This morning I visited the Genocide Museum (Toul Sleng) in Phnom Pehn with my new Dutch friends Corine and Sabine. We had had a rather deep discussion with ‘the group’ last night about whether to go or not or whether it was best to go sooner or later. We decided to brave it. Toul Sleng used to be a high school but was turned into a secret prison during the Khmer Rouge regime only about 30 years ago. Absolutely thousands of people were interrogated, tortured and murdered there in the worst conditions imaginable and it has been turned into a horrifying educational site. It really has an eerie feeling about it and was very harrowing indeed. Again, words can’t really describe it and I took no photos at all. I think the images there will be ingrained on my memory for a long time. It was fascinating though and it shocked and amazed me (even though I have read lots about it already) what human beings can do to each other. Horrible!
To clear my mind of the graphic horror of the museum I went to have a traditional massage this afternoon. Now when I hear the word massage I imagine tranquil music, aromatherapy, sweet smelling oils and gentle soothing motions releasing and easing tension. Well, not Cambodian massage. We paid $3 for an hour of an intense work out! And that was just the masseur! We kept fully clothed and the masseur literally pummelled my whole body black and blue. He used his fingers, hands, elbows, knees and feet to push by force all the knots and tension out of my limbs and back. It was quite honestly acrobatic. I think I may be slightly heavier than the average Cambodian female so some of the lifts (yes lifts) may not have been strictly traditional but saying all that and despite the odd painful elbow in the calf muscles, I did thoroughly enjoy it and left feeling like I’d had 8 hours sleep and at least 2 inches taller. Heaven!
And then we went out for dinner in a tuk tuk...
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