2014 Cambodia Excursion in Review

Day 9 - Going Home

Bloggers: Noyo, Bérénice and Kim

After a long nine days, our trip has finally coming to an end. We had one last activity-filled day before our flight. We started the day by going to the Silk Screen Printing Lab. It is a company that works with an NGO called Green Gecko that helps children that previously lived and begged on the streets of Siem Reap. They provide them with an education and vocational training so that they have the skills later in life to get a job and lead a better life. They do this by both selling printed t-shirts, and offering workshops for silk-screen printing, one of which we were lucky enough to go to this morning.  We learnt how silk-screen t-shirts are made and got to try it out ourselves.

 
Afterwards, we went to a cooking class to learn how to prepare some of the delicious Khmer food we have been eating all week. We prepared a meal including some group favourites such as mango salad, fresh spring rolls, fish amok, and chicken curry.



The food was incredible, and the students also received a cookbook so that they could prepare the food at home as well along side other mouth-watering Khmer delicacies.
 

With that, our activities for the day were over, and all that was left was for us to prepare for our flight home. Overall, the trip has been an amazing experience with amazing opportunities. Through our visits to the museums, monuments, and landmarks, we learned about both Cambodian culture, and it's complex history. Through our experiences with the PIO schools, HUSK, Tabitha, and the Silk Screen Printing Lab we were able to interact and connect with the Cambodian people, which gave us an understanding of the troubles people in this country face, but it also showed us how they remain positive and happy. We've had an incredible trip, and it will be something we will remember for years to come.

Just before we sign off, we would like to acknowledge and thank the people who made this trip possible and enjoyable. Thank you first of all to our tour guides Mickey and the Grasshopper Adventures team. Thank you to all the people and organizations, such as HUSK, Tabitha, the Silk Screen Printing Lab, and the PIO Schools, who took the time to talk to us and provide us the opportunities to learn. A huge thank you to Mr. Little, Ms. Antony and Mr. Ah Tieng for being so supportive, understanding, and caring. Without you, this trip really wouldn't have been what it was. And finally, thank you to all of the readers: thank you for reading our blog, and following along with our adventures. We hope you've enjoyed reading it as much we've enjoyed living it.

Day 8 - Cycling & Kayaking

Bloggers: Teri, Tanisha and Yuka

With the trip coming to an end, most would think that we would that we would ease down on the strenuous activities, but this was one of the toughest days yet. Our day was packed with another 25km bike ride and kayaking to visit the floating village on Lake Tonle Sap. This meant that we had to have another bright and early morning, but many of us were more than willing as it meant a new adventure. 

 

To kick start our day, we had a delicious buffet breakfast prepared by our lovely hotel. After breakfast, the group headed down to a nearby pier to get on a boat and proceed to the kayaking location. With perfect weather, everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly. After a tedious yet enjoyable experience, we went to nearby local “pit stop” to get refreshments. Here we were able to even see some crocodiles up close! Then, we headed back onto the boat and went to appreciate the majestic Tonle Sap lake. Subsequently, we went to have a picnic lunch to recharge ourselves. 

 

The next stop: a tour of another local village supported by HUSK. HUSK is a not for profit non government organization which aims to provide the basics of clean drinking water, livelihood opportunities and health and education programmes for the citizens of Cambodia. The local village was a real eye opener to most of us, as we were able to fully grasp how fortunate we truly are, and that we should not take what we have for granted. The tour guide explained one of the fundamental beliefs of Buddhism- revenge is not a solution and that happiness/forgiveness are the true meaning of life. We met a 56-year-old lady, who had lost her husband when she was 19 because of the civil war. The Khmer Rouge had slain her husband and despite the tragedy, she was able to raise her daughter who is currently 36-years-old.   

By the late afternoon, the weather started to be unresponsive to our bike tour plans. This caused ALL of our students and teachers to be covered in mud and drenched with rainwater. However, this made the 25 km bike experience that much more unforgettable. 

After some down time, we had planned to have dinner at magnificent Koulen restaurant to see the Apsara dance, performed by beautiful locals in traditional outfits. To top it all off, the food was also amazing with a combination of Western and Asian cuisine, giving our taste buds an international experience. Lastly the students were then able to relish the great deals of Siem Reap in the bustling Night Market.  

To put it simply, today was pretty awesome!

Day 7 - Angkor Wat

Bloggers: Cameron, Patrick and Zach

We started our adventure today with an early rise. Leaving the hotel at 5 a.m.,  we made our way to Angkor Wat to watch the sun rise, but due to the weather, we where unable to see it. As the ancient temple of Angkor Wat emerged from the mist, we took some time to sit and reflect and take photos of the temple as a whole.

As we made our way round the temple assisted by our guides, we where shown the main points that made up the temple. We were shown different chambers within the temple and our tour guides explained each function. We were then shown the central point of the temple. We were also directed to see the many different and interesting carvings and drawings on the walls of the temples and were told about their significance.

We then left the temple, and took buses to our Cambodian style breakfast, which, along with our bikes, were prepared and waiting for us.  With a wide variety of food to choose from, there was something for everyone to eat and drink.

After our Cambodian styled breakfast, we then began the first leg of our day cycling. Our group consisted of people with different cycling backgrounds, some were experienced, while for others this was a first time cycling a great distance. We made our way to Angkor Thom, with a quick stop beforehand. Here, we were allowed to go into our own groups and explore the Bayon temple to our own desires. Some people even touched noses with Buddha.

After the temple, we were split into two groups for cycling. There was a fast group and a slower group at cycling. The slower group took a relatively flat road to the Ta Prohm temple. They were many vehicles on the road with this group, and for many, this was a first time experience, and a nervous one at that, but the group showed a great deal of composure in dealing with it. With the fast group we cycled at the higher pace and went of-road into the jungle to make our way to Ta Prohm the temple where Indiana Jones was filmed. It was interesting to see how the vegetation of the area had totally engulfed the temple and in some ways taking the form of the temple itself.  

As we made our way back to the hotel, some of us went to go to the Siem Reap “Old Market” where we were able to look round and look for some good gifts for home. After the “Old Market”, we made our way to a traditional Cambodian dinner where we were treated to many different fine Khmer dishes that ranged from, baked fish in banana leaf, Tom Yum soup and other delicious dishes.  Before bed, we had a briefing about tomorrow's itinerary which will include a cycling trip to a local village and kayaking to a floating village on Lake Tonle Sap.  Check in tomorrow to learn more!

Day 6 - Siem Reap

Editor's Note: The day six  blog was late being published due to Internet connectivity problems and other issues beyond our control.  We apologize for any inconvenience.

Bloggers: Kelsey, Jade and Lobna

After a good night’s sleep, it was time to leave Kampong Thom to reach our final destination, Siem Reap. Our bus ride was three hours in which most of us slept in, sore and tired from yesterday’s house building. Along the road, farming villages and the locals’ homes passed by. The happy and simple life that they lead made most of us appreciative of many of the privileges that we often take for granted, like indoor plumbing, for example.

After three hours of driving, we finally arrived at the City River hotel – Siem Reap. There, we were very disappointed not to see our friends the geckos and bugs of all shapes and sizes, which we had left at our previous hotel in the countryside. Upon arrival, we quickly unpacked, then rushed to lunch as we were all starving.  

In order to learn more about the great ancient Khmer civilization of Cambodia, we went to the Angkor National Museum. We had the chance to understand more about the origin of Khmer culture and their homages to the divinities of that culture and the construction of the different iconic temples that we will be visiting tomorrow.

When we came back, we were given a briefing by Grasshopper Adventures about the days to come. 

The tour organizers gave us a small present that included a water bottle and a scarf. We were then lead out to try our bikes, which were customized to our size. Once everyone was satisfied, we were given a break to get ready for dinner.

The Grasshopper Adventures team organized a Khmer dinner for us. The dinner was next to the circus tent, which would host tonight’s show. The performance troop is part of a greater organization called Phare, an association providing arts education to street kids and orphans so that they can express and heal themselves through the arts.. Prior to the show, we enjoyed an outdoor dinner with a peaceful and quiet view. 

The last highlight of the day was the circus performance called “Panic”. The artists put on a great show, were very funny and entertaining and kept us on the edge of our seats!

 

Day 5 - House Building

Bloggers: Eun Je Cho, Mao Yu, Lei Shuang

After an early breakfast at Sambor Village, we headed to our house-building site in Kampong Thom. The scenery seen from the bus ride was different from that in Phnom Penh; the vast plains and wetlands caused us to think about rural life in Cambodia. 

 As we got off the bus the villagers welcomed us with the Khmer greeting, “chum reep sur”. Their faces were full of excitement and appreciation for the Canadian International School student volunteers and as we walked through their line of greetings, we felt that we could lend a hand in providing them with better living conditions. 

 

We were assigned to different teams the day before and we were to build two houses each. Each group member, with hammer in their hands, climbed the stairs of the house, half anticipating and half worrying about the work to come.

The first nail was the most difficult yet the most accomplishing part of today’s activity. Although we had to restart the hammering process each and every time the nails got bent, everyone had patience and endured the process of securing the flooring of the house.

At the same time, other members and teachers helped out with the outer covering of the house. Everyone working on it had to wear gloves to prevent getting cut by the tin sheets.  

 With willing hearts and determined minds, we set out to build these houses. The families that looked at us from below gave us more motivation to work harder. Their hopeful stares as well as kind smiles warmed our hearts, and with that we looked towards perfection as we built the houses. We strived to make sure that the family living in the house would be comfortable, so should a nail be bent we wouldn’t just hammer it in, we would take it out and continue with another nail. 

By lunchtime, everyone felt a feeling of fulfillment although we were hungry; just nailing the boards and the structure of the house together satisfied us. However what warmed our hearts even more was the Khmer people offering us lunch even though lunch was already provided. As such, we tried true, original Khmer food. They were very generous with their servings, giving us more rice than we could finish. What we enjoyed the most was probably the chicken, which was very earthy and completely different from the processed chicken than we often have in the city.

At the end of the day, under the sweltering heat and the glaring sun, we were finally done. All 8 houses, all wonderfully built with our sweat, blisters and cuts as well as the compassion for the Khmer people was finally done. As bloggers we think we speak for everyone when we say we were happy when they were happy. Through Tabitha and our combined efforts not only did we gift them with 8 brand new houses but also new blankets as a housewarming gifts. To see the grateful smiles on their faces as we took our farewell pictures with them was in itself a great gift to ourselves. 

Day 4 - Road Trip!

Bloggers: Rolf and Olivia 
 

We left the Villa Langka Hotel at around 8 a.m. and drove for approximately an hour and a half until we stopped for snacks at a local market, where we tried local delicacies such as fried spiders and crickets.

We then drove for another hour, until we reached the Santuk Silk Farm. We were greeted by the owner of the farm, who explained how silk was produced, and how he had formed his sustainable business helping locals in need of money, by educating them in the art of weaving silk. After the tour of the farm, we enjoyed delicious Khmer food and refreshments, and were later able to purchase silk products.


 We continued our journey to Phnom Santuk, the most important holy mountain in the region, which had 809 steps, and was approximately 207 meters high. This mountain is a hugely popular site of Buddhist pilgrimage, and its forested slopes are adorned with Buddha images and a series of pagodas. At the peak of the steps, an extraordinary ensemble of wats and stupas can be seen.


Once we had all descended the mountain, we drove for another 15 minutes until we reached our final destination: Sambor Village.  After we had checked in, some of use went swimming, while others relaxed around the pool.
 
At 7 p.m., we met for dinner at the hotel, where we enjoyed a great dinner.  After dinner,  we decided upon our teams for tomorrow’s house building project. Knowing the hard work that lies ahead, we got to bed early so that we would be well rested and well prepared for the challenge ahead.  With that, we concluded another amazing day in Cambodia.