Killing Fields - Angkor Museum

We toured Killing Field at Wat Kessaram monastery where thousands of people were killed by the Khamir Rouge between 1975 & 1979 in a Genocide that was condemned worldwide. Notice the real skulls & bones inside the shrine. We were amazed when our guide told us that the locals prefer to forgive & forget, rather than dwell in the past. Jack said that those that were perceived to be the most likely to speak out against the Khamir Rouge were executed most often. These were the educated - teachers, doctors, etc, so that’s why it took the country so long to recover. Next we visited the Angkor National Museum where we learned about the cultural heritage of the Khmer Kingdom. We saw the largest collection of Buddhist statues in the world, & learned about 4 important kings. Our guide, Jack, told us many interesting things about Cambodia as we travelled by bus. 80% of people are farmers, most grow rice, vegetables. Minimum wage is $150 US a month. Teachers make around $300 US depending on their seniority. Tourism is still relatively new. 400+ hotels in Siem Reap area. Population around 1 million. Gas is 90 cents a litre. In the pm we joined the optional tour to Babteay Srei temple grounds, originally built in 967 AD. The intricate carvings in sandstone are still quite amazing to see in person. They are completely exposed to the elements. We stopped along the road to watch a local family make rice noodles. They make them for a lot of their neighbours who drop in daily, mostly for lunch. We got to sample fresh noddles in homemade broth. On the way back to Siem Reap we drove by a night market. Many locals including this family of 5 travelling on a small scooter! We ate at a local restaurant for dinner.Read more