It’s not the prettiest capital or quirkiest, it’s not one I would move to like I could all the others but I’m only really here for the genocide museum and killing fields which I did today. An English girl called Emily was on my group and she was lovely and chatty. She’s ended up being solo and isn’t sure how she’s finding it so I said she should come nestival as well as I’ll be there. Hannah is Canadian and also on my tour who was also lovely! I invited her also.

I wouldn’t say the genocide museums were as harrowing as autchwitz, but maybe because auchwitz is closer to home? But it was really sad and eery to walk around the old school where they kept everyone. It was odd because the school is bang in the middle of the city with all noise going on around it, sort of like the twin towers. It is really sad though, they killed 25% of their population in only 3 years because if someone signed a false confession (literally like being a spy and knowing members of the CIA when half the people didn’t even know what the CIA was) not only they would be killed but all their family and anyone they know. Their dictator was nuts and so paranoid. Also they didn’t kill them by shooting coz it was too expensive so they used blades and machetes. The killing field was awful because where it’s so recent they still have bones and clothing come up to the surface in rainy season and have to remove the items from the field. There was also a specific tree they used to kill babies which made us feel sick. Apparently once Vietnam ran the communist party out and helped set up a new government, because Vietnam helped set the government up United Nations wouldn’t acknowledge the new party, they STILL acknowledged pol pots party!! Which is nuts and makes me think did they know at the time what he did? Because why would you acknowledge the party and let him have a seat at the UN. They recognised his party for ages and provided funding and he just lived out in the jungle in Cambodia and lived until 73! Outrageous. At the prision as well they have a few survivors there. Only 12 survivors came from that prision and it makes you realise how recent it was because they’re not that old. So so sad. I had lunch with the girls (hummus and dip and had the rest for dinner - feeling a bit sick so taking advantage of it, still feel sick this morning actually) then had a long long nap. Then I met Hannah on the rooftop for a drink but I could’ve just stayed in bed again as it’s not somewhere I’m fussed about being out of a night for. I’m also obsessed with my book and don’t want to put it down!
I’m trying a bit harder here as it’s my first stop to find people going a similar way to have ‘base’ people as I didn’t have that in Vietnam and think I’ve done well haha even if it’s only for three weeks! Nice to see people again