WHERE TO TRAVEL NEXT?: Angkor Wat is history..... Children are the future.

Cambodia….. hmmmmm where do I begin? I am two months into my trip and I feel as though I just left yesterday. I must take my hat off to Swedish entrepreneur Niklas Zennström and Danish entrepreneur Janus Friis who have aloud me to keep in close contact with my Mother and the rest of my family through the wonderful invention that is Skype. Without which I would know nothing about home…. (that actually doesn't sound like bad thing)

I have been in Cambodia for three weeks now. I will start by telling you about one of the most amazing creations I have ever seen. The region that is Angkor, the UNESCO World Heritage site. The ruins of Angkor are located amid forests and farmland to the north of the town Siem Reap. It has been determined that Angkor was the largest preindustrial city in the world and it's ruins stretch over an area of about 1,000 square kilometres. The largest and most famous is Angkor Wat which is the largest religious building in the world. I feel I must admit to you all that when I walked over the moat and through the main gate and saw Angkor Wat, a tear did come to my eye. When people asked me what I was most looking forward to on my trip, my reply was always Angkor Wat, and it certainly lived up to my expectations! Equally impressive as Angkor Wat is the temple Ta Prohm which was depicted in the Angelina Jolie movie Tomb Raider. Made famous by the silk-cotton tree and the strangler fig. The only way to understand how incredible Angkor is, is to come and see it yourself, I promise that you will not be disappointed!!!!

Before I departed for my World Expedition I knew that a few weeks were going to be dedicated to volunteering at an orphanage here in Cambodia (If you don't know much about Cambodia I strongly recommend you do some background reading and learn a bit about this countries deplorable history).

Three weeks ago I was walking down a street in Siem Reap, just taking in my surroundings, when I came across CDO (Children and Development Organisation). I walked inside and was greeted by a volunteer who gave me a tour around the orphanage. I met Sui and Morn (aka Mum and Dad) and the 27 children all with infectious smiles and laughs. After spending the day playing with the kids and observing one of their lessons I decided that this is where I would volunteer for the next few weeks.

The children all come from Leap Chass Village, which is one of the poorest areas in Cambodia, an area which has no health services, education or clean water. Many of the kids do in fact have parents (which is the case in most orphanages in Cambodia) however their parents lack the money, knowledge and basic life necessities to take care of their children everyday.

I travel everyday for 15 minutes on a bike to get to school, this is when I win the lottery everyday. Dodging and weaving through oncoming trucks, buses, bikes, doors, dogs, cats and the occasional stray child. The children at CDO are tough as nails and they certainly know how to eat rice! In fact the 27 kids together go through 15kilos of rice per day, thats breakfast, lunch and dinner. The children all live in the same house, girls in one room, boys in another. They really are like one big family. The kids all get along very well and a very grateful for the opportunities that they have been given. I now have much more respect for teachers (so thanks to all the teachers out there). Teaching the kids is incredibly rewarding and it has taught me a lot about myself. Also being in countries such as Thailand and Cambodia you learn the art of patience, and that things nearly never go as you planned.

As I write this blog I am finding it terribly hard to describe to you what impact volunteering here has had on me. It will most certainly leave a lasting impact and will probably be the highlight of my entire trip. Walking through the gates of CDO every morning and being greeted by Sambo, Vechera, Meak, Sinh and Khamma (to name a few) will be something that I will NEVER forget. I know I will be back one day. I have created such a strong bond and relationship with not only the kids but with Sui and Morn who run the orphanage, so after four weeks it is going to be terribly difficult to say goodbye.

Finally I would like to send out a HUGE thank you to all my family and friends who have collectively donated over $2000 for the CDO Orphanage. I honestly can not thank you enough. With your help we were able to build new roofs, buy new tin, buy concrete and buy food. We also were able to make a start on the chicken farm which will house around 1500 chickens. This is a huge investment for CDO as they hope to become more self sufficient and less reliant on donations from volunteers. 100% of their income comes from donations from passing visitors and volunteers. With your help the future of these children is a much brighter and healthier looking one, however there is still a long way to go! Thanks again.

Live your dreams.