see a few stupas containing the ashes of King Ang Doung, King Norodom, King Suramarit and Queen Kossomak, and of Princess Kantha Bopha.

However, as you continue walking the grounds you can see other cool stuff. You can have a sit down in other praying areas, that are mostly deserted. There are also some cool little exhibition rooms further in, including a portrait room that I really liked.

You can read more about the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda here.

Looking back - Borneo

Now, I'm pretty excited to write about this part of my trip, because I doubt anything will ever come close to what I experienced here and even less what I experienced in Borneo as a whole.

I had not planned to come to Borneo, I had not planned to climb a mountain, to trek in the jungle and certainly not to scuba dive. On top of it all, once I had bought my ticket, I learned that a travel advisory had been emitted, which recommended to avoid travel in all the areas of Borneo I wanted to visit. I thought about it for as long as I could and finally decided to disregard the advisory, while exercising as much caution as I possibly could.

The only problem is that everything I wanted to do required money. Finally, I decided that in the worst case scenario I would go home early. Going home early would be better than traveling while never actually doing what I wanted to do.

I learned a lot about myself in the time I spent here. About what I liked. I gained confidence in areas I might have been lacking. I established with more certainty what I like to do when I travel and what type of travelers I get along with best.

It's hard to describe, but this part of my travels was not only one of the best adventure I have been on, but it was quite an eye-opener and I learned a lot about myself here.

Scuba Diving in Mabul

After the mountain climb and the jungle trek, it was time to scuba dive. So, I made my way to Semporna in the Tawau district, where I was to take a boat to Mabul Island. Now, I will admit that I wasn't really excited at that point. What?!! Yes, I know...

I was more anxious than anything. To top it off, aboard the boat were a diving master and another couple... You know the picture perfect type? Two tall blond confident and carefree European doctors with a ton of dives under their belts? Even the sea wind (which had turned my hair into one epic knot) just made them look more radiant. And the more radiant they looked, the more uncomfortable and insignificant I felt. The sillier I felt about my anxiety, the worst it got. By the end of the ride, I wasn't even sure why I was there in the first place.

The Jungles of Borneo

One thing that made me quite sad were the jungles in Borneo. I had the chance, or misfortune, to see their state first hand. Let me tell you it's not pretty. I learned after going to the jungle river cruise that  the reason we saw so many proboscis monkeys is that there is so little jungle left for them to go to. Orangutans, elephants and many other precious animals are facing the same conditions. All the beautiful Bornean forests are being cut down and replaced with palm tree forests exploited mainly by Chinese corporations.

Supposedly, in the '60, Borneo was the richest states of Malaysia because of the exportation of dipterocarp trees for timber. Now, Borneo has turned to palm trees, which are used in foods, fuel and cosmetics, even if it means destroying one of the world richest natural habitat. It is estimated that 80% of Borneo's rainforest is now gone which has some pretty catastrophic effects on both Bornean fauna and flora.

While Palm Tree Plantations appear to be the main culprits, logging and mining follow quickly behind. Tourism also has a part to play when it comes to areas being leveled down to put up resorts. This is one good example why ecotourism initiatives are so important.

As I talked with Siew Te Wong from the Sun Bear Conservation Center, I asked why the government was not taking more actions to protect the very important ecology of Borneo. It mainly comes down to economical reasons. Can you really convince the government that the revenues from ecotourism could compare to the revenues of the palm tree plantations? I understood there are some political reasons as well, as most of the palm trees plantations now belong to the Chinese.

As individuals, you can participate in projects like Adopt An Acre from the Nature Conservancy where you basically help buy rainforests around the world to protect them from exploitation. After seeing up close the devastating effects of deforestation, I know this will be on my list of things to do when I come back home.

Sightseeing in Sandakan

Again, due to camera problems, no pictures in this post :( I know, I know. I'll just try to put extra nice ones when I next can.

Firefly Cruise

This particular tour was organized by the owner of my hostel in Sandakan. So me and a few travelers from the hostel got on an hired boat and headed out to a more secluded place. We passed one village where houses are painted certain colors to indicated the genealogical line, to avoid genetic problems due to inbreeding.

We enjoyed a few snacks on the way and finally the captain cut the engine. We were where we were supposed to be. The first part of this tour aimed at experiencing the silence of the jungle. The insects were making quite a ruckus louder and louder as the sunset approached, and then nothing. It was like an invisible signal had been given and they all became quiet. Well... all except a few rebels here and there.

Once darkness was upon us, the fireflies slowly started coming out. I expected more of them, but they were quite shy that night it seems. You can't really control nature, that's why it's so amazing to be out there. Still a few brave ones come out, one even decided to chill out on my head. That was fine by me.

We stayed there enjoying the silence for a while before heading back.


Sim Sim Village

The Sim Sim Village is basically a fisherman village made of houses on stilts in the water. These houses are linked together by a wooden walkway. When taking the walkway, you should be careful. It doesn't appear to be the safest construction with traces of rotten wood. I tried walking on the support beams.

As you walk around, you see children running on the walkway. I don't know for you, but I was just hoping really hard they knew how to swim. They probably do, although I didn't see any actively swimming.

I was invited into the house of the sister of my driver, where she had some pearl bracelets and necklaces on display. She had many beautiful children and her house was so pretty and spacious. Almost made me jealous, I was really impressed!

I really loved the opportunity to meet her and her children. They were truly kind and charming.

I also saw a very strange thing while I was there. You know those big bird cages? Well, imagine that as a living habitat for cats. Cats in birdcages... I was told it was because cats are considered precious and they don't want them to fall off the walkways and drown. It just struck me as very strange.


Puu Jih Shih Buddhist Temple

I really wished I didn't lose the pictures of the temple. I mean, I did get here after it was closed, so I couldn't see inside, but the outside was quite impressive on its own. There were big statues, each representing different figures. They were all lined up and lit up in the dark.

I can't tell you much about the temple, as I didn't actually get inside, but I can tell you that one thing I didn't expect was to see the Nazi Cross on them. Then again, of course, that wasn't it.

The Swastika, or in German the Hakenkreuz, is a symbol that can be found in many ancient civilization around the world. Prior to WWII, the Swastika was sometimes used as a good luck charm. All this, before it became the symbol of fascism when the Nazi Party made it its symbol.

It remains widely used in Indian religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism.

Fish Dinner by the Water

Another one of my stops was a small fish restaurant that was recommended to me by the owner of my hostel. My driver for the night took me there and served as my interpreter and as, he liked to put it, my security. However, I should clarify that I never felt like there was any risks in being there.

The place reminded me of a few places I had been to in the Philippines. The fish was delicious and so fresh. I ordered a bit to much food, but it was really excellent. Among the best fish I have ever ate.

I don't remember the name of the place, but it should be easy to find. Around the Sim Sim village, there are two restaurants: the tourist one and the local one. Pick whichever one you want, but I really liked the one I went to, that is to say the local one.

Places that I didn't get to see, but had hoped to visit: The English Tea House and Agnes Keith House.

Sandakan Memorial Park

Now don't be too upset, but for some reason at this point my camera decided not too record any pictures I have taken. Yet, I'm sure you can bear with me despite the lack of pictures.

Sandakan Memorial Park

So after all the wildlife, it was time for some sightseeing. My next stop was Sandakan Memorial Park, which I had a bit of trouble finding with buses. What ever would have I done without the help of locals?

While this is set in a beautifully landscaped park, it does little to ease the chill created by the horrifying accounts of the treatment of British and Australian POWs at the hands of the Japanese between January and August 1945. These prisoners had been captured during the Battle of Singapore in 1942 and had been relocated to Borneo to work on an airstrip. Conditions were very poor for them with scarce rations and medical attention as well as general mistreatment.

I had never heard of the Death Marches until my visit here. These series of three forced marches took the prisoners from Sandakan to Ranau. In total, 2,345 prisoner died during these ordeals. It is believed that all remaining prisoners were shot about 6 days after the actual end of the war. However, six Australians managed to escape and survive - four of them long enough to give testimonies in front of tribunal. Their escape would probably not have been possible without the help of the Bornean Resistance and the Filipino guerrillas. The resistance fighters of North Borneo seems to be an overlooked subject, but you can read a bit about it here.

Reading these testimonies and looking at the honor roll was the most disturbing part of it all and even the beauty of the park can't really warm you up after learning all of this. 

Six Survivors

Left to right, starting from the top: Lance Bombardier William 'Bill' Moxham, Gunner Owen Campbell, 

Bombardier Richard 'Dick' Braithwaite, Private Nelson Short, Warrant Officer Hector
‘Bill’ Sticpewich, and Private Keith Botterill

You can always read up more on the actual fact on Wikipedia, but I recommend this article and this one as well for a more personal account. If you are really interested, you can also read a longer account here.

As I final note, I do wonder why allied forces bombed the camp when it was clearly indicated that there were POWs stationed there?

between January and August 1945.