A whirlwind trip to Phnom Pehn

By: Kathryn Rose

This week I was lucky enough to be able to tag along with the UGA Journalism students on their trip to Phnom Pehn. It was a quick trip, only 2 nights, but I know the students got a lot out of it, and it is something they will not soon forget. The focus of the trip was to see the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng prison from the Khmer Rouge. So it was not a fun, relaxing trip, but as journalism students these were an important few sites for them to see.

The journey started at 8:30am with all of us piled into a 25-seat bus. The AC was on, the students were pumped and we left right on time.  About an hour into the trip we stopped for some roadside snacks, Cambodian style. All of the students tried bamboo sticky rice, which is made with rice and red beans cooked over hot coals inside of a piece of bamboo. The result is some delicious, semi-sweet rice that comes in a handy container. Everyone loved it, and then it was back to the bus for another hour or two until lunch. After our lunch stop, we needed some more Cambodian snacks. This time the snack was not as tasty; we stopped at a popular roadside stop to try fried bugs. Yummy! I passed on this snack, but good thing Narla was on hand to show the students the proper way to eat a fried tarantula, cricket or cockroach. About half of the students tried parts of bugs, but no one was brave enough to eat an entire giant spider.

Now that the kids were nice and full, we powered through to the city. They had a fancy dinner all planned for the FCC (Foreign Correspondents Club), which is right on the Mekong River and was the former meeting place for all journalists in the area. They were really excited to get a nice dinner out in such a unique spot.

The next day was our tour of the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Our day started with the Killing Fields, which was a very somber spot. There is a small but very informative museum and movie to introduce guests to the history of the field, and then we were free to explore the area. The memorial that was built in the 80’s is full of skeletons that were excavated from the mass graves, and many people come to pay their respects to these victims.  We toured the field with our guide first, and then split up so that each student could be alone with their thoughts in such an historical site. The bus ride to lunch was very quiet this time, as the students processed what they just saw. Thousands of people were executed in this one field, and only some of the mass graves have been unearthed.

We made our way to lunch at Friends International, and amazing NGO and restaurant that helps get children off the streets and into real jobs. They are given the opportunity to learn the hospitality business and earn a living wage. Mr. Chum Mey, one of only 7 survivors of Tuol Sleng prison, joined us for lunch. The students had so many questions for him about his life before, after and during the Khmer Rouge, and he was very open and honest with his answers. A few of the students are doing their in depth stories on things related to the Khmer Rouge, so hopefully his insight leads to some amazing articles.

After lunch Mr. Chum Mey led us through Tuol Sleng, where he was a prisoner for about 2-3 months. Seeing the cell he was put in and the room where he was tortured was very intense. I can’t think of another word to describe the experience, it was just so eye opening to see someone that survived where so many thousands before him did not. Only 3 of the 7 survivors are still alive today, so I am glad we got the chance to meet him. I know walking around with Mr. Chum Mey impacted the students, and it would have been a much different tour had he not been there to share his first hand account.

After such a full day, we gave the students a few hours to decompress before dinner out. We took them out to Vietnemese food at Ngon Restaurant, which is a fairly new restaurant in town. The service was questionable, but the food was all pretty good. We had a really fun time all being together for dinner, knowing we had another long drive home in the morning. Some of the students (and leaders…) had a fun night out at a few local beer gardens and clubs, which made our bus ride home that much longer.

All in all, it was not what I would call a fun few days, but I am really glad I went with them. I learned a lot, I got to know some of the students better and saw a new part of the country I have been living in for about 7 months now. I know the students got a lot out of the trip, and it will surely be impacting the stories they are writing.