Angkor Wat

Third and last post from me (Emma)- I promise! Today we enjoyed the ancient and beautiful ruins at Angkor Wat. One of the 8 Wonders of the world, this was one of the most stunning places I have ever been to, and I think many members of the group agreed. Our group watched the sun set last night over the magnificent brick structures, and woke up at 4:30 this morning to watch the sun rise as well. Both were spectacular, and today we spent the day being driven around in three Tuk Tuks by our friendly drivers, touring different ancient temples and other buildings. Although it is well in the high 90s today again, the heat was worth it after seeing the mystical and detailed stone formations and carvings, which are over 12,000 years old.

Angkor Wat consists of many different temples which are spread out around the giant historical park. All morning we walked through the brick archways, taking pictures among huge roots and fallen rocks, pressing our hands against the structures that were built so long ago. Although we were among the throngs of people coming to see the sight where “Tomb Raider”was filmed, it was a meaningful experience and a place that everyone must see in their life. We were all in awe when we left the park this afternoon.

After an exhausting few days of very little sleep (due mainly to the heat and a few pesky mosquitoes),tonight we are looking forward to an evening of entertainment and nourishment in the forms of a traditional dance show and a Cambodian buffet. It should be a fun night, and we are excited about being able to sleep in tomorrow morning before heading off to our afternoon activity. We will be visiting an organization called Egbok Mission for the afternoon, where we will cook and learn with the students there, who are street kids given a chance for a better life. There they are taught hospitality skills, which they will demonstrate for us by serving us our food tomorrow night. It sounds like a really neat organization and we are intrigued by what we will learn and experience there. The next day we head to Phnom Penh, where we will spend a few nights before working at the New Hope for Cambodian Children orphanage for a full week. We have a lot coming up, and we will keep all of you back home updated when we can!