This morning, after breakfast, we had a passport check by the Cambodian Border Control. I think this was just to check that we matched our passport photos. It didn’t take very long.
This morning we are going to visit the Killing Fields and the Genocide Museum at Tuol Svay Prey High School. Neither Mum nor I are looking forward to it but we feel that it’s something we have to do.
Last night I watched “PolPot: The Silent Killer”, it’s astounding what was happening in this part of the world that I had no idea about. On the 17th April 1975 the capital city Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot. They immediately implemented one of the most radical and brutal restructurings of society ever attempted. Within days the whole population of Phnom Penh were moved into the countryside to work camps where they were forced to work 12 to 15 hours a day. Pol Pot envisaged an agrarian utopia which would return Cambodia to its’ glory days when Angor Wat was built. Anyone intellectual, foreign or working in the arts was taken and killed in “Killing Fields”, so named after a book with that name was published about the genocide.
Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over in 1975 and turned into Security Office 21, a prison where anyone who was suspected of treachery, or anyone with the same name as one that was suspected, was taken. Over 17,000 were taken to this prison over three years before being taken to the killing fields of Choeung Ek. Many prisoners were horrifically tortured until they confessed.
Picture 1 – The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek
Picture 2 – S21 Prison
There isn’t much I can say about Choeung Ek and S21, they are reminders of Cambodia’s horrific past but, as with the Nazi extermination camps, it’s important that we don’t forget what happened so that we can prevent it from happening in the future.
We returned to the boat for lunch before heading out once more, this time to visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda.
The Royal Palace complex, which is also the location for the Silver Pagoda, is at the centre of Phnom Penh, close to the river. From the outside you can see the brightly coloured roofs and the golden Chan Chaya Pavilion, through which guests enter the palace. We mere tourists entered through a side gate before walking round to the formal gardens at the front of the palace, in front of the Throne Room. These were similar to our formal gardens with paths running between hedged areas of green grass and flowers. It was hot! And with very little shade. The gardens with the backdrop of the gold coloured building was really picturesque.
Picture 3 – Royal Palace
The current king of Cambodia is King Sihamoni Norodom, who is still single at 72! As we walked through the gardens we learnt that the king (or queen) of Cambodia is elected, however all candidates must be of royal blood.
We first visited the Bayon-inspired throne room. This had a long flight of steps leading up to this, the hand railings of which are decorated with Naga’s, seven headed serpents. I would have called them hydra. In addition, the eaves of the throne room are decorated with Garuda, half human-half bird creatures from Hindu mythology. Although we could look into the throne room we weren’t allowed to take pictures.
Picture 4 – Royal Palace
Our last stop before the Silver Pagoda was a room showing items that have been given to the kings of Cambodia with lots of silver elephants, which are a symbol of strength, power and good luck. A a range of coloured traditional dresses that represented the days of the week. Each day has a special colour, starting with red on Sunday, followed by golden yellow, dark blue, light green, dark green, light blue and purple in turn. There was also a traditional style wedding dress worn by the royal family.
Picture 6 – Traditional Dresses and Wedding Dress
We then passed through into the courtyard that houses the Silver Pagoda, also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. On the walls surrounding the courtyard was a huge mural depicting the epic of the Ramayana. This is one of the two great epic poems of India, the other being the Mahabharata.
The poem describes the royal birth of the god Rama, his tutelage under the sage Vishvamitra, and his success in bending Shiva’s mighty bow at the bridegroom tournament of Sita, the daughter of King Janaka, thus winning her for his wife. The poem outlines the details of Rama’s life after he is banished from his position as heir to the kingdom through a palace intrigue, he retreats to the forest with his wife and his favourite half brother, Lakshmana, to spend 14 years in exile. There Ravana, the demon-king of Lanka, carries off Sita to his capital while her two protectors are busy pursuing a golden deer sent to the forest to mislead them. Sita resolutely rejects Ravana’s attentions, and Rama and his brother set out to rescue her. After numerous adventures, they enter into alliance with Sugriva, king of the monkeys, and, with the assistance of the monkey-general Hanuman and Ravana’s own brother, Vibhishana, they attack Lanka. Rama slays Ravana and rescues Sita, who undergoes an ordeal by fire in order to clear herself of suspicions of infidelity. When they return to Ayodhya, however, Rama learns that the people still question the queen’s chastity, and he banishes her to the forest. There she meets the sage Valmiki (the reputed author of the Ramayana) and at his hermitage gives birth to Rama’s two sons. The family is reunited when the sons come of age, but Sita, after again protesting her innocence, plunges into the earth, her mother, who receives her and swallows her up.
Picture 7 – Wall Mural
The Silver Pagoda is so named due to the floor which is tiled with over 5000 silver tiles. These are mostly covered for their protection. The pagoda houses a number of Buddha statues, the most significant being the “Emerald Buddha”, a small Buddha made from, it is believed, Baccarat crystal. This is the reason why the pagoda is also known as the “Temple of the Emerald Buddha”. This is placed on a dais infront of which is a life-sized gold Buddha decorated with over 9000 diamonds, the largest of which is 25 carats. To either side of this are bronze and silver Buddha’s.
Around the walls of the pagoda are dozens more Buddhas as well as examples of Khmer artisanship including intricate masks used in classical dance. The gifts given to the Cambodian monarchs by foreign heads of state appear rather lack lustre in comparison!
Picture 8 – Silver Pagoda
Also within the pagoda complex are a number of stupas, these are shrines housing the remains of passed royalty.
The last place we visited prior to leaving the palace were the stables – not for horses but for elephants!! There are no longer elephants living the stables and they now showcase the equipment used to mount and ride them. Mum made a few new friends (unfortunately they wouldn’t fit in our luggage).
Picture 9 – Our New Friends
Before dinner tonight we congregated in the lounge for tomorrows briefing but also to watch a traditional Apsara dance. Thankfully some of the dancers of this dance did not get killed during the Khymer Revolution and have started to pass the knowledge down. The dancers showed us three dances – the Monkey King and the Mermaid, a love tale between a peasant boy and girl and the Stick dance. It was completely different to our “traditional” dances – ceilidh and ballet. Slower and more statuesque. At the end of the show volunteers were asked to take part in the Stick Dance, a very dangerous undertaking as you have to jump over sticks which are being clacked together. As no-one else seemed to want to do I stepped up – is was just like skipping ropes! The dancers all had lovely costumes.
Picture 10 – Apsara Dance
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