Happy Halloween!

So I'm seeing how the Camodians do Halloween today... and they don't. That's not a big suprise, though. After talking with my group members, it sounds like the US is really the only country that gets into Halloween as much as we do. So I think tonight will consist of going to bed early so that I can wake up for my 6am bus ride into Vietnam! We're going to end up in Ho Chi Minh City tomorrow afternoon... I'm so excited to go to a new country! Cambodia is really wonderful, but I think we've seen most of what there is to see. I'm sure we could go deeper, but I'm happy with what we've done :).

Today was a bit of a somber day... we visited the killing fields where 20,000 Cambodians were killed in the genocide. We also visited an old school building that was turned into a prison/torture chamber. The Pol-Pot Regime started a genocide in order to eliminate all potentially threatening people from Cambodia, (the Regime wanted ultimate power, so they considered anyone who was educated, or from a family where someone was educated, as dangerous). So, they gathered up as many educated Cambodians and their families (even the babies), and took them to the school house... renamed S-21. We had a tour that took us through all of the rooms. They converted school classrooms into chambers for people to stay, the chambers were literally about 3 feet x 4 feet, and each one had a chain attached to the ground where they would keep the prisoner stationary. They showered only once every two weeks, and were allowed to empty their waste at the same time. They even had to ask a guard for permission to turn from their left side to their right when they were trying to sleep. It was horrifying to see what the Regime did to those prisoners... completely inhumane. It was amazing to see who the guards were in the prison, too. Just 10-14 year old boys who had been brainwashed to think what they were doing was right. They were uneducated boys, too (which was ideal for Pol-Pot because the guards were not a threat). So... it was an eye-opening day, and really powerful to be right where all of that had occured... just 30 years ago! It makes you appreciate being born in a Country like the US, that's for sure.

As I said, tomorrow we're going to head over to Vietnam. We have quite a few days there... I'm excited to see what it's like. We have 4 people leaving from the group at that point, and we are also getting a new tour guide. I'm excited to see who will join the group, but it's hard to imagine it being any different than it is now... our group is great! Also, Kakada, our tour guide, is the best I could imagine. He gives us every bit of information we could possibly ask for, and more. But I'm sure the next one will be just as good.

I hope you all have a happy halloween!! Eat lots and lots of candy for me! Especially Milky Ways. PS Mom, thanks for the milky ways you stashed away in my bag... I have one especially saved for today :). I miss you all!