I really LUV this country.. because it's cheap even though we need to use USD $. What i remembered, `Akun' = Thank You. After this trip, I've decided to make travelling as one of my serious hobby. The Khmer people, they look very aggressive/ fierce, but actually they're nice like the normal Asian. Only 4 ladies traveled this time :)
When we arrived at Phnom Penh International Airport, we went to Sihanoukville 1st. Sihanoukville is located on the coast of Cambodia, about halfway between Thailand and Vietnam, on the bay of Thailand. It's locally know as Kampong Som. It's also the main port for the country. The travelling took about 2hr30mnt. Thanks to one of my friends who have contact with the people there (Neary Ratha Sen's family @ Morm).
Phnom Penh International Airport
The Khmer Language
LUV the Tuk-Tuk
Sihanoukville Town
Sihanoukville Port - We're here to attend an event held by Cambodia Govt & US Govt for Cmdr. Michael Misiewicz
Attended the cocktail party at the same ship
View of Sihanoukville Beach
I'm Malaysian!!! :)
Stayed @ Seaside Hotel, Sihanoukville
One of the orphanage house in Sihanoukville
This is the main road from Phnom Penh - Sihanoukville
Phnom Penh
Am proud to see Malaysia flag at Nagaworld Hotel
Our Cambodian friend, Morm (on my left side)
With Cambodian Military Police
At one of the village
One of the popular Cambodia artist (can't remember his name) & Morm
Lovely husband & wife
Nagaworld Hotel
Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21): Prior to 1975, Toul Sleng was a high school but under the Khmer Rouge, it was used as a torture facility. The building now serves as a museum and a memorial. Photos of some of the victims as well as paintings by a survivor hang on the walls.
*I can't even smile and felt sorrowful. Really hope that I won't need to face this kind of things in my life*
The Victim's Grave (background) - The 14 victim's corpses have been found by the army forces of the front. Union of salvage national Kampuchea, through the building "A" and carried its to bury in this place. Among of those corpses, there was a woman victim. These victims were the last one who had been killed by the agent of S-21 before their fugitive.
Russian Market
The Independence Monument
The Royal Palace Park
Background of the National Museum
Cambodia Water Festival
Choeung Ek Memorial (The Killing Fields): The extermination camp Choeung Ek is about 15km from Phnom Penh in the South-West. It implicated in the organisation of the biggest security centre of Kampuchea Democratic in Pol Pot regime under the name S-21. S-21 had its headquarter at Toul Sleng prison. All the victims (peasants, workers, intellectuals, ministers, Khmer diplomats, foreigners, women, children...) detained and tortured during interrogating at Toul Sleng, were later sent to Choeung Ek for liquidation. A lot of population and Pol Pot soldiers of the Eastern zone were also sent there since May 1978. Towards the end of 1980, 86 out of 129 mass graves were unearthed in this extermination camp and 8985 corpses were found. A stupa has been erected to preserve their remains and also to commemorate the death of the Kampuchea people under Pol Pot regime
On the wall, it's written: Would you please kindly show your respect to many million people who were killed under the genocidal Pol-Pot regime.
Juvenile female Kampuchean from 15 - 20 years old
Truck Stop: The place where trucks transporting victims to be exterminated from Toul Sleng prison and other places in the country, stopped. Trucks would arrive 2 or 3 times a month or every 3 weeks. Each truck held 20 - 30 frightened, blindfolded and silent prisoners. When the truck arrived, the victims were led directly to be executed at the ditches and pits or were sent to be detained in the darken and gloomy prison nearby. After January 07, 1979, one truck remained but it has since been taken away.
The dark & gloomy detention: Was the place where victims transported from Toul Sleng & other places in the country were detained. Usually when the truck arrived, the victims were executed immediately. However, as the number of victims to be executed was increased up to over 300 per day, executioners failed in attempt to kill them within a day. That is why they were detained for execution for the next day. The detention was constructed from wood with galvanized steel roof. Its wall was built with two layers of flat wood were to darken and also prevent prisoners from seeing each other. Unfortunately, the dark and gloomy detention was dismantled in 1979.
Some of the victims
Wat Phnom: A small hill crowned by an active wat (pagoda) marks the legendary founding place of Phnom Penh . The current temple was last rebuilt in 1926 and received a facelift in 1998. Legend has it that after a particularly heavy flood, a wealthy woman named Daun Penh found a tree on the banks of the Mekong with four statues of Buddha hidden inside. She built a temple in 1434 to house the sacred relics.
Lady Penh
Cambodia - Vietnam Friendship Stupa
Attire of Cambodia people
The bridge behind : About 2 weeks before this photo were taken, there's a big tragedy happened during Cambodia Water Festival. At least 340 killed during stampede (Nov 22, 2010) - Diamond Island, a small island owned by a local bank and equipped with a newly built conference and exhibition centres, restaurants and entertainment areas.
Background of Mekong River
* I've read biography book:
Author = Loung Ung (First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers & Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites With The Sisters She Left Behind) *
Siem Reap, wait for me!!!
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