Day Three: December 30th (S-21 and Spider Village)

By Karsen Lineberger and Meghan Simpson

Today began with an additional exploration of the history of the Cambodian Genocide. We started off by visiting the Genocide Museum at the site of S-21.  The complex was a former school, but during Pol Pot’s regime it was turned into a detention center where 20,000 Cambodians were interrogated, imprisoned and tortured by the Khmer Rouge. Our experience was heartbreaking, but insightful because we were able to interview two of the survivors. Through seeing the conditions of the jail cells, the photos of the victims, and hearing the firsthand accounts, we were truly able to understand the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime. 

Students are somber as they listen to the experiences of Chum Mey.

Bou Meng is another survivor who bears witness

Chum Mey, one of seven men who survived S-21

One of the victims who was tortured and killed. The Khmer Rouge took photographs and kept extensive documentation.

Room after room is filled with photos of victims.

Many prisoners were shackled to the floor, unable to move

Chum Mey's prison cell


After, we boarded our bus for the six-hour-long journey to Siem Reap. On the way, we stopped at Spider Village and were greeted at the bus doors with live tarantulas. Some of us were feeling adventurous and held a tarantula and even ate spider legs, but others were not as fond of this pit stop.

Gianna and Farah enjoy the local tarantulas.

Karsen samples a fried tarantula

Lunch at a local woman's home.

We then headed to lunch with a local Cambodian family. We had homemade noodles, soup and fried rice at their home. We were able to see chickens, puppies, and their garden. Then, we traveled the remaining three hours to Siem Reap, and on the way, we listened to music and bonded. We said goodbye to Long, who has been our tour guide for three days and has made our trip both fun and meaningful. We had dinner at a local Italian restaurant and saw a glimpse of the local night market which we will explore more later on in the week.   Tomorrow, we meet the students and teachers at the local schools!