Day Muay

Today was our first full day in Cambodia, and already we've shared a bevy of new experiences. We were able to speak a little (really, really little) bit of Khmer, and were fortunate that most of the tuk tuk drivers speak English.
We started our day with a cyclo tour of Phnom Penh, including Independence Monument and the Bodding--the home of many of the Cambodia Living Arts dancers. The cyclos are similar to rickshaws--one passenger seated in the front, powered by a bicycle. The seats were open, and we traveled on the main roads already filled with motos (motor scooters, which seem to be the most popular form of transportation here), cars, and trucks, which made for a harrowing ride, but gave us an amazing perspective on the city. I respect the cyclo drivers, who carried us--seemingly effortlessly-- around the city in the full heat of the day.
We walked through Wat Phnom, a temple that lent its name to the city, but our tour was abbreviated due to renovations. Despite being somewhat of a tourist attraction now, with a ticket booth for foreigners, it is still a fully operational temple.
Our next stop was Tuol Sleng (also known as S-21), the detention facility where 20,000 supposedly anti-regime Cambodians and others were held, tortured, and killed during the Khmer Rouge time in power. I am not easily disturbed, but seeing the actual facilities that housed such terrible atrocities was far too much for me. I've heard about what went on there, even done research on the regime, but walking through the cells, it really hit me what happened here. Some of the most graphic descriptions of the prisoners' suffering came in the form of paintings, created by a man who escaped death by painting for the officers. I find it intriguing that he is able to revisit those experiences in such detail. Notwithstanding the emotional toll, the results are striking and create a sense of the despair felt by the detainees. Also included was a photographic exhibit featuring mugshots of prisoners and an educational feature (most likely for school groups), indicating that Cambodia is eager to educate the next generation about what has happened in their nation's past.
Above the barbed wire-topped walls, one can see the vibrant colors and hear the sounds of city life going on. Tuol Sleng is located in the center of the city, though it was nearly uninhabited while the Khmer Rouge was in power. I find it difficult to believe that 30 years ago, everything was wiped out, and the vibrant culture and arts all had to be rebuilt from the ground up. Abstractly, I thought of Cambodia as a victim of genocide and cultural destruction, but here in the country, few signs of it are present. Everyone is very friendly, and even though many people are living hungry and in extreme poverty, there is a general positive feeling among the people we've encountered.
Our next stop, at the Bodhi Tree restaurant provided a much-needed lightening of the mood. On the breezy deck of a French Cambodian style home, we ate lunch and convinced Arn to join our water glass orchestra. We walked to the Cambodian Living Arts recording studio (furnished with equipment fitting of the masters who play there by Peter Gabriel) and heard some samples from the six CDs that CLA has produced featuring traditional, modern, and fusion music.
A spur of the moment plan then took us to a dance performance outside the city. The performance space was beautiful, drawing inspiration from the Bayom temple, and demostrated just how much interest there is in the arts and culture. There was a very small audience, allowing us an intimate view of the dancers. Even with no prior explantation, the story was easy to grasp.
We finished our day on the balcony of the Foreign Correspondents Club, overlooking the Mekong River and the nighttime cityscape. With the exception of some minor dehydration, we are all healthy as can be, and are eagerly awaiting the events of the next twenty days. Tomorrow, we leave for Kampot and another day of new experiences.

Written by Will Corban.