Day 5: Getting to Know Battambang and our Pen Pals

We began the day with an authentic tuk tuk ride through the city to a traditional Buddhist monastery. Our tuk tuk driver was the kindest man who gave us an intricate history of the Khmer Rouge and communism within Cambodia and how it pertained to his family. He was so eager to share his love for his renewed country and passion for its story that it made Rachel and I feel truly blessed and honored to be his audience. We drove over rivers and through rural neighborhoods where the locals were giving out free smiles and endless laughter as we passed by. Everyone in the tuk tuks waved to the children, who ran along the side of the road with their soccer balls and soda, searching our foreign faces and greeting us with their warmth. The living situations of the townspeople were minimalist, and conversations were being shared throughout the drive about the simplicity and quiet joy found in these rural villages. We were driven to the Buddhist Monastery. Once there, we were led to a classroom within the monastery by a monk named Sovechea, who gave us a lesson on Buddhism and its history in Cambodia. The monk began the lesson by encouraging us to meditate, or self reflect. He informed us that meditating was a ritual that could be practiced through personal or religious relief, rather than specifically Buddhism. Then, he gave us a step by step lesson on how Buddhists hope to achieve enlightenment, via the eightfold path. He followed up his lecture with the simple truths Buddhists hold dear to themselves-truths believed to be founded by the Buddha. These consist of four virtues that encourage individuals to liberate themselves from suffering through fasting, meditation, and community service.

After our visit to the monastery, we took the tuk tuks to a rice-wine making company located in one of the side roads within the rural villages. This was a family-owned business, that grew the rice by themselves. It was very moving to see the hard work these individuals went through to supply the town with such a necessary cultural commodity. Afterwards, we went to see rice papers being made. These rice papers were used for spring rolls and other traditional foods. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to eat any of the food, due to health reasons, but you could clearly see the hard work the young women who made them. On a side note, these women had the most beautiful skin! We concluded that it must be the steam from cooking the rice papers that gave them their radiant glow. Following these various excursions, we enjoyed a nice lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, we were joined by our pen pals and we all went to play volleyball. Although some of us had played volleyball before, as a group we were all pretty bad. Despite our apparent lack of skill (with the exception of Aeriel, T-Will, Dina, Laney and Hannah), we still had so much fun! We divided into two groups so that we could play alongside our penpals. Even our guide, Por Heng, Mr. Wineholt, and Mr. Gass joined in on the fun. The floor of the courts was a soft dirt, so we were a bit dusty afterwards, but it was most definitely worth it!

We ate dinner at Cafe Eden, where they served us beef burger patties and french fries. After dinner, we took an ice cream cake to our pen pals’ home to have a group party. We also celebrated Malli’s birthday and everyone sang the birthday song. The pen pal girls were very kind and so eager to converse with us. They were ecstatic to surprise Malli, blowing up balloons and customizing a cake just for her! It was such a sweet gesture, welcoming 18 people they'd just met into their home. Together, we sat down on the wooden floors of the girls’ home and celebrated Malli’s birthday, and the bonds created with each other caused us all to laugh. Today was an exciting day filled with valuable experiences that have only added to our enjoyment of this trip. I can speak for us all, when I say we are all very eager for the days to come.
Aeriel, Rachel, Hannah  

The primary school where we taught english

Picture from our tuk tuk ride

Group picture of us at the monastery with the Buddhist monks

Day 4: Meeting Our Penpals in Battamabng

This morning came early and we were all in a rush to get our bags packed back up and all our clothes together before we took off for Battambang. We had breakfast at the hotel, accompanied by their signature guava juice, and got on the bus. As soon as we left the city there was a stark difference in scenery. The multitude of small shops and chaotic crowds of motorcycles were replaced by open plains with small trees scattered around and the occasional lone traveler zooming by in the opposite direction. As we began to drive we got accustomed to small houses with wood walls and corrugated metal roofs rusting in the sun.

We stopped after two hours of driving to eat lunch at a nice roadside restaurant. They brought out a platter of different sodas ranging from coke and fanta to something called grass jelly soda that smelled like prune juice. A highlight of the meal was when senior Sarah Mehrberg tried to pick up a chicken foot with chopsticks. The foot ended up grabbing onto one of the chopsticks, and seemed to come to life. After this we went to a martial arts school a little further down the road. After seating us and serving us coconuts with straws in them, the “performance” if you could call it that, began.

The first set of guys came out onto the mat in front of us, bowed and started to circle each other. They were both extremely agile and wrestled until one of them had the other pinned. The next pair came out with a bamboo stick and a pair of  small bamboo guards worn around the lower arms. Their fight was a choreographed battle, ending in a pantomimed throat slitting. They bowed to us and went back to their group to watch the next pair. Another ten or so fights went on, wrestling matches intermingled with choreographed battles. We boarded the bus again and began our final ride to Battambang.

We knew we had arrived in Battambang when we saw the giant statue in the center of the roundabout in the front of the province. Driving down multiple roads we arrived at the hotel. The hotel is very nice; it has a huge pool and zumba classes in the morning. Once we arrived at the hotel we went straight to dinner. Dinner was on the rooftop of the hotel. We ate while looking over the city of Battambang and there was a beautiful sunset while we ate. Most of us ordered fruit smoothies and sodas. Dinner consisted of egg rolls, soup, rice and chicken.

After dinner we walked down to the lobby to meet our pen pals. We were so excited to meet them! We then all loaded onto the bus to go to the circus with our pen pals. The circus was amazing. The circus was a combination of dancing, acting and stunts. All the people were our age and it seemed like they were having so much fun. They did flips, juggled fire, balancing acts, and did aerial tricks. With all the acts they did they intertwined the Cambodian culture with traditional music and dance performances. It was very entertaining. After we got back in the bus and drove back to the hotel. On the drive back some of us got into some intense games of hand-slide. Arriving at the hotel we jumped off the bus and went into the lobby to say goodbye to our pen pals until tomorrow.

By: T. Will, Isabella, and Malli (additional photos by Mr. Gass)

A traditional Cambodian martial arts demonstration

Surfing: Phare Circus style

Parker, penpals, and Phare Circus celebrate a wonderful evening

Day 3: The Royal Palace and Central Market

After another night of well needed rest and a slight shift of the itinerary, the group headed to visit the Royal Palace this morning. If you remember from yesterday's blog, the Royal Palace is where a ceremony was being held and was closed off to the public. The sights at the palace were simply breathtaking: the king's impressive home and balcony from which he spoke to his people en mass, expertly crafted monuments, beautiful greenery, and ornate elephant stables (no longer in use) made for a truly unforgettable experience. It felt surreal looking at the many people wandering and taking photographs of the palace considering the amount of history that took place there.

Next up on this Valentine's Day was Wat Phnom. We spent our time here going up the steps to the top of the temple and taking time to sit and admire the beautiful gardens. Here we thankfully escaped a small chasing monkey who wanted us off of his path as well. For lunch today we had the opportunity to eat an authentic Cambodian meal buffet style. For some, that meant unlimited rice and curry, and for some others it meant an opportunity to try bizarre foods such as frog, snail, and chicken feet. We also indulged ourselves in refreshing passion fruit smoothies to wash down the snails' "unique" flavor. This experience enticed Mr. Wineholt and Brendan to take it upon themselves to seek out the strangest tasting foods all around Cambodia.

Following lunch we left for the Central Market, where there was a variety of shoes, clothes, art, jewelry, and more. Many students enjoyed the common practice of negotiating at the market, with many getting good deals on "designer" fashion.

After a quick stop at the hotel, we went to see a Cambodian Living Arts Performance of traditional folk dances. Cambodian Living Arts, founded by Arn Chorn Pond, is dedicated to the resurrection of traditional Cambodian arts following their purge during the Khmer Rouge regime. Cambodia Living Arts is a team with more than 60 performers working together to bring arts to the forefront and it was a wonderful experience to witness the great performance filled with unique and traditional dances and costumes.

We then went to dinner at "Friends" restaurant, dedicated to helping local youth find job opportunities. It was only located a block away from the Living Arts Performance and there was a variety of food served such as fish, curry, and various fresh smoothies.

By: Brendan, Rachel K, and Dina 

Central Market

Central Hall at Royal Palace

Entry pavilion at Wat Phnom

First monkey encounter

Day 2: Remembering the Atrocities of Phnom Penh's Past

After much-needed night of sleep in a comfy bed, we ate a breakfast consisting of rice and other delicious Cambodian cuisine based around pork, chicken, and different curries. Shortly after breakfast, we boarded the bus and were ready for a full day of sightseeing in Cambodia. Upon arrival at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, we were informed that the palace was closed to visitors since official business was being conducted inside the Palace walls. But, hey, what’s an itinerary without a bump in the road? We decided to explore the National Museum instead, where we viewed various eras of Cambodian history, ranging from the 500s CE to the 20th Century. After walking through the museum, we relaxed in the courtyard that was filled with tranquil lily ponds, green flowering trees, and a buddhist statue in the center. After finishing our adventure through the museum, tour guide decided to continue on by switching today’s itinerary for tomorrow’s, reminding us of the importance of being flexible while travelling.

Upon arrival at S21, a prison that was used for torture by the Khmer Rouge during its violent rule from 1975-79, we could already feel the heavy past setting in around us. Our tour guide gave us an hour and half to explore the large prison, which consisted of rooms separated into small cells with metal beds that still had restraining chains attached to them. Some of the cold, empty rooms included a photo on the wall depicting the tortuous actions that the Khmer Rouge soldiers imposed onto their prisoners, others were separated into small make-shift cells, each only about the width of our shoulders. As we walked through each cell block, one of the most horrifying sights was the blood stains that were splattered across the floors, walls, and window frames. It became clear to us how horrific life was in the prisons, and how terrible the soldiers treated their prisoners as they pushed them to confess crimes they didn’t commit. Two students, Dina and Laney, specifically noticed the lack of light in the rooms. Taking time to imagine how a cell would look when the door was closed, they reflected by saying, “the absence of light in the room correlated directly to the absence of hope the prisoners must have been feeling.”

In order to lighten the mood, our group was treated to wonderful smoothies and typical Cambodian food at a restaurant overlooking the magnificent Mekong River. During our lunch, traditional live music was performed by a man playing a romear ek, an instrument that looked like a xylophone, while a female dancer dressed in a beautiful Khmer costume performed a beautiful Cambodian dance. But soon our wonderful lunch came to an end and we loaded the bus to head out to our next stop just outside of the city.

On the way to the "Killing Fields", where many of the 1.4 million people who died during the Khmer Rouge's murderous reign, our tour guide told the story of how his family was severely impacted by the Khmer Rouge. After hearing his story, it became clear that since this genocide took place only a relatively short time ago, almost everyone in the country is still touched by the Khmer Rouge's cruelty and the memories are still very fresh .

At the "Killing Fields", we were each given a headset to guide us through the horrific site. The voice on the recording belonged to a Khmer Rouge survivor and was paired with testimonies from a Khmer Rouge Officer and other torture survivors. As we made our way through each stop, we all wore heavy faces after realizing that everywhere we looked was somewhere that someone was tortured or killed. At one stop on the tour, a glass boxed was filled with clothes and rags that were discovered in the graves. Although there were many pieces of cloth in the box, the ones that stood out were a pair of child’s purple shorts that sat right next to a bloody rag used to whip people. The tour only became more heavy on our hearts as the next stop was the "Killing Tree," the place where Khmer soldiers executed the youngest children in order to fulfil Pol Pot’s motto of “taking the roots from the tree.” Bracelets were hung all over the trunk as a sign of mourning and remembrance of these children whose lives were cut short. Our tour ended with the Memorial Stupa, the place were over 9,000 skulls and other bones are kept to commemorate the victims. Prior to entering into the Stupa, we were told to remove our shoes and encouraged to say a prayer for the souls. Overalll, it was an emotionally powerful experience, as each skull was grouped by age and cause of death.The "Killing Fields" gave us a sense of this genocide that could never be taught in a classroom or felt from an image. It was a true look into how terrible mankind can act, and how horribly a government can treat its people to control them.

Our day concluded on a happy note, however, as we took a Cyclo tour to dinner. The cyclos consisted of a chair sitting in front of a bicycle powered by Cambodian men who peddled us across the city through rush hour traffic. It was an amazing experience, as we truly saw the city from the eyes of the people, rather than from the eyes of tourists looking down from a bus. People on motorcycles smiled and little kids waved as we were safely navigated through the busy city. One thing we noticed was the amount of government buildings all designated to one department, for example the ‘Facility of Anti Government Corruption.’ Another government building that seemed to not really fit in with the rest was the U.S. Embassy, whose architecture clearly showed an image of Washington DC, rather than that of the Cambodian government buildings it neighbored.  Lastly, we noticed the large number of colleges in the city, which is important because the Khmer Rouge specifically targeted teachers and other well-educated individuals, showing us that Cambodia is recovering from its nightmare. We ended our tour at a fantastic restaurant, where we were served rice, red-ant soup, and tarantulas, among other local delicacies!

Although it was emotionally heavy day, it is one that we know will stick out forever. We can’t wait to experience more of Cambodian culture tomorrow!

Beautiful architecture of the museum was complemented by the wonderful birds that called it home

Barbwire enclosed the top floors of Tuol Sleng (S21) to keep prisoners from committing suicide

Millions of bracelets were left at each mass grave in "The Killing Fields" as a form of respect for the victims

“The Killing Tree” is where many young children’s lives were ended

Signs crowded the "Killing Fields" warning visitors to watch for bone fragments that frequently surfaced

We ended the day with a wonderful Cyclo ride through the lively city streets of Phenom Penh

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Day 1: US to Phnom Penh

Upon our arrival to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, after a long plane ride, we were greeted by our enthusiastic tour guide, Mr. Por Heng. We were welcomed to the country with fresh leis made of jasmine and boarded our bus to be taken back to the hotel. We learned quickly during our first bus ride that Cambodia has very few “rules of the road” that American’s are accustomed to. Throughout the ride we saw countless whole families commuting on only one small motorcycle. Once at the hotel we had a few minutes to move our bags into our rooms and become acquainted with our roommates before getting back on the bus to go and enjoy our first meal in Cambodia.

Our first meal was served family style on a lazy susan in the middle of a large table. We enjoyed traditional Cambodian foods such as rice, fish, soups, vegetables, and fresh fruit. These were a welcome change from the airplane food, and even included a Cambodian delicacy: snakeskin soup! Following the meal, we were back on the bus and our tour guide continued to teach us more of the history of the Cambodian people and of Phnom Penh. We had the opportunity to stop and take photos at the Independence monument as well as the Victory monument.

After this, we took a boat across the Tonle Sap Lake and the Mekong River. This was an incredibly interesting experience. Our boat, which was a fairly large boat meant for tourists, was next to some of the small boats that the locals took out to fish. Not only did they work on these boats, but they lived, ate, and slept in them as well. This was the first time since arriving that we were able to truly see the disparity of living conditions in Cambodia, and only less than a mile away from the extravagant Royal Palace.

After our boat trip, we went back to the hotel to get some much needed rest and relaxation in our rooms before leaving again for dinner. We had a delicious papaya salad and an entree of chicken with pineapple and bell peppers. Afterwards, we had a fruit platter with all kinds of different fruits on them for dessert. Not a bad way to end our first day in Phnom Penh!

Blog written by: Laney, and Emerson Pictures by: Sarah

Arrival in Phnom Penh with tradtional jasmine leis

The Independence Monument

Cruising on Tonle Sap and the Mekong 

Welcome to the Cambodia Blog

Welcome to the 2017 Francis Parker School Global Studies blog for Cambodia. Students will update the blog regularly as they explore The Kingdom of Wonder from February 12 - 24. Please check back often to catch up on their latest adventures!