We started with the capital of Cambodia: Phnom Penh where we learned so much about the country's history (genocide) as well as culture. We learned that from 1975-1979 there was a genocide, where 3 million Cambodian people were killed. This was done by a Cambodian organization called the Khmer Rouge who believed they were performing cultural cleansing, which really meant killing all the educated families (students, teachers, doctors, etc.) They forced everyone to leave the cities and live/work in the country side. The goal for the Khmer Rouge was to bring the Cambodian people to their farming roots. Many Cambodian's died from starvation, tortured to death, killed by gunshot or different method. It's hard to believe this only happened 37 years ago. We met some older Cambodian people who told us stories of how they saw their families murdered in front of them, extremely difficult to hear and can only imagine the trauma it caused.
While in the capital we visited the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center where innocent Cambodians were taken to be tortured as they were suspected of being spies. We also visited the killing fields which is where prisoners were taken to be killed. Up to 300 prisoners were killed per day in the killing fields.
Another thing we learned is that Cambodia has a big problem with sex trafficking. There was one organization in particular that we found inspiring which is called Sisters of Cambodia. This is an organization that runs a coffee shop, spa and clothing store and only employs women who want to escape working in the sex industry. This organization provides them with a safe work environment and fair pay. They also provide educational and counseling programs for the girls. We found that there were many charitable organizations within Cambodia that are aiming to empower youth and get them off the street. Other than that, we visited the Royal Palace which is where the King actually still lives. We ended our stay in the capital city with a beautiful and unique traditional Cambodian dance show.
Our next stop in Cambodia was Siem Reap where we visited the infamous Angkor Wat along with many other beautiful temples such as Bayon Temple, Ta Prohm (where Tomb Raider was filmed).
We loved hanging out on "Pub Street" where there were endless bars and clubs selling draft beer for $0.50! We visited the War Museum where they had a great display of guns, tanks and information on wars within Cambodia in the 20th century.
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