Every time I go to Phnom Penh I plan to visit Tuol Sleng Prison and the Killing Fields, but I can never bring myself to go there. It’s bad enough it happened, especially since it happened right after we pulled out and we didn’t do anything to stop it.

That said, there should be a memorial/museum and people should be taught that it happened.

On a lighter note, I finally read your Worst Motorcycle in Laos story in its entirety.

2 years ago before I went to Laos, I was doing research on the net and stumbed onto your story. I think Road Junky had it. Anywho, I must have never finished it, cuz I would’ve remembered it. Damn. What an ordeal!

But your ending was spot on. I find that when shit goes wrong while travelling, the end result is surprisingly cool. And it gives you a good story to share.

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I’m not sure how I feel about the linking of this article into the genre of “dark tourism.” Of course, much of the subject matter is “dark.” But so is history. To recommend sites that illuminate the history of a place – no matter how tragic – is this “dark?” We must be aware of the background of where we are. And as much as I admittedly enjoy the carefree backpacker life (I do), history lives wherever we go. It’s part of the tapestry, so I think it should be understood and acknowledged.

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