Going to Killing Fields and staying there alone for several hours just with the electronic guide in my hands was one of the most impressing things I did in my journeys. Thinking about this place still makes me crying. Without a place like that you cannot understand Cambodia and its people at all. And you cannot understand if you stay there just for 20 minutes because it is the atmosphere of the place you have to dive in.
We have been to the Hoa Lo prison in Hanoi a couple of times over a number of years with different people that have been staying with us and we have also been to the Phu Hai Camp and the Con Dao prison on Con Dao Island. I think the history behind both of these prisons is worth telling because it is not just recent events that have made them appear on the visitors list. The Americans had a brief involvement on Con Dao and I don't know if this is talked about very much. We also did a trip to Bali and we had our young adult children with us and their earliest memory of Bali was hearing about the Kerobokan prison and the cannabis in the boogie board bag. They asked if we could go past the prison to see it and our private driver was reluctant due to traffic, timetables etc. When we didn't protest he said we could go past on our way back to town. He then explained that his reluctance was because his son was incarcerated there. He explained what his offence was and how it had affected his family and how many times he visited. It was a very sobering drive-by.
I think all of the history of a country, while not always pleasant is worth knowing. If you are booking a prison tour then you're not just getting the front desk and reception area, if so, you have done your money. If you are not interested in going to a tourist attraction, you don't book it. It is not for everyone. Thanks again for your newsletter, Craig McKenzie
Going to Killing Fields and staying there alone for several hours just with the electronic guide in my hands was one of the most impressing things I did in my journeys. Thinking about this place still makes me crying. Without a place like that you cannot understand Cambodia and its people at all. And you cannot understand if you stay there just for 20 minutes because it is the atmosphere of the place you have to dive in.
Hi Stuart,
We have been to the Hoa Lo prison in Hanoi a couple of times over a number of years with different people that have been staying with us and we have also been to the Phu Hai Camp and the Con Dao prison on Con Dao Island. I think the history behind both of these prisons is worth telling because it is not just recent events that have made them appear on the visitors list. The Americans had a brief involvement on Con Dao and I don't know if this is talked about very much. We also did a trip to Bali and we had our young adult children with us and their earliest memory of Bali was hearing about the Kerobokan prison and the cannabis in the boogie board bag. They asked if we could go past the prison to see it and our private driver was reluctant due to traffic, timetables etc. When we didn't protest he said we could go past on our way back to town. He then explained that his reluctance was because his son was incarcerated there. He explained what his offence was and how it had affected his family and how many times he visited. It was a very sobering drive-by.
I think all of the history of a country, while not always pleasant is worth knowing. If you are booking a prison tour then you're not just getting the front desk and reception area, if so, you have done your money. If you are not interested in going to a tourist attraction, you don't book it. It is not for everyone. Thanks again for your newsletter, Craig McKenzie
Gotta say not a fan of prison tourism. Haven't been to sites in Cambodia, Vietnam, or anywhere except Auschwitz, which I guess qualifies.