Cambodia Pt.3: A day with Cambodian children

Nelson playing with the kids

When we arrived in Cambodia we were taken back by the poverty, we wanted to help in anyway we could. Although a very small act of volunteer work, we chose a worthy charity and signed up for a day with the children. CHOICE Cambodia is a charity that primarily provides clean drinking water to villages outside of the main city. They also have a small school set up an hour from Phnom Penh. Every other Sunday 4 local villages send their children to the school where we volunteered. The organization provides arts and crafts, games, english lessons, and a hearty meal for all the children. This getaway from their daily lives every other week is sometimes the only way for them to obtain such attention and have a bit of fun. We helped with arts and crafts for the day. We couldn't help but notice that these children were so incredibly happy! They were full of energy, playing catching, hitting mangoes down from the tree and practicing English. They also listened to directions very well and were able to focus on their drawings. The experience was very well worth it and we encourage anyone who is interested to check out CHOICE's website here  CHOICE

Our time in Cambodia and as we traveled throughout the world, made us truly appreciate our lives and what we have. We are truly blessed and we feel we are in a position to help others. If you feel the same, we encourage you to help out in your own communities. There is always someone who could use your help. 

Cambodia Pt.2: The amazing temples of Siem Reap!

The enormous grounds of Angkor Wat

Greetings from Siem Reap! We traveled about 6 hours by bus to get from Phnom Penh to its sister city to the north, Siem Reap and it was worth it! The town has some amazing temples to offer its visitors, the main one being Angkor Wat Temple. The temples were constructed as far back as the 1100s! It also had a busy bustling "downtown" with many restaurants and bars. We were able to visit many temples by buying a 1 day pass for around $20 each. They were beautiful. It just happened to be th hottest day we had experienced on our trip. HOT! We could not drink enough water and after our temple tour via tuk tuk, we needed a nap. Enjoy the amazing pictures! Next up, we spend a day helping Cambodian children in need.

Cambodia Pt.1: A land of poverty, sad history, but extremely friendly people.

 

Welcome to Cambodia. A land of extreme poverty, a very sad history, and some of the nicest people you will meet. Cambodia was quite a shock to us. We have seen poverty in several countries but this was very under developed. The city of Phnom Penh was a bit more developed and had businesses and malls. The city also had a very nice promenade area for walking next to the river with many shops and restaurants that catered to tourists. However the people there were very poor and there were many beggars along the main road, primarily children. It was tough to take it all in, but at the same time the people were so happy and very eager to work. We were in the city during their slow season so many vendors and tuk tuk drivers were trying hard for our business. We visited some historic landmarks including the killing fields of Choeung Ek and the Tuol Sieng Genocide Museum. After Phnom Penh we made our way north to the stunning temples of Siem Reap.