Phnom Penh

Sweet children playing with a RAT!

 We entered Cambodia by boat traveling up the Mekong Delta; it’s one of the world’s great rivers. (Like in Apocalypse Now, (the movie.)) From the water we could see many ornate temples and pagodas and floating houses. When the boat pulled up to Phnom Penh, the capital.

There are lots of motorbikes with no traffic lights and food that even daring people, like Gil wouldn’t try (like cow penis). But after you follow a few strict diet rules like “don’t drink the water” and “be careful not to order cow penis” then you can really appreciate Cambodia’s culture. The people are unbelievably, absolutely, amazing. They’re incredibly hardworking and skilled agriculturalist.Their hearts are filled with such old wisdom and peace. The children are so adorable and personable that they can get you in the deepest part of heart and make it so you’ll never forget their faces. The people are so willing too talk to you and share their history.

Dinner at Run's House.

How could this be when they are the 2^nd largest exporter in rice and home to the most interesting temples and ruins in the world that are filled with tourist? Their royal palace is tiled in silver and gold.  It makes Buckingham Palace and the White House look like shacks. No country with all of this should be battling Malaria and Hepatitis when visiting I learned more about how the genocide ruined their economy and killed over 2 million people only 27 years ago. Pol Pot tortured these people to make sure no one would stand up against him and his regime. By the time the Vietnamese invaded Pol Pot had killed so many and planted millions of land mines.  Cambodians are so despite for peace and their country back they handed over Angkor Wat and the 20 million dollars a year it produces to the Vietnam so they could have their country back.

Killing Feilds Pagota

 Despite all this, there are people doing extraordinary things to help.