The idyllic view from the rat hotel.
" Downtown" Mondulkiri.
A spirit house.
A pepper plant.
Pepper plantation.
A view of the ceiling at one of the temples.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
An Oasis on the way to Mondulkiri
A few photos of where we stopped for lunch on the way to the jungle region of Mondulkiri.
The all-too-familiar hammock setting for lunch!
A Floating Village
We came across this floating village right next to the ferry stop.
Phenom Penh is directly across the river.
Here are children from the floating village beating the summertime heat!
Monday, July 9, 2012
A Few More Photos!
A traditional fishing community outside of Kompong Cham
The four of us sitting down to dinner at the home of our host family
The Augie A at Bou Sra Waterfall in the Mondulkiri Province in The Kingdom of Wonder (aka Cambodia)!
Ko Paen Island & the Matchstick Bridge on the Mekong River
A distant view of the bridge made of matchsticks!
Horse-drawn carts crossing "matchstick bridge"
Dr. Kalas crossing the bridge
"Main Street" on Ko Paen Island
The storm -- it cometh. It came. We got drenched.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Phinally -- Some Photos!
Working in the rice paddies!
How many people can one truck transport? I counted at least 50 going along this highway!
Dr. Smith holding dessert for lunch!
One tarantula leg about to be chewed...by me!
Mr. Eak savoring his lunch treat!
Our host family in their home!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
7 Months, But Who's Counting?!
Well, I am posting this from home, where I've been for the past 24 hours. Because Cambodia is 12 hours ahead of us, even though my clock and calendar say that it's 7:30 p.m. on Sunday night, my body tells me that it's 7:30 a.m. on Monday morning. It's a little disorienting! I recommend that everyone plan for a restful day or two after returning home next February.
But I am waaaayyyyyy too ahead of myself because we haven't even left yet!! We still have to wait around 7 months, or 28 weeks, before we leave! I think I'll pack now anyway, though, because I so am looking forward to sharing these experiences with all of you. You are such a great group of students! We are going to have such a wonderful time in Cambodia -- get excited because you will not be disappointed! Marsha and Taddy are right with me with regard to our excitement level!
This will be my last blog until closer to our winter departure, when I am hoping that each student will volunteer to blog about a single day of the trip. If each student takes on that responsibility, then each student's viewpoint will be heard at least once AND the blog will stay up-to-date AND each student's parents will get to read their own child's views at least once! And I promise to figure out how we can post photos, too!
An update on my sister, Deb. She returned home mid-week and had surgery on her wrist on Friday morning. She is resting now. Her physician expects her to make a full recovery, but he's expecting it to take 3 months. With any luck at all, Deb will come to visit us when we're in Siem Reap next January (hint, hint)!
I'll leave you with some random and final thoughts that are fresh on my mind...
1. Make some money this summer so you will have a little spending money! Cambodia has beautiful textiles, such as scarves, skirts, purses, and bags -- and everything is priced reasonably. (They trade in U.S. currency, so no need to figure out money conversions.) For example, at one NGO, I picked up a really cute skirt for $6! There are over 2,000 NGOs in Cambodia, most dedicated to helping Cambodians earn a living wage by making cultural items using indigenous products such as natural dyes and fibers.
2. Gems (especially jade) and pearls abound on products, too. You will be able to find beautiful jewelry, all made by Cambodians using their own materials. The low prices will astound you!
3. Cultivate an open mind about food and you'll not only be able to find foods you love, but you'll discover many new favorite flavors, too! Practice this summer by eating some foods you think you may not like, and discover that even if you really do not like them, it's okay to try something new. Food choices in Cambodia are plentiful and some are exotic.
4. Everywhere we traveled, we always felt safe. Nonetheless, we will insist and we will enforce, the best that we can, that you travel with a mind toward safety. You ALWAYS must be with at least one friend, you ALWAYS must look out for one another, you ALWAYS must be smart. I think that you'll warm up to Cambodia and that you're likely to feel very comfortable there quickly; however, you still must be mindful of the fact that you are a tourist.
5. Even though the driving looked haphazard, Cambodians are patient when driving, be it when driving a cyclo, a tuk-tuk, a bike, a car, a bus, or a cart pulled by a horse or cow! But do use caution when crossing the street. The motto that I developed was: Commit and keep walking, but proceed slowly.
6. Do start your vaccinations this summer -- get all of that taken care of so you don't have to worry about it once school begins.
7. If needed, get your passport now!! Don't get left behind in January because your passport is not in hand and current. Also remember that your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after you RETURN FROM Cambodia. Therefore, your passport must be valid until at least September 2013.
8. Practice smiling! Cambodians are very friendly and seemingly love "Americans," so be prepared to smile in return to everyone you see, because everyone will be smiling at you!
Happy summer! I am looking forward to seeing all of you in fall term!
But I am waaaayyyyyy too ahead of myself because we haven't even left yet!! We still have to wait around 7 months, or 28 weeks, before we leave! I think I'll pack now anyway, though, because I so am looking forward to sharing these experiences with all of you. You are such a great group of students! We are going to have such a wonderful time in Cambodia -- get excited because you will not be disappointed! Marsha and Taddy are right with me with regard to our excitement level!
This will be my last blog until closer to our winter departure, when I am hoping that each student will volunteer to blog about a single day of the trip. If each student takes on that responsibility, then each student's viewpoint will be heard at least once AND the blog will stay up-to-date AND each student's parents will get to read their own child's views at least once! And I promise to figure out how we can post photos, too!
An update on my sister, Deb. She returned home mid-week and had surgery on her wrist on Friday morning. She is resting now. Her physician expects her to make a full recovery, but he's expecting it to take 3 months. With any luck at all, Deb will come to visit us when we're in Siem Reap next January (hint, hint)!
I'll leave you with some random and final thoughts that are fresh on my mind...
1. Make some money this summer so you will have a little spending money! Cambodia has beautiful textiles, such as scarves, skirts, purses, and bags -- and everything is priced reasonably. (They trade in U.S. currency, so no need to figure out money conversions.) For example, at one NGO, I picked up a really cute skirt for $6! There are over 2,000 NGOs in Cambodia, most dedicated to helping Cambodians earn a living wage by making cultural items using indigenous products such as natural dyes and fibers.
2. Gems (especially jade) and pearls abound on products, too. You will be able to find beautiful jewelry, all made by Cambodians using their own materials. The low prices will astound you!
3. Cultivate an open mind about food and you'll not only be able to find foods you love, but you'll discover many new favorite flavors, too! Practice this summer by eating some foods you think you may not like, and discover that even if you really do not like them, it's okay to try something new. Food choices in Cambodia are plentiful and some are exotic.
4. Everywhere we traveled, we always felt safe. Nonetheless, we will insist and we will enforce, the best that we can, that you travel with a mind toward safety. You ALWAYS must be with at least one friend, you ALWAYS must look out for one another, you ALWAYS must be smart. I think that you'll warm up to Cambodia and that you're likely to feel very comfortable there quickly; however, you still must be mindful of the fact that you are a tourist.
5. Even though the driving looked haphazard, Cambodians are patient when driving, be it when driving a cyclo, a tuk-tuk, a bike, a car, a bus, or a cart pulled by a horse or cow! But do use caution when crossing the street. The motto that I developed was: Commit and keep walking, but proceed slowly.
6. Do start your vaccinations this summer -- get all of that taken care of so you don't have to worry about it once school begins.
7. If needed, get your passport now!! Don't get left behind in January because your passport is not in hand and current. Also remember that your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after you RETURN FROM Cambodia. Therefore, your passport must be valid until at least September 2013.
8. Practice smiling! Cambodians are very friendly and seemingly love "Americans," so be prepared to smile in return to everyone you see, because everyone will be smiling at you!
Happy summer! I am looking forward to seeing all of you in fall term!
Saving the Best for Last
Our new regional guide, Mr. Srey Omnoth, met Marsha, Taddy, and me at the Siem Reap International Airport, after a brief 45-minute flight from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. "Mr. Om" welcomed us with the now all-too familiar and oh-so welcomed broad smile and cheerful voice. Next winter we will stay in Siem Reap for about 3 weeks, the longest time we will spend in one place while in Cambodia. So it is perhaps a little ironic that during this planning trip, Siem Reap is our briefest visit. Luckily we were in the capable hands of Mr. Om, who planned our agenda to maximize our time. From the airport, we checked into our relaxing boutique hotel just outside of the downtown area in Siem Reap, planning to go to dinner downtown; however, the beautiful hotel and surrounds called us to stay on the property instead. We decided to visit the spa, which led to all of us getting traditional massages. Staying at the Hanuman Alaya was a treat for all five senses!
The next morning at 6 a.m., Mr. Om met us at the hotel and drove us the short distance to the temples (Wats) of Angkor. With an eye on the time, Mr. Om planned for us to visit three temples, in this order: Ta Prohm ("The Temple of Doom"), Angkor Wat, and Bayon. I've seen many photos of the Angkor temples, and they always are named as one of the must-see places in the world. The photos, while stunning, do not even come close to capturing the in-person experience. Because of the grey shades that predominate these ruins, photos miss the depth of the temple structures. Each of the three temples we visited was breathtaking in ways unique to each temple. Ta Prohm is said to be evidence of a place where nature has triumphed over man, Angkor Wat is the largest religious building in the world, and Bayon is said to be resplendent because of its eerie and enigmatic faces. Mr. Om pressed each of us to declare our favorite temple of the three. My favorite was Ta Prohm, but don't ask me to explain why it was so, because even in the moment, I could not. Marsha and Taddy listed Bayon as their favorite. All of us are looking forward to visiting many more temples when we return, and I look forward to spending a lot more time at each one. It also is sure to be more relaxing when the conditions are not so hot and humid; at times, Taddy and I were certain that we were about to melt! It was so very hot, and air conditioning was so rare.
After some cooling-down time, we headed to Life and Hope Association in downtown Siem Reap. Students, check out their website again at www.lifeandhopeangkor.org. This is the NGO for which we'll be working for two weeks. LAHA is only 7 years old, having been established by the monks of Wat Damnak. This was the only indigenous NGO we visited, and we love that their mission and work comes from within their own country. LAHA was founded and remains focused on Buddhist principles of peace, compassion, kindness, equality, and sharing. Their work is centered around improving the lives of disadvantaged people, including vulnerable children. Students, we will help to serve the association as they request, by providing, among other things, instruction in the English language. They ask that we approach our work there with caring hearts, abundant time and energy, and open minds. Their goal for us is that we leave LAHA with more than we came with and gave. Students, I am looking forward to working side-by-side with you at LAHA for the two weeks we'll be there. Everyone who signed up for our term abroad is service-oriented and learning-focused. You are the best -- and I hardly can wait to be there with you!
The next morning at 6 a.m., Mr. Om met us at the hotel and drove us the short distance to the temples (Wats) of Angkor. With an eye on the time, Mr. Om planned for us to visit three temples, in this order: Ta Prohm ("The Temple of Doom"), Angkor Wat, and Bayon. I've seen many photos of the Angkor temples, and they always are named as one of the must-see places in the world. The photos, while stunning, do not even come close to capturing the in-person experience. Because of the grey shades that predominate these ruins, photos miss the depth of the temple structures. Each of the three temples we visited was breathtaking in ways unique to each temple. Ta Prohm is said to be evidence of a place where nature has triumphed over man, Angkor Wat is the largest religious building in the world, and Bayon is said to be resplendent because of its eerie and enigmatic faces. Mr. Om pressed each of us to declare our favorite temple of the three. My favorite was Ta Prohm, but don't ask me to explain why it was so, because even in the moment, I could not. Marsha and Taddy listed Bayon as their favorite. All of us are looking forward to visiting many more temples when we return, and I look forward to spending a lot more time at each one. It also is sure to be more relaxing when the conditions are not so hot and humid; at times, Taddy and I were certain that we were about to melt! It was so very hot, and air conditioning was so rare.
After some cooling-down time, we headed to Life and Hope Association in downtown Siem Reap. Students, check out their website again at www.lifeandhopeangkor.org. This is the NGO for which we'll be working for two weeks. LAHA is only 7 years old, having been established by the monks of Wat Damnak. This was the only indigenous NGO we visited, and we love that their mission and work comes from within their own country. LAHA was founded and remains focused on Buddhist principles of peace, compassion, kindness, equality, and sharing. Their work is centered around improving the lives of disadvantaged people, including vulnerable children. Students, we will help to serve the association as they request, by providing, among other things, instruction in the English language. They ask that we approach our work there with caring hearts, abundant time and energy, and open minds. Their goal for us is that we leave LAHA with more than we came with and gave. Students, I am looking forward to working side-by-side with you at LAHA for the two weeks we'll be there. Everyone who signed up for our term abroad is service-oriented and learning-focused. You are the best -- and I hardly can wait to be there with you!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Where We're Not Staying
We've really had a busy couple of days, so blogging time disappeared. I'll catch you up quickly...
Two days ago, we left Kompong Cham by van and headed northeast to the untamed wilds of Mondulkiri. What a beautiful region, and one that was very different than the other regions we've visited. Mondulkiri is the mountainous area that indigenous people continue to call home. It is here that we found waterfalls, including Cambodia's highest, Busrah Falls. The drive to Mondulkiri took about 4 hours, and then another hour on bumpy, winding, dirt roads to get to the falls. As this is the start of the rainy season, we were treated to falls overflowing (pun intended) with water. We took a grand photo of "the Augie A" at the falls in front of a Cambodian flag... it's worthy of website status!
We then headed back into "town" in Mondulkiri (stress on the third syllable) to check into our hotel. It was an idyllic setting located in a valley; the view from our rooms was of a rising mountainside with terraced plantations for coffee and fruits. It was a remote location that was stunning, but we wondered how the students would like being so far from town. And even though "town" does not consist of anything urban, there is a wonderful restaurant there that has Western food choices (like hamburgers) and a pool table. Students, you will want to hang out here!
As I said, our hotel was beautiful, but unfortunately, people are not the only living beings residing there. At about midnight, I woke up to a noise akin to the shuffling of papers. I sat up in bed and stared into the dark. I couldn't see a thing, even as my eyes adjusted to looking in the dark, but I kept hearing this sound. I was so tired that I finally convinced myself that it was the noise of the small in-room refrigerator. Well, I woke up again at 1:00, with my brain alerting me that the sound could not be the refrigerator, because the sound had moved to ear level. I rolled over and opened my eyes to make out the figure of a rat munching on some crackers in a Ziplock on the nightstand. As soon as I moved my hand, the rat ran. I tried to find it, but eventually my searching woke up my sister and roommate, Deb. Deb can be squeamish about critters, so I wasn't sure I wanted to tell her about the rat! But I had to, because I was squeamish about the rat! Long story short, we had a family (she says quaintly, really meaning to say an infestation) of rats in our room. We got no sleep at all for the rest of the night, as Deb went to sleep in the lobby and I standed guard in our room, protecting our stuff from rogue rats. They had had quite the fun while we slept from 10 p.m. to midnight. We were VERY HAPPY to leave that hotel at 6:00 the next morning, an early morning because we were going to go to see elephants in their natural habitats in the Cambodian jungle on the outskirts of Mondulkiri! The bottom line to this story: we are NOT staying at this hotel with you, students!! (We checked out another hotel and that is where we'll be!)
The next morning we drove by jeep to the Elephant Valley Project, another NGO dedicated to saving wildlife in Cambodia. We were going to spend a half day hiking into the jungle to observe 4 elephants in the wild. Unfortunately, my sister slid down the very muddy and slick hill, and while falling, put her hand down to break her fall. Instead of breaking her fall, she broke her wrist. She was quite the brave one through it all. We knew she was in a lot of pain and undoubtedly very nervous. Here we were, in the Cambodian jungle, about 6 hours away from any urban medical treatment. A broken wrist is not enough to summon a medical helicopter, so our Elephant Valley guide, Jenna, constructed an emergency splint. We hiked out and piled into her jeep, which she then proceeded to drive at speeds only she could have managed on the back roads. She took us to the local clinic where a very basic x-ray confirmed the broken wrist and provided pain medications -- the total bill was $8 U.S. Our Cambodian guide and driver, Mr. Eak and Mr. Xin were right there devising a plan with Marsha. They took all of us back to Phnom Penh and to the SOS International Hospital. The drive to Phnom Penh was 6 hours of long and bumpy, but Deb remained brave and relatively comfortable. The PP physician repeated the x-ray and confirmed the break, said he recommended surgery, and partially casted Deb's arm. While Deb was seen medically, the rest of us were on the phones. What we want everyone to know, especially the parents of our students, is that the travel medical insurance the four of us are carrying and that all of our students also must carry when traveling abroad with us, worked efficiently and without a single hitch. Medex insurance immediately agreed that Deb needed to be medically evacuated to home for surgery, and they arranged and paid for all of her new flights, medical bills, etc. They also said that they would cover changes for me to accompany her; however, Deb assured us that she was okay to fly back alone. We spent yet another night at our favorite PP hotel of all times, the Ohana, and all four of us went to the airport the next day: Deb flying to Soeul and then home, and me, Marsha, and Taddy flying to Siem Reap to finish our work here. We just heard from Debbie that she is back home in Nashville, awaiting a medical consult at Vanderbilt. Deb, our love and prayers are with you!
Two days ago, we left Kompong Cham by van and headed northeast to the untamed wilds of Mondulkiri. What a beautiful region, and one that was very different than the other regions we've visited. Mondulkiri is the mountainous area that indigenous people continue to call home. It is here that we found waterfalls, including Cambodia's highest, Busrah Falls. The drive to Mondulkiri took about 4 hours, and then another hour on bumpy, winding, dirt roads to get to the falls. As this is the start of the rainy season, we were treated to falls overflowing (pun intended) with water. We took a grand photo of "the Augie A" at the falls in front of a Cambodian flag... it's worthy of website status!
We then headed back into "town" in Mondulkiri (stress on the third syllable) to check into our hotel. It was an idyllic setting located in a valley; the view from our rooms was of a rising mountainside with terraced plantations for coffee and fruits. It was a remote location that was stunning, but we wondered how the students would like being so far from town. And even though "town" does not consist of anything urban, there is a wonderful restaurant there that has Western food choices (like hamburgers) and a pool table. Students, you will want to hang out here!
As I said, our hotel was beautiful, but unfortunately, people are not the only living beings residing there. At about midnight, I woke up to a noise akin to the shuffling of papers. I sat up in bed and stared into the dark. I couldn't see a thing, even as my eyes adjusted to looking in the dark, but I kept hearing this sound. I was so tired that I finally convinced myself that it was the noise of the small in-room refrigerator. Well, I woke up again at 1:00, with my brain alerting me that the sound could not be the refrigerator, because the sound had moved to ear level. I rolled over and opened my eyes to make out the figure of a rat munching on some crackers in a Ziplock on the nightstand. As soon as I moved my hand, the rat ran. I tried to find it, but eventually my searching woke up my sister and roommate, Deb. Deb can be squeamish about critters, so I wasn't sure I wanted to tell her about the rat! But I had to, because I was squeamish about the rat! Long story short, we had a family (she says quaintly, really meaning to say an infestation) of rats in our room. We got no sleep at all for the rest of the night, as Deb went to sleep in the lobby and I standed guard in our room, protecting our stuff from rogue rats. They had had quite the fun while we slept from 10 p.m. to midnight. We were VERY HAPPY to leave that hotel at 6:00 the next morning, an early morning because we were going to go to see elephants in their natural habitats in the Cambodian jungle on the outskirts of Mondulkiri! The bottom line to this story: we are NOT staying at this hotel with you, students!! (We checked out another hotel and that is where we'll be!)
The next morning we drove by jeep to the Elephant Valley Project, another NGO dedicated to saving wildlife in Cambodia. We were going to spend a half day hiking into the jungle to observe 4 elephants in the wild. Unfortunately, my sister slid down the very muddy and slick hill, and while falling, put her hand down to break her fall. Instead of breaking her fall, she broke her wrist. She was quite the brave one through it all. We knew she was in a lot of pain and undoubtedly very nervous. Here we were, in the Cambodian jungle, about 6 hours away from any urban medical treatment. A broken wrist is not enough to summon a medical helicopter, so our Elephant Valley guide, Jenna, constructed an emergency splint. We hiked out and piled into her jeep, which she then proceeded to drive at speeds only she could have managed on the back roads. She took us to the local clinic where a very basic x-ray confirmed the broken wrist and provided pain medications -- the total bill was $8 U.S. Our Cambodian guide and driver, Mr. Eak and Mr. Xin were right there devising a plan with Marsha. They took all of us back to Phnom Penh and to the SOS International Hospital. The drive to Phnom Penh was 6 hours of long and bumpy, but Deb remained brave and relatively comfortable. The PP physician repeated the x-ray and confirmed the break, said he recommended surgery, and partially casted Deb's arm. While Deb was seen medically, the rest of us were on the phones. What we want everyone to know, especially the parents of our students, is that the travel medical insurance the four of us are carrying and that all of our students also must carry when traveling abroad with us, worked efficiently and without a single hitch. Medex insurance immediately agreed that Deb needed to be medically evacuated to home for surgery, and they arranged and paid for all of her new flights, medical bills, etc. They also said that they would cover changes for me to accompany her; however, Deb assured us that she was okay to fly back alone. We spent yet another night at our favorite PP hotel of all times, the Ohana, and all four of us went to the airport the next day: Deb flying to Soeul and then home, and me, Marsha, and Taddy flying to Siem Reap to finish our work here. We just heard from Debbie that she is back home in Nashville, awaiting a medical consult at Vanderbilt. Deb, our love and prayers are with you!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
The Trip Highlight! And the Lowlight! Then the Real Highlight.
We left the hotel early this morning to go the Russian Market, a place where a person can find just about anything he or she wants -- from food to clothes to car engines to suitcases to clocks to socks to jewelry to furniture -- if you want it, you can buy it at this market. It's called the Russian Market because it was frequented by the Russians who moved to Cambodia in the 1980s. It is a bargain bazaar, with countless deals to be had. Deb and Marsha scooped up some sultan-like pants with little silver bells. Don't ask me where they will wear them once they are back in the states, but they sure are cute here :) (only kidding)! Taddy also made purchases of many fun gypsy-like skirts. And me, I found my buy of the day when I purchased the most adorable owl ever from an NGO for my sister, Mikie. She is gonna love it!
We then headed to Kompong Cham, which is about a 4-hour drive from Phnom Penh. We stopped halfway on the trip at a neighborhood roadside market and restaurant where we got a very tasty lunch of rice and vegetables. There were all sorts of exotic foods to purchase, like durian fruit, larvae, and snails. We purchased many bunches of baby bananas from the children who work the market. We each got one bunch of about a dozen bananas for $1 per bunch. It is easy to eat well here for 2-3 dollars per meal. Alcoholic drinks are very inexpensive, or so we've heard -- ha ha! And without any alcohol whatsoever, Marsha and I each ate 1 fried tarantula leg! We have a photo of it, in case someone does not believe me! And in one bite, there went 35 years of vegetarianism. Next thing you know, I will be eating at McDonald's. Or not!
The sights driving the second half of the trip to Kompong Cham were the most beautiful we've seen. The land was flat and there were several different species of palm trees in the distance, dotting the fields. It really was a serene view. When we arrived in Kompong Cham, there was a beautiful bridge at least 1 mile long that crossed the Mekong River and that bridge reminded me a little of the I-74 bridge in the QCA. Our hotel is on the riverfront and we are treated to a sight of the bridge from our room window.
We then had THE highlight of the trip so far, at least in my opinion. We got bicycles at the hotel and cycled to the Mekong River island of Ko Paen. To get to the island, we first had to travel across a bamboo bridge -- this bridge was absolutely awesome. The bridge was at least a half mile long and it was construct entirely of bamboo. My brother-in-law Steve would have loved to study it, as he is a civil engineer who specializes in designing bridges -- including the marvel known as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel in the Delmarva area on the east coast. This bamboo bridge had hundreds (thousands?)of bamboo poles sticking straight up out of the river bed that supported bamboo poles laying horizontally. The bridge undulated as people crossed it, and the sound of the thrashed bamboo surface as it was crossed had a primitive sound to it. Riding our bikes across it was a bit harrowing until I remembered that I am a strong swimmer, so should it collapse, I could swim to shore. But then I realized that before I even could hit the water, I'd be impaled on one of the many vertical poles,so the experience became harrowing again. The one thing that was calming was that also on the bridge were horses pulling heavy carts of tobacco and motorcycles (cyclos) carrying 3 and 4 people apiece -- if they could make it across, by golly, so could I! And make it across the 4 of us did!
There are two main crops grown on the island, tobacco and sesame. Cycling around the island was an experience that I cannot explain. There are ~1,000 families living on the island, and as we cycled down "main street," okay, the only street, young children yelled "hello" to this string of Americans as we passed! Eventually we looked up, only to see black clouds overhead. Before we knew it, the wind was whipping and the rain was pounding down on us. The raindrops felt like lil punches to the face as we pedaled our bicycles as fast as we could. But the storm was much faster than us. As we rattled along first the concrete road, then the dirt road, then the sand road, and last the bamboo-covered sand road, we tried to get to bridge before the worst of the monsoon. Not to have been our fate, though. It took a very long time crossing the bridge: the rain was fierce and literally blinded our eyes. We pushed our bikes slowly across, taking probably 4 times longer to cross than the first time, hearing in our heads the words of our guide: be careful not to fall on the bamboo because it is sharp and can slice you. After successfully making it to the mainland side, we then were faced with navigating a very steep mud hill that would lead us to the road high above. It was difficult, it was messy, it was frustrating, it was slow, but we made it to the top. We then had to cycle another 6km to the hotel, but the rain, while continuing to pelt us, at least washed off all of the dirt! Students, barring the monsoon rain, this was an experience that I cannot wait to share with each of you. I loved being on Ko Paen, and I know that you will, as well. I look forward to hearing your own descriptions.
At 7:00, our guide and driver picked us up, dried and changed, at the hotel to take us to dinner at a local family's house. This family consisted of a mother, father, 4 children, and 1 niece. The children were 4 boys, from 1-14 years of age. Their niece was 20 years old. The family welcomed us into their main room, which was a very wide space of a floor of slatted bamboo and walls of hardwood. There were several windows and the front doors were wide; all were open without screens or glass. There was a very large and ornate altar on the back wall, and some photographs lined part of the side walls. In the center of the floor were 2 large, colorful mats holding the place settings. We sat on the mats and were served a traditional meal of rice, curries, vegetables, fish, pork, beef, and chicken, followed by fresh fruit for dessert. While we ate, the 2 youngest boys ran around vying for our attention. The boys would run from sitting in mom's (ma's) lap to jumping on dad's (ba's) back, hugging him around the neck. It was delightful to experience this family, but it made me miss my own husband and son, as well as my other family members and friends.
When we hadn't seen his oldest teenaged son, we asked the dad where he was. The dad replied that he was "in the back room." I almost said, "Oh, playing his Gameboy?," before I caught myself. Here we were, in a beautiful home, but in a home without any living room furniture and devoid of stuff, and as it frequently does when I travel in a developing area, I was struck with thoughts of what it is to be wealthy, to be rich.
And while I don't want my own family to change places with this family, I have to acknowledge that in many ways, they have more than we do.
Such an honor that they shared their family with us. Students, you, too, will experience being hosted by a local family. I wonder if you will be like me, wondering about all of the stuff we believe we simply cannot live without. Wondering what it means to have our needs met. Wondering what it takes to make us happy.
We then headed to Kompong Cham, which is about a 4-hour drive from Phnom Penh. We stopped halfway on the trip at a neighborhood roadside market and restaurant where we got a very tasty lunch of rice and vegetables. There were all sorts of exotic foods to purchase, like durian fruit, larvae, and snails. We purchased many bunches of baby bananas from the children who work the market. We each got one bunch of about a dozen bananas for $1 per bunch. It is easy to eat well here for 2-3 dollars per meal. Alcoholic drinks are very inexpensive, or so we've heard -- ha ha! And without any alcohol whatsoever, Marsha and I each ate 1 fried tarantula leg! We have a photo of it, in case someone does not believe me! And in one bite, there went 35 years of vegetarianism. Next thing you know, I will be eating at McDonald's. Or not!
The sights driving the second half of the trip to Kompong Cham were the most beautiful we've seen. The land was flat and there were several different species of palm trees in the distance, dotting the fields. It really was a serene view. When we arrived in Kompong Cham, there was a beautiful bridge at least 1 mile long that crossed the Mekong River and that bridge reminded me a little of the I-74 bridge in the QCA. Our hotel is on the riverfront and we are treated to a sight of the bridge from our room window.
We then had THE highlight of the trip so far, at least in my opinion. We got bicycles at the hotel and cycled to the Mekong River island of Ko Paen. To get to the island, we first had to travel across a bamboo bridge -- this bridge was absolutely awesome. The bridge was at least a half mile long and it was construct entirely of bamboo. My brother-in-law Steve would have loved to study it, as he is a civil engineer who specializes in designing bridges -- including the marvel known as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel in the Delmarva area on the east coast. This bamboo bridge had hundreds (thousands?)of bamboo poles sticking straight up out of the river bed that supported bamboo poles laying horizontally. The bridge undulated as people crossed it, and the sound of the thrashed bamboo surface as it was crossed had a primitive sound to it. Riding our bikes across it was a bit harrowing until I remembered that I am a strong swimmer, so should it collapse, I could swim to shore. But then I realized that before I even could hit the water, I'd be impaled on one of the many vertical poles,so the experience became harrowing again. The one thing that was calming was that also on the bridge were horses pulling heavy carts of tobacco and motorcycles (cyclos) carrying 3 and 4 people apiece -- if they could make it across, by golly, so could I! And make it across the 4 of us did!
There are two main crops grown on the island, tobacco and sesame. Cycling around the island was an experience that I cannot explain. There are ~1,000 families living on the island, and as we cycled down "main street," okay, the only street, young children yelled "hello" to this string of Americans as we passed! Eventually we looked up, only to see black clouds overhead. Before we knew it, the wind was whipping and the rain was pounding down on us. The raindrops felt like lil punches to the face as we pedaled our bicycles as fast as we could. But the storm was much faster than us. As we rattled along first the concrete road, then the dirt road, then the sand road, and last the bamboo-covered sand road, we tried to get to bridge before the worst of the monsoon. Not to have been our fate, though. It took a very long time crossing the bridge: the rain was fierce and literally blinded our eyes. We pushed our bikes slowly across, taking probably 4 times longer to cross than the first time, hearing in our heads the words of our guide: be careful not to fall on the bamboo because it is sharp and can slice you. After successfully making it to the mainland side, we then were faced with navigating a very steep mud hill that would lead us to the road high above. It was difficult, it was messy, it was frustrating, it was slow, but we made it to the top. We then had to cycle another 6km to the hotel, but the rain, while continuing to pelt us, at least washed off all of the dirt! Students, barring the monsoon rain, this was an experience that I cannot wait to share with each of you. I loved being on Ko Paen, and I know that you will, as well. I look forward to hearing your own descriptions.
At 7:00, our guide and driver picked us up, dried and changed, at the hotel to take us to dinner at a local family's house. This family consisted of a mother, father, 4 children, and 1 niece. The children were 4 boys, from 1-14 years of age. Their niece was 20 years old. The family welcomed us into their main room, which was a very wide space of a floor of slatted bamboo and walls of hardwood. There were several windows and the front doors were wide; all were open without screens or glass. There was a very large and ornate altar on the back wall, and some photographs lined part of the side walls. In the center of the floor were 2 large, colorful mats holding the place settings. We sat on the mats and were served a traditional meal of rice, curries, vegetables, fish, pork, beef, and chicken, followed by fresh fruit for dessert. While we ate, the 2 youngest boys ran around vying for our attention. The boys would run from sitting in mom's (ma's) lap to jumping on dad's (ba's) back, hugging him around the neck. It was delightful to experience this family, but it made me miss my own husband and son, as well as my other family members and friends.
When we hadn't seen his oldest teenaged son, we asked the dad where he was. The dad replied that he was "in the back room." I almost said, "Oh, playing his Gameboy?," before I caught myself. Here we were, in a beautiful home, but in a home without any living room furniture and devoid of stuff, and as it frequently does when I travel in a developing area, I was struck with thoughts of what it is to be wealthy, to be rich.
And while I don't want my own family to change places with this family, I have to acknowledge that in many ways, they have more than we do.
Such an honor that they shared their family with us. Students, you, too, will experience being hosted by a local family. I wonder if you will be like me, wondering about all of the stuff we believe we simply cannot live without. Wondering what it means to have our needs met. Wondering what it takes to make us happy.
Friday, June 1, 2012
A Tough Day
We left the hotel in Sihanoukville at 8:00 this morning, headed back toward Phnom Penh. We arrived at the Killing Fields, which is just outside of the capital, after approximately 4-1/2 hours of driving. It was a sobering visit standing on the mass graves of the Cambodians murdered there by Khmer Rouge soldiers from 1975-78. The murders were atrocious: men, women, and children were driven to the fields in large trucks, with their hands bound behind their backs and their eyes covered with blindfolds. As soon as they arrived at the fields, they were told to kneel on the ground next to an open pit and they were killed brutally. The graves have been partially excavated, but clothing and bits of bones were under our feet as we walked around in silence. It was overwhelmingly sad to be there, faced with what one human being can do to another. It's a sacred place, the Killing Fields.
We also visited the site of another place of murder and horrific torture during Pol Pot's regime in the 1970s, the prison called Tuol Sleng that is in the city of Phnom Penh; sadly, these buildings previously had been a high school. Pol Pot came into power following the Communist Party of Kampuchea victory in 1975. Tuol Sleng, nicknamed S-21, held 1,200 prisoners at any given time, and it's estimated that 20,000 prisoners were housed there over the three years of the genocide. Former classrooms were converted into torture chambers and prison cells, which remain. This site has become the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and we toured the grounds and the buildings. It was very difficult to visit cell after cell, especially having to see the individual photographs of all of the prisoners that lined the walls of the buildings. Oneof those photos moved me in the saddest of ways: a very young man looked terrified as he stared into the camera to have his picture taken. Taking each person's photo was how the Khmer Rouge documented their prisoners. The expression of what I interpreted as terror on this young man's face was almost too much for me to bear, and I only wanted to look away, back away, and run. I had never visited a genocide site before today, and I found the experience psychologically and physically difficult in many ways.
As we were leaving, we had the blessed fortune of meeting someone very special. Of the 20,000 prisoners that entered S-21, only 7 left that place alive. One of those survivors was at the museum today and we were able, with a translator, to talk to him. We met Mr. Chum Manh, who now is 82 years old. Mr. Manh has written a book of his experiences at Tuol Sleng that all four of us purchased. He asked one thing of us: to please tell the story of the genocide to young people back in the U.S. When we explained that we were college professors, his face lit up with a huge smile. When we then explained that we would be bringing 28 students to the site with us in January, he kept smiling, shook his head, and clapped his hands quietly. We promised him that we would tell this story to all of our students, indeed, to everyone we know.
We will tell you his story.
But we pray that in January, you will get to hear the story directly from him.
We also visited the site of another place of murder and horrific torture during Pol Pot's regime in the 1970s, the prison called Tuol Sleng that is in the city of Phnom Penh; sadly, these buildings previously had been a high school. Pol Pot came into power following the Communist Party of Kampuchea victory in 1975. Tuol Sleng, nicknamed S-21, held 1,200 prisoners at any given time, and it's estimated that 20,000 prisoners were housed there over the three years of the genocide. Former classrooms were converted into torture chambers and prison cells, which remain. This site has become the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and we toured the grounds and the buildings. It was very difficult to visit cell after cell, especially having to see the individual photographs of all of the prisoners that lined the walls of the buildings. Oneof those photos moved me in the saddest of ways: a very young man looked terrified as he stared into the camera to have his picture taken. Taking each person's photo was how the Khmer Rouge documented their prisoners. The expression of what I interpreted as terror on this young man's face was almost too much for me to bear, and I only wanted to look away, back away, and run. I had never visited a genocide site before today, and I found the experience psychologically and physically difficult in many ways.
As we were leaving, we had the blessed fortune of meeting someone very special. Of the 20,000 prisoners that entered S-21, only 7 left that place alive. One of those survivors was at the museum today and we were able, with a translator, to talk to him. We met Mr. Chum Manh, who now is 82 years old. Mr. Manh has written a book of his experiences at Tuol Sleng that all four of us purchased. He asked one thing of us: to please tell the story of the genocide to young people back in the U.S. When we explained that we were college professors, his face lit up with a huge smile. When we then explained that we would be bringing 28 students to the site with us in January, he kept smiling, shook his head, and clapped his hands quietly. We promised him that we would tell this story to all of our students, indeed, to everyone we know.
We will tell you his story.
But we pray that in January, you will get to hear the story directly from him.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
All Things Salty & Sandy
Our first full day at the beach, that was today. We woke up in the Grand Sihanouk Ville Hotel in southern Cambodia. The Gulf of Thailand is one block to the west of us -- the Gulf of Thailand! We had a western-style breakfast at the hotel before we jumped into our pool for a quick swim. It's a pool that is long enough for lap swimming -- a rarity at any hotel anywhere, so it's a real treat! The hotel is new and all of the rooms face the pool, including the top fourth floor rooms that they still are constructing! The hotel will be finished completely by the time our entire group arrives next winter, and students, you will be very happy to hear that the hotel is in the Serendipity Beach area, an area with a very vibrant night life! The entire beach is lined with outdoor cafes; we hear that it's quite the place to go in the evenings. We instead, though, are opting for Indian food in the Victory Beach area tonight because it is sure to be tamer for us older types :)
Marsha, Deb, and I took a 6km tuk-tuk (rhymes with look-look) ride to another beach area today that is called Otres (love the French-influences that still are present here), and while the Otres Beach was nice, none of us thought it was nicer than the beach that is across the street from our hotel, so consider yourselves spared that you won't have to endure a jarring ride across the bumpiest dirt roads ever and that you won't have paid $5 just to discover that our beach area is as wonderful as Otres! Anyway, the beaches are nice and the water was WARM and WAVY! It was a treat to spend the day here and you're going to love it!
I tried for over an hour to download photos today to the blog, but I had no luck. I will try again when I get back to Phnom Penh for one night, where I can use the hotel computer. I just don't know why it isn't working from the ipad, but it isn't.
One thing that I didn't mention in yesterday's blog was that before we left Phnom Penh yesterday, we spent several hours at another NGO focused on serving children living in extreme poverty -- Pour un Sourire d'Enfant (PSE; For the Smile of a Child). Taddy was in heaven getting to hear and speak French! PSE was started by some French citizens who, during a trip to Cambodia, found many children scavenging for anything they might sell in a huge city garbage dump. When they also saw that these children were eating the garbage, they had to act. And act they did, founding PSE. I cannot do justice to the work they have done and continue to do, so please visit their website at www.pse.asso.fr.
Tomorrow morning we will leave Sihanoukville early and drive to the Killing Fields to pay our respects for those murdered by the Khmer Rouge in the Cambodian genocide that occurred in the latter part of the 1970s. It is certain to be a sobering trip. We will study this historical event in some detail next winter, prior to traveling to Cambodia. I expect it to be one of the more important topics of our studies.
On a lighter note, Taddy told me that I had to include one thing that happened on our trip to Sihanoukville yesterday. The trip from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville is only ~230km, but it took us almost 6 hours because the roads are narrow and, in places, made of dirt and not in the best shape. So about halfway here, we stopped for a bathroom and snack break at a small roadside store. (And students, do be prepared to use an occasional squatting toilet, affectionately known as "a squatty potty," because we will encounter a few!) I picked up a bag of vanilla wafers -- yummy! Well, NOT SO yummy and NOT SO vanilla! On the front of the package was a picture of what I now know to be a durian fruit. The cookies were durian-fruit-flavored, not vanilla. We were in the car tooling alongside of the cows when I opened the package. Oh my gosh, what a stink! The van filled with horribly stinky air immediately. Our guide laughed and told us that the smell was durian fruit and that durian fruit is quite tasty, but very stinky. Then he proceeded to spray Glade air freshener into the air conditioning vents!
Students, you are on your own if you dare to purchase packaged cookies. And don't say I didn't warn you! :)
Marsha, Deb, and I took a 6km tuk-tuk (rhymes with look-look) ride to another beach area today that is called Otres (love the French-influences that still are present here), and while the Otres Beach was nice, none of us thought it was nicer than the beach that is across the street from our hotel, so consider yourselves spared that you won't have to endure a jarring ride across the bumpiest dirt roads ever and that you won't have paid $5 just to discover that our beach area is as wonderful as Otres! Anyway, the beaches are nice and the water was WARM and WAVY! It was a treat to spend the day here and you're going to love it!
I tried for over an hour to download photos today to the blog, but I had no luck. I will try again when I get back to Phnom Penh for one night, where I can use the hotel computer. I just don't know why it isn't working from the ipad, but it isn't.
One thing that I didn't mention in yesterday's blog was that before we left Phnom Penh yesterday, we spent several hours at another NGO focused on serving children living in extreme poverty -- Pour un Sourire d'Enfant (PSE; For the Smile of a Child). Taddy was in heaven getting to hear and speak French! PSE was started by some French citizens who, during a trip to Cambodia, found many children scavenging for anything they might sell in a huge city garbage dump. When they also saw that these children were eating the garbage, they had to act. And act they did, founding PSE. I cannot do justice to the work they have done and continue to do, so please visit their website at www.pse.asso.fr.
Tomorrow morning we will leave Sihanoukville early and drive to the Killing Fields to pay our respects for those murdered by the Khmer Rouge in the Cambodian genocide that occurred in the latter part of the 1970s. It is certain to be a sobering trip. We will study this historical event in some detail next winter, prior to traveling to Cambodia. I expect it to be one of the more important topics of our studies.
On a lighter note, Taddy told me that I had to include one thing that happened on our trip to Sihanoukville yesterday. The trip from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville is only ~230km, but it took us almost 6 hours because the roads are narrow and, in places, made of dirt and not in the best shape. So about halfway here, we stopped for a bathroom and snack break at a small roadside store. (And students, do be prepared to use an occasional squatting toilet, affectionately known as "a squatty potty," because we will encounter a few!) I picked up a bag of vanilla wafers -- yummy! Well, NOT SO yummy and NOT SO vanilla! On the front of the package was a picture of what I now know to be a durian fruit. The cookies were durian-fruit-flavored, not vanilla. We were in the car tooling alongside of the cows when I opened the package. Oh my gosh, what a stink! The van filled with horribly stinky air immediately. Our guide laughed and told us that the smell was durian fruit and that durian fruit is quite tasty, but very stinky. Then he proceeded to spray Glade air freshener into the air conditioning vents!
Students, you are on your own if you dare to purchase packaged cookies. And don't say I didn't warn you! :)
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Pagodas, Cows, Ho Chi Minh Trail
What a full day we've had! After another wonderful breakfast on the scenic 6th floor of the Ohana Hotel (pad thai for breakfast, who can ask for more?!!), we began our day by visiting the The Royal Palace of Cambodia--the Cambodian King's residency. Just try to picture an amazing Buddha made of jade, a pagoda lined with silver-tiled floors, mythic carvings surrounding the grounds and buildings, and maybe, just maybe, you will have a sense of The Royal Palace. The palace barely can be contained within its one city block of area and consists of many buildings, one more impressive and opulent than the next. And the best part is that it is within walking distance of the hotel, so multiple visits are possible, and multiple sightings are a certainty. One interesting fact that we learned was that the current King's older sister passed away at the age of four years of a childhood illness and now the King has instituted an infant vaccination program to help prevent early deaths from illnesses such as meningitis, smallpox, measles, and the like.
We then headed "next door" to the National Museum of Cambodia. The museum is sectioned into four historical time periods and contains artifacts in bronze, silver, stone, and wood. There was room filled with sculptures of Buddha that gave a sense of true sacredness. Visitors could leave an offering of jasmine-strung flowers for personal prayers. The museum was surrounded by lush gardens that contained many spirit houses. Spirit houses reminded me of personal altars that one might create in his or her own home. The museum was a special place that I am looking forward to returning to, both with a guide and by myself.
We drove south to the beach resort area in Shihanoukville ("SEE nick ville"). It was about a four-hour drive on the Ho Chi Minh trail from the capital city, and the drive was lined with scenes of very small towns and acres of rice paddies, often with workers in the fields. The rice crops are planted in two phases, right now they are harvesting the small sprouts to be replanted soon. When we are here next winter, they should be harvesting rice and we should be able to help in the fields! We spotted our first water buffalo today on the drive, and again, we saw many, many Brahman cows walking along and into the roads...yikes! Bicycle, motorcycle, car, and pedestrian traffic is very chaotic in cities, but in the smaller towns, it is the cow traffic that is most prevalent. If you are squeamish about such things, it's best if you close your eyes when traveling! :)
I've said before that I'll post photos, but I PROMISE that tomorrow will be the day that I actually post some!!
We then headed "next door" to the National Museum of Cambodia. The museum is sectioned into four historical time periods and contains artifacts in bronze, silver, stone, and wood. There was room filled with sculptures of Buddha that gave a sense of true sacredness. Visitors could leave an offering of jasmine-strung flowers for personal prayers. The museum was surrounded by lush gardens that contained many spirit houses. Spirit houses reminded me of personal altars that one might create in his or her own home. The museum was a special place that I am looking forward to returning to, both with a guide and by myself.
We drove south to the beach resort area in Shihanoukville ("SEE nick ville"). It was about a four-hour drive on the Ho Chi Minh trail from the capital city, and the drive was lined with scenes of very small towns and acres of rice paddies, often with workers in the fields. The rice crops are planted in two phases, right now they are harvesting the small sprouts to be replanted soon. When we are here next winter, they should be harvesting rice and we should be able to help in the fields! We spotted our first water buffalo today on the drive, and again, we saw many, many Brahman cows walking along and into the roads...yikes! Bicycle, motorcycle, car, and pedestrian traffic is very chaotic in cities, but in the smaller towns, it is the cow traffic that is most prevalent. If you are squeamish about such things, it's best if you close your eyes when traveling! :)
I've said before that I'll post photos, but I PROMISE that tomorrow will be the day that I actually post some!!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Free the Bears, Tiny Toones, & All Things NGO
It was a very full day today. I woke up to drizzle falling outside of our hotel window, but by the time we ate breakfast, the sun was starting to peek through the clouds and the heat of the day began. This is the rainy season. Breakfast at the Ohana Hotel is served on the sixth floor, where there is a beautiful view of the riverfront. And like all of our meals here, it was delicious. Soon I'll be exercising nightly with everyone else on the riverfront where one person blares music from a boom box while leading folks in a variety of moves. Even while exercising, the people here continue to smile and have fun. There is a generous spirit that is pervasive and to be admired in all of the Cambodian people we've met.
Early this morning we drove 1-1/2 hours to the NGO, Free the Bears. You can find them at www.freethebears.org. They maintain a zoological park for a variety of animals that have been rescued from the pet and poaching markets. Right now they have ~200 bears, including the very small and oh-so-cute Sun Bears and the slightly larger Asian Bears. We got to see three bear cubs that were under six months old. They also rehab elephants, tigers, and lions, in addition to birds and gibbons. Students, we will work for one full day as zookeepers next winter. We'll learn how to care for the bears and then we'll make toys for their enrichment activities. Please check out their website to see the very important work they are doing.
After enjoying lunch at the park, sitting on platforms lined with hammocks, we drove back into Phnom Penh to visit the general manager of the NGO Tiny Toones. This is another group of Cambodians who are dedicated to an important cause. Tiny Toones is an organization that works with children and young adults from 5-24 years of age who are living in poverty to teach them how to read and speak English, produce music and graphic art, use computers, and dance hip hop. It's amazing! We will work with this organization, as well, next winter. As you might have noticed, there is a theme running through our visits: service learning. While we're here, we are trying to ascertain the needs of each group, so that we can be of service to their communities when we arrive in seven months. Seven short months!!
You'll love this next adventure -- we ate Mexican food for dinner! And even more surprising, it was delish! We met an Augie alumna, Leah Mortenson, who currently is in the Peace Corp teaching English to children in Cambodia. She was a student of Drs. Kalas and Smith's and she made the trek from her town to Phnom Penh to visit with us. She will be speaking to all of us next winter about her experiences in Cambodia. You will love to hear Leah's story and her impressions. And now, before I fall asleep on my wireless keyboard, I'm signing off. More tomorrow after we've visited the Cambodian Palace and the Cambodian Museum... and after we've driven to Sihanoukville -- the beach! We hope everyone at home is enjoying their summer as much as we are enjoying the start to ours. I can't tell you how much you are going to love it here, but you're going to love it and I can't wait to accompany you!
Early this morning we drove 1-1/2 hours to the NGO, Free the Bears. You can find them at www.freethebears.org. They maintain a zoological park for a variety of animals that have been rescued from the pet and poaching markets. Right now they have ~200 bears, including the very small and oh-so-cute Sun Bears and the slightly larger Asian Bears. We got to see three bear cubs that were under six months old. They also rehab elephants, tigers, and lions, in addition to birds and gibbons. Students, we will work for one full day as zookeepers next winter. We'll learn how to care for the bears and then we'll make toys for their enrichment activities. Please check out their website to see the very important work they are doing.
After enjoying lunch at the park, sitting on platforms lined with hammocks, we drove back into Phnom Penh to visit the general manager of the NGO Tiny Toones. This is another group of Cambodians who are dedicated to an important cause. Tiny Toones is an organization that works with children and young adults from 5-24 years of age who are living in poverty to teach them how to read and speak English, produce music and graphic art, use computers, and dance hip hop. It's amazing! We will work with this organization, as well, next winter. As you might have noticed, there is a theme running through our visits: service learning. While we're here, we are trying to ascertain the needs of each group, so that we can be of service to their communities when we arrive in seven months. Seven short months!!
You'll love this next adventure -- we ate Mexican food for dinner! And even more surprising, it was delish! We met an Augie alumna, Leah Mortenson, who currently is in the Peace Corp teaching English to children in Cambodia. She was a student of Drs. Kalas and Smith's and she made the trek from her town to Phnom Penh to visit with us. She will be speaking to all of us next winter about her experiences in Cambodia. You will love to hear Leah's story and her impressions. And now, before I fall asleep on my wireless keyboard, I'm signing off. More tomorrow after we've visited the Cambodian Palace and the Cambodian Museum... and after we've driven to Sihanoukville -- the beach! We hope everyone at home is enjoying their summer as much as we are enjoying the start to ours. I can't tell you how much you are going to love it here, but you're going to love it and I can't wait to accompany you!
Monday, May 28, 2012
Phnom Penh
We spent our first full day in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. We flew into the Phnom Penh airport after a 2-1/2-hour flight; it was beautiful leaving Hong Kong, with the very cospomolitan airport situated with water surrounding it. There were SO MANY cargo ships, undoubtedly mostly full of goods "Made in China" to be shipped to the U.S.
We were met in Phnom Penh by Mr. Eak and Mr. Xin, our tour guide and driver. We had a quick tour of some of the city before we were deposited at the Ohana Hotel to freshen up before lunch. And what a lunch it was -- we ate at Friends, a not-for-profit organization that prepares Cambodian youth who are living in poverty for positions in the food and spa industries. The lunch was absolutely delicious, made in part with foods grown by local farmers who are teaching the local youth-in-training. As a vegetarian, I only can dream of a Quad Cities restaurant with as many aromatic and tasty meal options as I found there!
We then were treated to cyclo rides through the capital, an experience two of us found to be harrowing and two of us found to be, well, almost peaceful, and that all four of us found to be thought provoking. The cyclo rides consisted of a cyclo driver/cyclist pedaling one person around in a small "cart." I'll post a photo tomorrow; unfortunately, our historian has crashed for the night :)
The hotel we're staying in is across the street from what might be considered the Phnom Penh Riverwalk. There is a multi-mile path that parallels the Tonle Sap River. We're staying right at the junction of the Tonle ("TON-lay") Sap and Mekong Rivers. The Mekong River continues to flow into Vietnam, and the Tonle Sap River is one that you'll be hearing more about in our trip. The river path near our hotel is a very hip and fun area -- there are futbol games, badmitton, and the like going on along the path. Students, be certain that at least one of you packs a badmitton set and another packs a soccer ball! It's a vibrant area complete with a wide variety of restaurants and a fun night life. You have your choice of Khmer, Thai, Indian, Italian, and American style food -- if you crave it, you can find it here! Mixed into the restaurants and hotels, there are some absolutely beautiful Buddhist temples that have spires that reach into the sky. In their saffron-colored robes, the Buddhist monks provide quite a presence.
Enough said with words. I'll try to post some photos tomorrow so you can see what we are experiencing. It's wonderful here...
Tomorrow morning at 8:00, we head to Free the Bears to be zookeepers for a day for Asian bears!! I can't wait to tell you about it! Thanks for following our adventures...
We were met in Phnom Penh by Mr. Eak and Mr. Xin, our tour guide and driver. We had a quick tour of some of the city before we were deposited at the Ohana Hotel to freshen up before lunch. And what a lunch it was -- we ate at Friends, a not-for-profit organization that prepares Cambodian youth who are living in poverty for positions in the food and spa industries. The lunch was absolutely delicious, made in part with foods grown by local farmers who are teaching the local youth-in-training. As a vegetarian, I only can dream of a Quad Cities restaurant with as many aromatic and tasty meal options as I found there!
We then were treated to cyclo rides through the capital, an experience two of us found to be harrowing and two of us found to be, well, almost peaceful, and that all four of us found to be thought provoking. The cyclo rides consisted of a cyclo driver/cyclist pedaling one person around in a small "cart." I'll post a photo tomorrow; unfortunately, our historian has crashed for the night :)
The hotel we're staying in is across the street from what might be considered the Phnom Penh Riverwalk. There is a multi-mile path that parallels the Tonle Sap River. We're staying right at the junction of the Tonle ("TON-lay") Sap and Mekong Rivers. The Mekong River continues to flow into Vietnam, and the Tonle Sap River is one that you'll be hearing more about in our trip. The river path near our hotel is a very hip and fun area -- there are futbol games, badmitton, and the like going on along the path. Students, be certain that at least one of you packs a badmitton set and another packs a soccer ball! It's a vibrant area complete with a wide variety of restaurants and a fun night life. You have your choice of Khmer, Thai, Indian, Italian, and American style food -- if you crave it, you can find it here! Mixed into the restaurants and hotels, there are some absolutely beautiful Buddhist temples that have spires that reach into the sky. In their saffron-colored robes, the Buddhist monks provide quite a presence.
Enough said with words. I'll try to post some photos tomorrow so you can see what we are experiencing. It's wonderful here...
Tomorrow morning at 8:00, we head to Free the Bears to be zookeepers for a day for Asian bears!! I can't wait to tell you about it! Thanks for following our adventures...
Sunday, May 27, 2012
We are sitting in the Hong Kong airport waiting for our flight to Phnom Penh! We had a wonderful stay in Hong Kong, complete with a brief side trip to Stanley Market on the South China Sea. We got to eat seaside after taking a very twisting-turning bus ride up, down, and around Hong Kong Island. I'll post again after we arrive in Cambodia. I'm posting this update to see if I can make this work, because my screen is in Chinese and I'm not certain what I'm doing right now :) Can't wait to share Cambodia with everyone!
Monday, May 21, 2012
Just a few sites we're looking forward to seeing!
A tuk tuk, an awaiting means of transportation for us
The resort of Sihanoukville
Ta Prohm Temple in Angkor Wat
Four days and counting...
In four days, four of us will be traveling to Hong Kong, and then on to Cambodia to check out all of the sites and adventures that we have planned for our Cambodia Study Abroad term scheduled for Augustana College's 2012-13 Winter Term. Joining me on this planning trip will be Dr. Marsha Smith, Dr. Taddy Kalas, and my sister the travel bug, Mrs. Deb Safar. We have had our vaccinations and we have our anti-malaria medication in hand, now all we have to do is pack that 45+ SPF suntan lotion and some clothes and we'll be ready to board our 15-1/2-hour direct flight from Chicago to Hong Kong, and then catch a 2-1/2-hour flight on Dragon Air into Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The four of us will spend time at every site we have planned to take our 28 students. We will verify that each hotel, site, and experience is safe and what we expected it to be -- from visiting the beach community of Sihanoukville, to paying our respects at the Killing Fields, to helping to care for Asian bears and elephants, to meeting the Buddhist monks and the children in their care at Life and Hope Association. I hope that my posts will get every student even more excited about the places we'll go, the people we'll meet, and the adventures we'll share. Here's to SE Asia!
For right now, though, my focus is on figuring out how I'm going to get all of my things into a single carry-on bag! I see lots of clothes washing in my hotel room sink in my traveling future! More from me once we arrive in the capital city of Phnom Penh, a city situated on the banks of the Mekong River. Adventure awaits...
For right now, though, my focus is on figuring out how I'm going to get all of my things into a single carry-on bag! I see lots of clothes washing in my hotel room sink in my traveling future! More from me once we arrive in the capital city of Phnom Penh, a city situated on the banks of the Mekong River. Adventure awaits...
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