One year ago I was lucky enough to visit Angkor Wat with my family, including my mom and dad. To us, it is one of the great world wonders, and perhaps considered the heart and soul of Cambodia. This year I traveled to Phnom Pehn, the business heart of Cambodia.
Cambodia is exciting and emotional. A country rich in culture, history, tradition but also devastation. Much of Cambodia remains in poverty. Just in the capital of Phnom Pehn, there are between 10,000 and 20,000 children living and/or working on the streets. Heartbreaking. Of course I was drawn to the sites of Cambodia's tragic past; Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, former Khmer Rouge prison, and the Killing Fields, where tens of thousands of people were buried in mass graves during the Pol Pot years. Neither site for the faint-hearted. But I also visited the fabulous National Museum, the vibrant Russian Market, and the lovely shops and cafes.
The main reason I traveled to Phnom Pehn was to join a 'Tabitha' team of 18 others to build ten houses in a village south of the city. We labored for two full, hot, humid days. The villagers were helpful at times, but mostly watched us. The children were curious of us, and would smile and wave. It was frustrating to work with nails that were too long and difficult to decipher the head from the tip. Nails bent easily as the frame was extremely hard wood, and the bamboo flooring would often split when anchored. The green corrugated aluminum could slice you so easily (one of our builders ended up with 11 sutures in his arm!), not to mention an eye sore for all of us. But we perservered, and finished the job smiling. The home-owners were so happy! Their joy and appreciation was hard to capture on film. It was an amazing feeling though.
So, I consider myself lucky to have ventured beyond those beautiful temples into a wider Cambodia. "Overwhelming," is the description I say again-and-again of this captivating country. I wish it were closer so you all could experience such a place.
With love and appreciation for all I have~
Lauren
Saturday, November 1, 2008
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