Cambodia Update!

Hello Everyone!

I can't believe it's been two weeks since I've last written! I was sick for a few days and have had limited internet access where I'm staying! So, sorry for the delay! I'm doing really good and am currently staying just outside of Phnom Penh where I'm volunteering with an orphanage connected to my church back home. A couple working with this organization offered to let me stay with them which has been really nice. It's been a really long time since I've been in a homelike environment! I was also really thankful for them when I got sick (my initiation to Cambodia ;). Anyway, I've been helping out with whatever needs to be done which includes tasks like unloading semi-trucks, mixing and pouring paint, and hanging out with the kids and youth at the orphanage. The couple I'm staying with (Bob & Crystal) have an open-door policy in there home when it comes to the kids, so I get plenty of opportunities to interact with them. I even have one of the girls teaching me Khmer! I have to study my numbers and words because I have a test tonight! :) They also have a dog that just had 7 puppies last night! They are so cute and it has been really fun to be here for that!
Ok...so I need to update you on the last two weeks! Where do I begin?
I left you last time saying that I was going to Angkor Wat in the morning. Angkor Wat was incredible! In my opinion, it made the Taj Mahal look simplistic! I spent the first half of the day just exploring the temples surrounding Angkor Wat. Some of the temples have giant old-growth trees literally growing into the ruins; their roots reaching over and down the ancient grey stone walls; intertwining their life with ancient wonder. After awhile, you find yourself exploring half-lit stone hallways that often have intricate carvings engraved into their walls that tell ancient tales of war, conquest, & divinity. You find yourself turning a corner only to discover a giant stone face staring back at you. And then there are the stairs! I apparently lied when I said the steps in Nepal where vertical....I discovered the redefinition of vertical steps at Angkor Wat! There are multiple levels within these temples which are interconnected by these steep flights of stairs. Once you've reached the top, you often discover a statue of Buddah whose discovery is foreshadowed by the thick smell of incense that floods the air as you make the final ascent.
Angkor Wat itself was immense. One image that struck me was of the vibrant butterflys that flutter around the ruins. Their vibrant colors contrast sharply with the dull grey of the ruin walls. While I was walking down the vast hallways whose walls contain stories from ancient Hindu texts, the skys began to pour down rain which you could watch through the columns lining the other side of the halls. It's difficult to describe in words and even all the pictures I took don't do it justice. You really are walking through immense elaborate ancient ruins!
The next day, I went and visited the Cambodian Landmine Museum which was started by a former soldier in the Khmer Rouge. He states that he helped lay thousands of landmines when he was with the Khmer Rouge, but now he has made it his life mission to make Cambodia landmine free. The museum contains piles of these weapons that he has deactivated, information on the process, and updates on what his NGO is continuing to do. He and his wife also take care of over 20 children who are victims of landmines. Landmines continue to kill or maim thousands of Cambodians annually, so his work is truly needed. After this, I rented a boat and went to one of the nearby floating villages which consist of houses built on stilts. During the dry season, you see these houses soaring way up in the air on stilts, but in the wet season (right now) you see a village that literally appears to be built upon the water. From there, I took a dugout canoe into the adjacent flooded forest where you are floating in and out of the branches that compose the upper bows and canopy of these trees. It was really fun and unlike anything I'd ever seen before! After that, I stopped by an orphanage outside of Siem Reap and played games with the children there. The next morning, I was on a bus to Phnom Penh which leaves us at my current location! I'm running out of time at the moment, but I will update you shortly on what I've done in Phnom Penh so far. I will be here for another week before heading up to Kratie, Cambodia and then to Vietnam on November 1st! I miss and love you all! Hope you are all doing well! Until later...
~Rachel