down by the mekong

Friday: to the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum. All three attractions are like miniature versions of their equivalents in Thailand, but none disappointment. I very much liked the calm yellow and white of the buildings in the Palace, and noticed that they kept the use of Buddha statues to a minimum.

During the day I managed to learn more about the King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk, who I think bears a passing resemblance to Yoda from Star Wars. A six times married, octogenerian, film-maker, who's produced more kids than a couple of hamsters in the mood; he makes quite a contrast to his accountant-like Royal equivalent in Thailand. He also lives in China, not Cambodia, and abdicated a year ago (for the second time) causing a constitutional crisis, and is now known as the 'King Father.' Here's a link to his personal website which is very popular but makes very little sense:

http://www.norodomsihanouk.info/

Check him out you must.

Saturday: a general wander of the streets and then on to the Mekong Bank, the post office, and finally to Happy Herb's Pizza by the riverside. I had a large pizza and then went back to my hotel for a long lie down. The meal itself was notable primarily because the waiter spilt a can of coke over my groin as he was bringing my food over. Didn't look good. While I was chomping away I noticed 'Mr Bean' on the restaurant television. People were pointing, 'Mr Bin, Mr Bin.' He seems to be very popular.

Sunday (today): to the Independence Statue, and Tuol Sleng Museum (of genocide). The latter was chilling. During reign of the Khmer Rouge (1975-79), Tuol Sleng High School was turned into the largest detention and torture centre in the country, and thousands were sent to their deaths from here, and a good many were killed on the premises whilst being tortured for information. It's an eery place to visit, even in the afternoon sunshine. The kids classroom's are divided into tiny wooden cells, the gym equipment has been made into a make-shift gallows, and barbed wire is strewn all around the buildings and outer walls.

What has shocked me most is learning that bullets were deemed too expensive for murdering 'enemies of the revolution,' and so soldiers began slowly bludgeoning victims to death on the killing fields with iron polls and knives; the victims murdered often for something as simple as singing a song, wearing a pair of glasses, or speaking a foreign language.

The museum side of things is pretty bare, but to very good effect. In every room are either one or two torture devices and/or displays of black and white ID photos of the several thousand murdered from here. Some of the faces look defiant, some look frightened, some tearful, but for the most part they look blank, emotionless, and resigned. There is also an exhibition of paintings drawn by a survivor in one classroom. They're not very good, truth be told.

Finally, and changing subject: I want to keep a record of all the books I read during this trip so here is an update. As I've already mentioned I've been through The Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy and The Comedians, but since then I've also read The Green Man by Kingsley Amis, and have just started reading The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth.