Written by Dulce & Hayden, Southeast Asia Semester students
We started our week off by boat, traveling to the floating villages. We met our fun tour guide Yusef. Upon arriving, we got to the nonprofit, Osmose, who provided our meals for the entire stay. After a delicious plate of rice, veggies, meat, and fruit we headed to meet our host families.
This village, named Prek Toal, is fully floating on water, and locals make a living off fishing for the most part. We visited during the dry season which meant some land was exposed and walkable.
We taught English for two days at the public school. We all connected and bonded with the students who were very excited to meet us. We also helped plant chilis and build a volleyball court. Life in Prek Toal is a simple life. You look around and will see 8-year-old kids driving boats, groups of people chopping up fish, women weaving, people showering with buckets and families sitting in a circle eating in their living room. During our stay at the floating villages, we spent our free time playing volleyball and hanging out with our host families. To end our final day at the floating village we visited a temple and watched the beautiful sunset as a group.
We then traveled by boat for 2 hours and transferred to a car for another 5. Finally, we arrived to the fast-paced busy capital city of Phnom Penh. There, we got settled in the Salita Hotel and got ready for the next few days. It was refreshing to take a warm shower with no bugs. Our tour guide Yusef took us to the S21 prison and the biggest killing field in the country. We felt the weight of the deaths and tortures that occurred right under our feet as we walked upon the graves.
After this significant experience, we went out in groups of 3-4 to test out navigational skills and independence through a scavenger hunt. Later that night we went to experience the nightlife of Phnom Penh at a club called Epic where we danced our hearts out. The last day, we enjoyed our free time exploring the city and going to Tinytoones, which is an NGO that helps low-income students learn English, music and dancing. After learning more about the school, we took a breakdancing class and had a blast – although Kailee unfortunately broke her ankle. Our stay in the city was full of new adventures, but we are ready to travel to our next destination to get some fresh air.
Our Top Highlights of the Week:
🏐 Playing volleyball
🚣🏽♀️ Traveling by boat
🕺🏽 Taking a dance class
But transformation always comes with opportunities for growth: What were our main challenges this week?
At the killing fields and prison, we felt the weight of the deaths and tortures that occurred right under our feet as we walked upon the graves. It was a significant experiences, followed by testing out navigational skills and independence through a scavenger hunt. Some of us had better times than others!
Until next time! ❤️ Spring 2023 Southeast Asia Semester
