Tuol Sleng S21 School of torture Genicide Museum

As the bus pulled away from the Killing Fields we are a quiet solemn group, all upset by what we have seen. Our tour guide Tran a very nice gentle Cambodian man, said he would tell us his story of survival as we drive on the next Pol Pot place, S21 the Detention centre in a School., Genocide Museum.
Tran told us he is the son of the Sein Reap Judge. his man in his high position hear whispers of what was to come with the Khrer Rouge Regime , and decided to take action to protect his family, he called all of his extended family to a  and company managers meeting, (most of these family members were lawyers, Doctors, Teachers or officials in Government positions). First he told them that they must drop their 3 syllable name that denoted  their high position in the community, they must adopt a single syllable name, in future they would be called Wan. They must all go home and pack a small bag of goods and come back and head into the jungle in a distant place where none of them were known or might be recognized,  where they would clear a place and construct homes and become subsistence farmers growing mostly rice.It would be a hard life but a safe one. Before they left they must harden and damage their soft white hands, they must be dirty blistered and bleeding, because he had heard that all guards would be checking for soft in door workers hands to send to camps to become slaves or to the detention centre for torture.
This policy really worked, so well that not one person in his family was lost, all survived the war, and the Judge returned to Sein Reap and once again became the Judge, this wonderful man lived to the grand old age of 102 years. 
On hearing this story we all clapped and felt a little better. Just then we pulled in to a quiet street lined with buses in front of the old School, a large 3 story 3 sided  building  with barbed wire fence all around.

S21 is a place I had no knowledge of at all I had no idea what we were going into see.
We walk around to one side and enter a class room  on one side, there are many tourists here and all around the complex. Our guide tells us people were brought to this building to be interrogated and tortured til they admitted that they were 'Spies for the KGB and the CIA" As if any of them were or if anyone at all ever was spies for both.  Absolutely everybody admitted  to this eventually sooner or later, when they could no longer stand the pain or torture. Even when they did admit to being spies or anything else the guards wanted to hear, it was not the end of their ordeal, not the guards started to demand to  the names and addresses of everyone else who was also a spy with them, so the poor unfortunates had to betray every member of their family and their friends and in fact every person they had even known, who were immediately rounded up and brought here for the same treatment.
As many as 20,000 people are thought to have been incarcerated  here, 1500 at any one time.

In this room there is a horrible uncomfortable iron bed with criss cross slats of iron with quite sharp edges, there is also some shackles and an iron ammunition case, there is no mattress on the bed,  it is quite a large room and although we wee not told so I think it was the room where electric shocks were administered to prisoners. And probably  where rape took place. It is not a nice room it had a gloomy feel to it even though its full of people it feels empty.
Then we go along further and into another old class room which is divided into many tiny crude cells by

piling and cementing concrete blocks every 3/to 4 feet to a hight of about 6 feet, there are no doors. Almost every other classroom is divided in this way to hold as many prisoners as possible. There would be no escapes as there was a set of shackles here too and also each had an iron ammunition case .
We are told these ammunition cases were their toilets, which could only be used when given permission, anything produced when permission had not been granted must be re consumed and permission was seldom given. 

The day started for these prisoners at 4.30am when they were all ordered to strip for inspection, severe beatings were inflicted on anyone who tried to disobey any of the rules and orders, of which there were many, signs gave some idea of what was expected of them, and the punishment awaiting them.. Very little food was available for them, starvation was the rule here. The days were full interrogations and tortures and recovering from the same. 
Our guide tells us that killing the prisoners was not what they were meant to do, in fact any  guard who did kill a prisoner was immediately placed in a cell for torture himself, the intention was to inflict as much pain and suffering as is humanly endurable without actually killing them, that was the job of those guards out on the killing fields, and only after all possible information had been extracted from the victim.
We were taken further along the corridor to rooms chock full of screens running full length of the classrooms, full on both sides with thousands of photos of men and women, as every prisoner was photographed for Pol Pots records, so very many of them all empty eyed nearly dead already, terrorfied.
Next classroom was the worst by far I can hardly bring myself to describe it. here a French gentleman has painted very moving pictures of what life was like for the victims. There is a picture of a Mother who has the most beseeching look of anguish on her face as on her knees she begs for the life of her baby who is wrenched from her arms to be killed, behind her cower 2 other little children.  it was deeply upsetting to all the Mothers in the room, as children wee not wanted and were just thrown against the wall or anywhere else to kill them. Around the walls of this room there were many more pictures depicting some of the terrible tortures inflicted on men and women, electric shocks to sensitive parts of the body such as inside the ear, scorpions placed on nipples and other places to sting very painfully, beatings with bamboo sticks,  garden secateurs used to hack off fingers and toes, Hanging up on a gallows by their hands tied bend their backs, how excruciating that would be, and they were bounced like that, when they passed out from pain they were then dumped head first into a drum of liquid manure to bring them round so it could be done again.  I find myself just going awh awh awh how awful how could they, I am sure there were more pictures around the room, and other rooms full of other horrors,  but I couldn't take any more I run outside to take deep breathes of fresh air, with a roaring in  ears from the screams and wails and sobs from all the thousands of poor tormented souls.   Sickened.   Their anguish quite overwhelms me. I might add this feeling stayed with me till only recently, nearly a month after we returned home. Man's inhumanity to his fellow man was never worse than this. It truly was Hell on Earth.

Took me a while to pull myself together again and wander under the trees, I find several graves there and I vaguely remember being told of their significance but sorry I can't recall just why they are there. Maybe someone else will be able to tell me.
I see a small black cat picking its way across the grass with its twisted deformed tail and just think

O Jesus no one escaped their casual, callus,  cruelty not even the cat......

We all sort of stumbled back out to the bus and back to the ship for lunch, is is still only morning and we have been to killing fields and  S21 feels like a long long time. 
I have forgotten to say why Pol Pot was doing all this. He wanted to turn back the clock 900 years to when everything was done by hand by happy servants with no mechanical things to help them at all. So no education just hard work and very little food. He planned to rule over all of them, but first to get rid of anyone with half a brain that might stand up to him. This pretty well my opinion, but about right I think.
After lunch we have a visit to the Kings Royal Palace, light relief!

Pol Pot's Regime, The Killing Fields.

We are up early as usual and prepare to go visit the Kiilling field near Phom Penh, I think know quite a bit about this regime of death because I have read some articles about it at home, but nothing can prepare you for the reality of two million people massacred by their own countrymen and the most gruesome ways  they could think of. A little bit of knowledge is not the same as being faced with the evidence.
We are taken by bus to the fields, as we walk through the gates we see in front of us a tall structure full of shelves full of skulls, mostly damaged skulls, layer after layer of them hundreds to a layer, so many.

But first of all we are led to a sign, that explains what was there before.Like Sam we bow our heads when we read these signs.       Respect.
The sign tells how a building was constructed here of corrigated iron and timber, darkened and with no windows and loud music playing, so folk could not see or hear what was going on before them, because more people were being sent here in greater numbers than the killers could dispose of. They killed about 300 a day every day. Men and women were first made to dig deep holes that were to be their mass graves, then they had to kneel on the edge  and were knocked on the back of their heads with whatever the killers could lay their hands on at the time. These knocks were not meant to actually kill only to hurt and to make them fall into the pits. Deep in the pits men were waiting them to cut their Achilles tendons and slit their wrists before finally sawing through their necks with not a knife or a saw but a piece of a type of fern tree with particularly nasty spikes and thorns that could be used to saw and hack. And so the poor people were slain by their countrymen.
Next sign tells where the shed was that was filled with many types of weapon for killing.

As we were told, no bullets were wasted here.
We are in a large field with many deep depressions where the ground has sunken in. There is a glass cabinet full of recently found bones and clothes that continue to make their way up out of the ground and are collected and kept.














There are a number of of these depressions fenced around and with lots of red Blessing bracelets hanging on them.











There is one that all the bodies were found without heads, because these were men of high rank well known to towns people, so their heads were stuck on poles along the streets to scare the general population.

Another is a mass grave of at least 450 men.

Another is the mass grave of women, all of who were found naked. The poor ladies were not only humiliated and killed but also violated and abused.

Finally we are shown a big tree bent over in shame and covered with red and white Blessing bracelets,  so it looks like the tree is sweating blood. here the guards killed the children, by smashing them against this tree which had big nails stuck in it at the time, until they died.

This tree upset all of us so

very much, there were many tears and prayers for the souls.

Please don't imagine this is the only place these atrocities took place, they happened all over the country. This is just where most are remembered.

Even in the previous town we visited yesterday a town of 3,500 odd people, everyone but 2 people were killed in a wild killing spree when the regimes men roared into the town and hacked everyone to pieces with machetes.The town has recovered, but isn't likely to forget.

Crossing the Border into Cambodia

Today we shall cross the border into Cambodia, and surprisingly it is all going to be done for us. We shall just lounge around o the ship while poor Hung the leader will deal with all the red tape and our passports and our money for visas etc. He said they very rarely ever come over to the ship to check anything, but on this occasion they did. Not much of a problem, they didn't stay long, maybe just wanted to get out of the office for a while. We all get our visa and are through safe and sound.

Before we had the big excitement of the border crossing there was another  big excursion for us .We are to visit Tan Chau, still in Vietnam.




We go there by small boats,past lots of shanty type houses along the river built on stilts, when we land there are rickshaws awaiting us, nice we all enjoy going places by rickshaw, its so leisurely only just above walking pace so you see everything. i took a photo of the local barber at work as we past by and a lovely garden at another place.






A rooster seller in another place

Today we are visiting a family run Silk weaving factory, and boy is it noisy in there and dangerous all the big looms are working flat-out making a big order of heavy patterned material for what looks like curtains, very pretty all in a deep cream colour.

I had said to Erle before we went that we should  buy a silk shirt each as we would never get silk cheaper than at the weavers, however they are not making shirts today, but out the back is a shop selling shirts and blouses and scarves and lots of other stuff, so we select a nice one each 100% silk and only $10US each, it did come out as more like $15US by time exchange is  added but that's an amazing price for a nice silk blouse.
Back in the rickshaw which were not a comfortable as most rickshaws are, along the street to a Sleeping Mat factory. We go past many rattan mats on side of the road with the families rice crop drying in the sun.



 The sleeping mats  are made of  rattan type material all died bright colours, Woven on big nosy looms on site  Erle has some of the bright greet on his shirt to remind him of the visit, as he brushed against a newly dyed bundle of strips of rattan, or long leaves of some kind. They also have a shop selling things but none of us fancy sleeping on a thin rattan mat thank you!








We leave the factory out the back door and walk through houses on poles to lift them above the flood level of the Mekong River, children run after us to say Hello and hope for sweets from us, which we gave freely. Then we walked through rice paddy fields along the narrow raised walking tracks, dodging the inevitable scooters that race towards us. Just as we get back to the boats a sudden gust of wind hit and the guide said hurry, it is about to rain hard, and so it did, but by then we were all under the shelter of the boat.
Still one more stop before the morning is over. It is on to an Evergreen Island in the river, there is a bridge for access too, our long boat docks beside it and we all go for a walk on the island amid the rice feilds and small houses we are taken to the village shop, one of those places that sell everything you can think of. Some og our party buy sweets for the children, insuring our visit is remembered for quite a while. We are told to go talk to people so I went to a house up the street that had 2 full size pool tables in the ground level, which would have to be lifted when the river floods as it does every year. I am invited to sit down in the soft chair and offered a drink, had my own drink bottle which I drank from while I chatted with the few words we know and hand signals. I was made very welcome. The pool tables were their source of income. You can see them under the lean-to beside the green and white house.


A mobile fruit seller soon came to see us hopefully.

Back to the ship for lunch and to rest while Hung does he thing getting us all a visa to Cambodia.
After lunch we can just laze or take cooking lessons or learn fruit carving. I chose to carve fruit and it turned out I was quite good at this. All those years of hand work went I was a book binder helped me make the delicate cuts and slices so to turn an apple into a beautiful bird and a tomato into a pretty rose with cucumber leaves and stalks.
Then we are treated to an Ice Cream Party, yum we are all there for this, about a dozen dif ice creams many yum sauces and another dozen different sprinkles and fancy toppings. I can tell you Coconut Ice cream with choc sauce and star cacheau sprinkles is extremely nice. Pity we can't get coconut flavour at home.
There an important briefing
 with Hung tonight before dinner to tell us what is planned for the next few days and after dinner we are to learn a little about Pol Pot the maniac who killed so many of his country men.
After dinner it is movie night but as the movie is about Pol Pot and his regime we decide to skip it and instead got out the DVD of the movie made around here called the Lovers. it was sexy but ok, not a lot of dialogue.

Visiting Cai Be and Sa Dec Vietnam

Our day starts early as has every day so far, at just after 7am, time to get ourselves ready for our usual big beautiful breakfast before meeting in the lounge at 8.30am put on our lifejackets and board the tender for our trip to Cai Be a small city on the Mekong River where the market is a floating one on a small side shoot of the river. Lots of boats are on the water to sell their wares and they do so by advertising what they are selling by hanging samples of their fruit or vegetables on the end of a long poles and customers use boats to come our and buy from them.
We sail through the edge of this market and land right beside a Gothic Cathedral, all rather colourful and interesting.







Next we we visit a family business where Coconut candy is made. It is very hot inside because there are very hot little furnaces going to cook the candy, it requires high heat and must be stirred frequently. Smells lovely and we can't wait to try some of the goodies. We watch girls handling the freshly made coconut toffee/caramel which is now set is soft blocks, it is cut up into tiny pieces and the girls wrap it so quickly. We have a try but are not very successful.. Then we are served with  green tea and ginger pieces and ofcause coconut candy. Yum it is lovely smooth and sweet. But I decide to buy the ginger Jam pieces, mainly because my tummy is a bit upset and I am sure the ginger will help settle it.
The men then take us aside and show us their special Snake Bite Whisky, it looks revolting with a snake floating in the bottle, The men all try it and survive so the ladies also had a try..... its very strong rough liquor but it goes down ok.
Time to head back to the ship for lunch on the small boat tenders. After a nice lunch we are off again in the small boat, this time we head for Sa Dec this time we visit a brick works, it has been on the same site for many years, decade I would say as there are 2 or 3 old now unused kilns. The kiln are heated by rice husks that are shovelled in through a tiny opening, they burn fiercely and cook the clay bricks and tiles. The burnt remains are dumped beside the river where it will be swept away the next flood.


We watch ladies dragging hand carts full of heavy wet clay tiles to load into the kiln they do so very easily so I had a try lifting 3 at a time like they do and my fingers could not hold the tiles let alone lift them on to the conveyer belt into the kiln. Very hard working women.
Back on the small boat again and we head to Sadec town where there is a huge local market going, selling all the usual fruit and vege and also frog, rats, chicken,snakes, fish of all kinds and sizes.




 In front of us the sell skinned the frog alive, much to our distress and hacked the fish to pieces while still alive, all this offended us greatly and we moved quickly on only to watch chickens having their throats hacked open and left to die in a drum! Such cruelty didn't go down too well with us, but it is their way so just walk away.






This market is in a narrow street still used by cars and scooters as well as all the on foot shoppers and us, it was quite a dangerous place to wander, had to keep your eyes and ears open or you would be mowed down.

We are on route to a special old house that was used to make a movie called the Lovers a true story of the area, a French girl and a high ranking local prince that ofcause was ill fated, very nice well kept old home.
One of the others took my photo in the doorway.

Still we are on the move, next it is to Cao Dai Temple a sacred site for the Vietnamese people. By now we are all tired and hot and bothered, it has been threatening to rain all day but no rain fell, it was just oppressively hot. It was pleasant to be inside the very interesting.Temple






It is still not the end of this busy day, we head back to the ship and prepare for Cocktails hour and a briefing from our tour manager, before dinner on board ship while listening to a talented pianist playing all kinds of music for us. Before finally its time to fall into bed. No worries about whether we sleep or not!

First night on the Amalotus cruise

Our first night on the Amalotus cruise included a big welcome dinner that we are to dress up for, so we did.
A wonderful banquet it turned out to be too, we all enjoyed a wonderful meal with delicious cocktails and good company.
After the beautiful meal we meet the big Tour Manager Hong who gives us a breifing of what we shall be doing over the next few days, he shows us slides of various things along the way. Then he tells us to relax and enjoy a traditional folkloric performance from Vietnam dancers and musicians all dressed in beautiful costumes . It is very good too there was a monkey dancing around among the lady dancers wearing a fancy pottery mask carrying a sharp looking dagger.
 We all linger to watch and some are kind of dragged up to give it a go doing some of the dances.... fortunately not me or Erle!
Was a lovely evening a good start to our Mekong cruse. But quite a late one, for us, plus plenty of wine and cocktails, we shall sleep well tonight.

Our Mekong River Cruise begins.

Today our big river cruise up the Mekong River will start on the 'Amalotus' We have all been looking forward to this, but before we leave for the ship we get to enjoy another big breakfast and then we have one of our freedom of choice activities, for today Erle and I have chosen a nice simple walk around Saigon with a guide who knows the city. At least we shan't get lost!

Quite a few of us have chosen this guided walk, first stop is the Central  Post Office a huge building, with little shops and stalls inside of it, very handy we all have a good look at the wares. I am wishing we had our post cards all written out  ready to send home, but no they are still waiting for us to get a few spare moments, but we enjoyed having a look in this vast Post Office.



Next stop in right across the road the Catholic Notre Dame Cathedral, another amazingly huge building, built by the French as was the PO, in a French style, Church is open and we have a good look inside, its nice and cool inside too.

We see lots of street sellers setting up their wares and small shops that look interesting. Orange ducks hang waiting customers in many cabinets, wonder what they taste like?

To get to the buildings we have to cross streets that are very busy with traffic so it is a great chance to practice our crossing roads in Vietnam  act., like sticky rice we stay together and walk at a slowish measured pace and let the traffic all go around us. It is scarer y but it works.

We are shown the tallest building with a helipad built into the side of it, very modern. No sign of any helicopters today.

We were meant to see the Opera House but we took too long in our wandering so its back to hotel get our suitcases down ready to leave on the buses, 4 of them now, our group has grown from 46 people to 115 a huge number, not going to be able to get to know many of that big crowd, besides they have all been travelling together around China also with APT so they know each other well just as our group does.
Off on the bus and it doesnt take long to get to the 'Amalotus' docked right beside the road, we board and find we have a lovely cabin on the dining deck, we have a nice balcony but it is so hot outside that maybe we shall not is outside for long. This cabin is a lot larger than on the previous ship.
As I am going past the reception I hear Virginia making a booking for a foot massage, so I stop and ask if I can have the next appointment. Such a great idea and I really enjoyed it. My poor sore aching feet relaxed and came alive again. Money well spent, and I have no idea how much cause I didn't bother to ask!
We have to have the manditory Safety drill, so we all had to don our life jackets and race up to the top deck, where we have a safety talk then  return to our cabins take off the jackets and it lunch time our first on board and its a lovely 4 course meal! The food is very nice and tasty, there is a very nice cold fruit flavoured soup that I really enjoyed, never tasted anything quite like it before.

We look out out balcony and see a small long boat with several people preparing masses of food while sheltering under the wharf out of the rain, we were intrigued, they didn't eat it just prepared the vegies and cooked it and then left, so we imagine they must be some of the street sellers, surprising where the food is actually cooked!