Cambodia is a country of such contrasts. There is much to be sad about here and yet there is a distinct sense of optimism and hope for the future among the Cambodians we have met. Most do not want to talk about the over thirty years of war that they endured, the death of 1/4 of the population at the hands of the Khmer Rouge or the millions of Land mines that still sit in wait for innocent victims. As our guide yesterday put it, "we look ahead."
One of the most fascinating places we visited today was not a spectacular temple, although today's temples were indeed spectacular.
Today's highlight belongs to the Cambodian Landmine Museum. I first heard about this museum from my daughter Joanna who visited Cambodia several years ago. I got the distinct feeling from her that should I ever get to Cambodia this is one place I should visit. I am so glad that I did.
The Cambodian Landmine Museum and Relief Facility was established in 1997 by ex-child soldier Aki Ra. As a child soldier fighting first for the Khmer Rouge and later against the invading Vietnamese, he laid many land mines. After years of fighting he returned to the villages in which he planted thousands of mines and began removing them, by hand, and defusing them with homemade tools.
In 2007 the government ordered Aki Ra’s museum closed. He was allowed to move it to a new location 40 kilometers from Siem Reap, near Banteay Srey Temple, inside the Angkor National Park. A Canadian NGO, the Cambodia Landmine Museum Relief Fund, founded by documentary film producer Richard Fitoussi, raised the money to buy the land and build the Museum. Most of the funding was provided by a movie director from California.
The facility currently houses a 4 gallery museum as well as being the home to 27 children. Originally all the children at the facility were landmine victims. Today the facility cares for children who suffer from a variety of physical, emotional, and familial difficulties. Some of their stories, told in their own words, are posted on a wall in the museum.
After visiting this sad, yet very optimistic place we headed back towards Siem Reap. Along the way we spotted a Butterfly Centre and decided to stop. For $4.00 we had a great tour around the grounds and saw all the different stages in the life cycle of the butterfly. We took pictures of many beautiful butterflies and flowers before hopping back in the tuk tuk for the ride back to our hotel.
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