Cherishing Cambodia

Wow, it is hard to believe that our time in Cambodia is already through! We only spent one week in this wonderful country and it has definitely captured our hearts! Cambodia has not had an easy past, but the people could not be nicer!! We were always greeted with smiling faces and we had so many genuine interactions.

We arrived in Cambodia via bus. The bus company helped us acquire our tourist visa and cross the border from Thailand. We found it all very overwhelming and a little scary. We had to get off the bus, then walk through Thai departures, then go through Cambodian entry, then get our passport stamp, then find our bus! I was worried we were going to get left behind or denied entry or forget a step of the process, but it all worked out!!

I was elated to finally arrive in Siem Reap. I was last in this wonderful city in April of 2017, and since then it has been one of my favorite places. This is the gateway to Angkor Wat and the famous Cambodian temples. The central tower of Angkor Wat is about 213 feet tall and no Siem Reap buildings can be built taller than the tower. So most hotels, government buildings, museums, etc. are only two or three stories high. It is such a lovely town with a quaint feel to it. The night markets boast a myriad of spices, flashy clothes, and beautiful paintings. And Pub Street is always filled with people, music, and not to mention delicious food and drinks!

On our first full day in Siem Reap we visited Kampong Pluek, otherwise know as the floating village. However, as you can see from the pictures it is not quite floating! The village is nearby to Tonle Sap, the biggest lake in Southeast Asia. The lake rises 10-20 feet in the wet season, so the villagers learned to adapt. Kampong Pluek is largely dependent on the lake for their livelihood. In the dry season, they grow crops such as rice, and in the wet season they fish in the lake.

It was so interesting to see how these people lived. The whole village, like all others in Cambodia, is built around a central temple. People are identified by what temple they belong to, not what town or village they are from.

My favorite part about this day was getting to talk to the school children. There are two schools in the village, one is Cambodian and one is English. Both schools are free to anyone, so most students spend half a day at each school. At just ten years old, these children had wonderful conversational English. This will be a valuable skill for them later in life!! Sadly, in many other places in Cambodia education comes at a cost. Most families cannot afford this so the children turn to begging and selling food and souvenirs to tourists.

After exploring the village we watched a wonderful sunset on a floating restaurant on the lake. It was unforgettable!!

Next up, temple day!! We woke up at 3:30am to watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat. Despite getting there quite early, we were just a few of over a thousand people trying to catch a glimpse of the sunrise. Thankfully we found ourselves a good spot. We spent the morning exploring five different temples. They all had something wonderful and unique to offer! Angkor Wat is by far the largest temple and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Ta Keo is like a mountain! The stairs were so steep that I tied up my long dress so I could climb more easily. And Ta Prohm is the Indiana Jones Temple. These temples are all about 900 – 1,000 years old, and Ta Prohm is built in the heart of the jungle. About 500 years ago trees started growing in the temple. Nature and ancient architecture fused into one is quite a sight! After exploring the temples and logging 13,000 steps, we figured we were due for a nap!!

Next was the day we had been anxiously awaiting since we booked our flights back in July…horseback riding!!! We rode two very spirited Cambodian horses, mine was Sky and Reid’s was Rambo. These two boys were not fans of each other so Reid and I rode far apart the whole morning. Nevertheless, this gave us our ‘horse fix’ until we return to the ranch in May.

We spent our last day in Siem Reap on a 10 mile bike ride through the countryside. It was so beautiful and we stopped along the way to see rice fields, a local market, a mushroom farm, and rice wine distillery, and a lotus farm. Our guide George, and avid mountain biker and runner, told us that he has always wanted to see the Rocky Mountains! We told him to come visit us someday, but that we would not be able to take him mountain biking!! (It is much easier to bike on flat roads at sea level, than at 9,000 feet on hilly terrain!)

We spent our last day in Cambodia in the city of Phnom Penh, to learn about the Cambodian genocide that took place from 1975-1979. This is a tragic event in history that is unknown to most.

After the Vietnam War, Cambodia was in a fragile state. Communist General Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge army came into power and managed to kill more than one in every four Cambodians. This happened because Pol Pot decided to take his country back to Year 0, with no technology or outside influence (aside from monetary aide given from China and the United States). He wanted Cambodia to be a simple agrarian society. This meant that anyone with an education (engineers, doctors, teachers, etc.) and their families were enemies of the state and must be tortured and killed. Pol Pot wet as far to say that anyone with glasses or who spoke a second language was an enemy. Innocent Cambodian citizens died from starvation, disease, exhaustion, or execution by the Khmer Rouge.  This was a dark four year period that involved forced labor camps where people worked 17-20 hours a day, prisons where senseless torture took place, and over 23,000 mass graves. This is an incredibly short synopsis of the Cambodian Genocide, there is lots of detailed information on the internet that dives deeper into this topic. This is a great article as well: History of the Khmer Rouge.

We recently passed Holocaust Remembrance Day on Janaury 27th. When reflecting on the heartwrenching history of the Third Reich, the phrase I see most often is “never again”. Never again should we have another genocide, is the claim made by educators, politicians, and other leaders.

It is easy to say ‘never again’, however it much more difficult to enact change and generate action. Since the Holocaust, four genocides come to mind, times where we have failed the promise to never let another genocide happen again. Cambodia from 1975- 1979, the massacre of the Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994,  the ongoing violence in Darfur, Sudan, and most recently, the ‘ethnic cleansing’ violence towards the Rohingya people in northern Myanmar.

I am a huge proponent of being informed and involved in current and historical events. The world needs us to be educated!

“Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement; and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

-George Santayana

Okay, I will get down off by soapbox now!

Thanks for reading! We will be in Vietnam for three weeks, doing our best to evade the coronavirus.

Stay tuned!

Love,

Sorrell

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33

We are going to Asia!!!!

Do you ever stop and realize how quickly life can pass you by? (I know I am only 22, and I don’t have any business saying that, but hear me out!)

I have done of lot of soul searching since finishing school in May, and here is what I have come up with. I have been going to school for as long as I can remember. And now that I am done, I am supposed to get a job and work for the next 40-50 years?! Come on, there has got to be more than that!! I have been searching for that ‘more’.

More adventure, more living, more exploring.

Life is too short to not be intentional in how we live!!!!

I always try my best to live ‘on purpose’. If you are looking, life has got a lot to offer! Sometimes this means making the best of a spontaneous camping trip that doesn’t go as planned, or going to college in a state that I had never been to, or studying abroad in a big city (If you know me, you know I am definitely not a city person). Living ‘on purpose’ always means pushing myself to learn and grow, and expanding my comfort zone. Great things never came from comfort zones!

Reid and I are putting our intentional living to the ultimate test!! We decided that we wanted one more season at the ranch (Summer 2020), so that meant we had to find something to do in the off-season. We thought about working at another ranch, or some sort of other seasonal work. But then I came up with a wonderful (in my opinion), albeit crazy (in Reid’s opinion) idea.

A three month vacation!!!!

From January 7- April 8 we will be backpacking through Southeast Asia!! We will be visiting Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Indonesia. We are so excited to explore temples, trek through jungles, lounge on beaches, and everything in between! These beautiful countries have so much to offer and we cannot wait to immerse ourselves in the local culture.

When I studied abroad in Hong Kong in 2017, I got the chance to explore some of Southeast Asia. I experienced what it is like to be a total outsider, how to navigate a city with a paper map, and what to do when a monkey attacks me in the jungles of Bali. When I left, after spending five whole months completely out of my comfort zone, I left much to be explored. So as soon as I had the chance to return, I took it!

I am so excited for this new adventure with Reid! And my siblings!! (Ellery and Tristan will be joining us for the Thailand leg of our trip!!)

During these past few months Reid and I have spent SO much time planning…itineraries, accommodations, budget, activities, etiquette, weather, visas, embassy locations, packing lists, flights… the list goes on! (Seriously, we have a whole notebook dedicated to this trip!) Fingers crossed, all this planning will help our trip go a bit more smoothly once we get there.

Our exploration of Southeast Asia is just around the corner (Three weeks away!) and I will do my best to write about our adventures so our friends and families can keep up with our travels.

Stay tuned!!

Love,
Sorrell
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
-Proverbs 3:5-6

Captivating Cambodia

 

Burnt to a crisp, covered in bug bites, and with no clean clothes left…that’s how I returned from Cambodia, but also with a very happy heart!

 

Cambodia has been at the top of my bucket list for as long as I can remember and when I made the decision to study abroad in Asia, I made a promise to myself that I would make it to Cambodia this semester! This past week was certainly a wonderful way to spend my Easter break!

 

We spent our first day in Phnom Penh; it was an emotional and intense day to say the least. We visited the Killing Fields and the S21 Prison Museum. For those of you who do not know, Cambodia experienced a genocide in the 1970s at the hands of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. One in every four Cambodians were killed. Since this happened so recently, the country is still dealing with the aftermath and learning about this tragic event was very difficult. We saw pieces of clothing and bones from exhumed graves at the Killing Fields and a tree against which children were beaten to death. We saw a memorial with 17 layers of skulls and other bones that were taken from one of the over 300 Killing Fields across the country. At the S21 Prison we saw pictures of people who came to the prison, but never left, wide-eyed and scared. We saw instruments of torture and cells 6’ by 2’ in which prisoners lived. Learning about a genocide is definitely not an upbeat way to start Easter break, but for anyone who visits Cambodia it is an important piece of their history to know about.

 

That night we took a bus to Siem Reap and a tuk tuk took us from the bus station to our hostel. Our driver was very kind and offered to drive us to the temples for the next few days. On that 6 hour bus trip I saw the stars for the first time in Asia…what a wonderful sight. Seeing the Big Dipper on the other side of the world is so magical.

 

We got an early start the next morning; our tuk tuk driver picked up at 7 so we could buy our temple ticket. Although a three day pass was a little expensive, we got to experience so much with it! Siem Reap is most well-known for Angkor Wat, but there are so many other temples, each unique and special! We started off our temple exploring with Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm on the first day. I am sure to everyone reading this, that means nothing. They are two huge complexes with many different temples. Angkor Thom seemed to go on forever, everywhere we looked, we spotted a new temple! We spent the morning exploring and climbing around all the temples, but by mid-day we were exhausted. Temples with thousands of years of history sitting in the hot sun can really tire you out! Thankfully our tuk tuk driver had a cooler of cold water for us to drink in between temples. We spent the afternoon relaxing in the air conditioning and taking full advantage of the pool at our hostel.

 

The next morning we had a four am wakeup call; it was time for sunrise at Angkor Wat. This is a dream for backpackers, photographers, and tourists alike! It was so beautiful…a dream come true for me! Me and hundreds of other people. I could not believe how crowded the temple was for sunrise! It was crazy! There were many people who were annoyed with the crowds of stereotypical tourist (myself included). But I was just so happy to be there and be able to experience the sunrise.

 

After watching the sunrise in front of the temple we went inside to do some exploring! All of these temples made me feel like I was in the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom searching for that mythical stone. And the way the morning sun hit the stones was just indescribable! It is really up to everyone to be responsible and not touch to engravings, tread lightly, and be mindful of the fact that they are exploring a timeless piece of Cambodian history. Because of this, we could really go almost anywhere we wanted. We were able to climb up steep, fragmented stairs like Hindu priest and Buddhist monks have been doing for thousands of years. Angkor Wat was a truly humbling experience. Now I knew that Cambodia was going to be hot, but I was still blown away by the fact that it was 90˚ by 6:30 in the morning!! I don’t know how those Cambodians can stand it!! We spent the rest of the morning exploring some outlying temples with the help of our tuk tuk driver. These were a welcome sight…very peaceful compared to Angkor Wat. We finished up around mid-day again and escaped the heat in our hostel. We spent the evening strolling through the night market, picking up some gifts for our families. We also got the experience the full effect of Khmer New Year. This holiday lasts for three days. Children and adults alike celebrate by spraying everyone with water (water guns, water balloons, hoses, sometimes even a bucket!). As foreigners we were especially a target! After the water, comes the baby powder, and since you are wet it really sticks! This was an amazing tradition to experience; we had so much fun (and it was a nice way to cool off).

 

The next day was Easter!! This meant that Lent was over and I could eat chocolate again!! Cadbury mini eggs for breakfast at 5am made for a great day! I spent Easter morning horseback riding on a little speed demon the Happy Horse Ranch liked to call Barney. For three hours I rode through villages and rice paddies and I loved every second of it! I saw a pig going for a swim in a pond, a farmer herding his ducks, and some very playful, mud-covered cows. When I was not taking in the scenery, we were galloping through the countryside. It was a wonderful experience…except for Barney did not have any breaks…I was hanging on for dear life at some points. I also ended up falling in a rice paddy so I was covered in mud, I tried to clean up in a muddy irrigation stream, needless to say, that didn’t help. Regardless of the mud incident, I had a great time; I loved being able to interact with the sweet village children as we rode.

 

After riding, I rewarded myself with a nap and a swim. And after visiting the Royal Gardens and having dinner, I rewarded myself again with the chocolatiest ice cream sundae we could find!

 

On our last day in Siem Reap we explored a few villages by motorbike. Danielle was very brave and learned how to ride a motorbike on one of the busiest roads in the city (I took advantage of this and decided to be her passenger instead of learning to ride myself). We drove to a small village market and learned about the local fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish. Almost everything they eat is grown/raised locally except for carrots and onions. All the food is laid out and covered in flies (especially the catfish that are flopping around and the whole chickens. The villagers are woken up at 3am by the sound of squealing animals as they are slaughtered. Can you imagine if that is how it was done in the United States?! Then we drove to the home of a basket weaver. Although she did not speak any English, she was able to teach us how to make coasters, and we got to bring them home as souvenirs! I certainly don’t have a future as a basket weaver, but I still had a great time. Then we enjoyed a snack of some fresh mangos (quite possible my favorite thing ever!). We then had a delicious lunch as our guide, Ben, told us about the orphanage he founded with the help of an American, John, and the 71 children he cares for. The average income in Cambodia is 352 USD and while everything is cheaper there, that is certainly not enough to feed a family of 12 (which is common in these villages). Ben does everything he can to help these children and make a better life for them.  He is truly an inspiration.

 

Then we said goodbye to Siem Reap! We had our last dinner and said goodbye to Andre and Claire, friends we met in the hostel. They were so wonderful and they are who I aspire to be as a backpacker!! That night we took a bus south and spent one more day in Phnom Penh. Our last day was pretty relaxed. We visited the national museum and took some much needed naps! It was really too hot to do much else. The next morning we got up early to get to the airport for our 6am flight!

 

Now, back in Hong Kong, we are down to our last few days of classes! The home stretch!

 

I really enjoyed my time in Cambodia! It was a week filled with big smiles, lots of mud, and grateful hearts; it certainly exceeded all of my expectations.

 

Stay Tuned! Next week I will be headed on my last trip! Bali here I come!

 

Love,

 

Sorrell

 

♥