Genocide

No trip to Cambodia would be complete without trying to find out more about the Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge regime led by Pol Pot.  In 4 years 1975 - 79 he managed to exterminate almost a quarter of his population by a combination of executions and starvation achieved by the forced emptying of the cities and moving millions of people into the countryside to create a perfect agrarian economy - and break up any dissent of course. It really was the most pointless genocide ever - and against his own people!! We went to the execution camp where over 30000 people where executed

Including children and babies. Bits of bone were sticking up out of the mud together with articles of clothing of the victims. Perhaps the worst was the killing tree against which the guards beat children and babies to death.

It was a gruesome experience made worse by the total pointlessness of it all.This was followed by a trip to S21 a former secondary school converted into a torture centre where victims were tortured into confessing crimes they hadn't committed prior to being sent to the execution camp. There were still bloodstains on the floor of several of the cells. There are of course parallels with Dachau and Auschwitz in the depths of depravity to which human beings can sink.

Ankle shackles in a torture cell at S21.

Sorry to have dragged you through that with us. 

On a brighter note we have just crossed the border into Vietnam. This was a complete contrast to the frantic Thai border crossing. It was a 200 yard walk on a quiet stretch of road with beautiful views past bougainvilleas to lush paddy fields stretching towards the Mekong river. The main traffic was motorbikes overloaded with huge piles of recyclable trash heading for Vietnam, and equally overloaded huge cart of fresh vegetables heading in the other direction to Cambodia. Very photogenic but we received a stern warning from the border guards for getting cameras out.

Meeting the new Vietnam Exodus team of Chi,  Li and Mr Long just after crossing the border

A green and pleasant land after the relative aridity of Thailand and Cambodia. First impressions of Vietnam are of a much greener thriving country. Kids are great rushing out to greet us with loud 'hello's' and trying to high 5 us.