Phnom Penh, Cambodia 2016 — Carol & Scott On The Road

What a fantastic visit to Cambodia and Laos! Our visit exceeded our high expectations for a unique trip during the short spring break holiday (March 2016). To share some of our photos and experiences, we will post 3 blog postings - 1. Phnom Penh, 2. Siem Reap, 3. Laos.

Our first stop was Cambodia's capital city of Phnom Penh. During our visit to Phnom Penh we had a chance to learn a lot about the unique history of the country. Phnom Penh is the political and economic center of Cambodia, making it the most populated city and and fast paced. The Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with a Prime Minister that has ruled for 25 years. Theravada Buddhism is the official religion, practiced by more that 95 percent of the population with over 4,000 monastery temples throughout the country.

While in Phnom Penh, we visited several sites that were significant to understanding the more recent history of Cambodia. In particular we learned about the period of time following the Vietnam War when the Khmer Rouge emerged as the leading political power. The Khmer Rouge planned to bring the nation back to a "mythic past", the desire to stop aid and influence from abroad, which was in their eyes a corrupting influence. Religion was banned, education eliminated, all political & military leaders killed, along with leaders of industry, journalists, students, teachers, doctors, lawyers, etc. As a result the Khmer Rouge tortured and killed an estimated 25% of the population caring out the Cambodian Genocide from 1975 until 1979. During these 4 years, the population dropped from 8 million to 6 million. The burial sites, which were discovered after the Khmer Rouge was removed from power, are known as "The Killing Fields".

Even with such a troubled recent history, we were so impressed with how friendly, happy and content the Cambodian people are. In this blog we share photos of our visits in Phnom Penh to, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, Central Market and National Museum, Wat Phnom.