by Ian | Jan 4, 2017 | Cambodia 2016
It’s incredible to think that after all we’ve done in Cambodia, the entire team is still rushing through the markets of Siem Reap to buy last minute souvenirs and gifts, before our long journey home. This just goes to show how immense and diverse this maze of a market is.
Whilst this makes it seem like we’ve only been shopping, we’ve had plenty of time to do some incredible things and create memories that will last a life time.
Visiting what was once the world’s largest city, exploring Angkor Wat was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for the entire team. It was exciting to walk through the ancient stone constructions that are covered with leaves and vines from the jungle, which is starting to reclaim them. When we finally reached the top of Angkor Wat itself, the view of the jungle that surrounded it was like nothing any of us had ever seen before!
However, the view of the jungle during our trek was very different compared to that of Wat. Being guided through the dense jungle by some of Cambodia’s best guides, in my opinion at least, was another unforgettable part of this expedition. Khey and Vannak were invaluable when showing us some amazing pieces of nature, such as the water vine. This made the experience of trekking through the jungle so much more immersive, and at the same time, made us forget how much we were all sweating due to the clammy jungle climate.
Our short time at Sihanoukville was both necessary and luxurious, and it was the perfect way to spend Christmas together as a team. The cool water from the Gulf of Thailand and the warm glow from the sun was the ultimate relaxation combination and was well received by Team Cambodia after an intense first two weeks.
Week one was spent volunteering at the Children’s Development Organisation in Siem Reap. There were always jobs to be done to help improve the site and benefit the charity. Whilst some tasks like the metal bending were mundane, the presence of the children and the help of volunteers, such as Julian and Mom, made the whole experience worthwhile.
Phnom Penh was both historically and culturally eye opening. Our tours through sites such as the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields showed us the horrific past of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge regime. It was amazing to think that these tragic events happened less than half a century ago and the whole team was deeply moved by what we saw. We also had a chance to be tourists for the day when walking around the grounds of the Royal Palace, which were beautifully maintained. We noticed that the impressive golden topped buildings of the Palace contrasted the poverty stricken surroundings, that the average Cambodian experiences daily.
There was nothing average about the bamboo train in Battambang, which we got to ride on our whistle stop tour of this typical Cambodian city. The train whisked us away from the hustle and bustle of town centre, into a remote village that lay at the end of this the mismatched railway track. The team were relieved to make it back to the hotel that night, but everybody had a smile on their face.
Looking back on everything we’ve done in the last 26 days, there are no regrets. The challenges and opportunities we’ve faced as a team have been as immense and diverse as the night markets of Siem Reap, which we are still keen to explore on our last evening. We’ve had more highs than there are peaks in the Cardamom mountains, more eye openers than there are spiders in the jungle and built stronger friendships than the foundations of Angkor Wat.
“Do you know what could make this moment better? Nothing.”
By Kenneth Steel and Bradley Carter
by Ian | Jan 1, 2017 | Cambodia 2016
Today we returned from our 5-day trek through the jungle. Much hotter than our training in Wales, the Cardamom mountains provided the perfect setting for this expedition of just under 80km.
The scenery was incredible; so beautiful it could be confused for a computer screen saver. Obviously, it changed drastically day by day. Sometimes we were surrounded by impenetrable jungle; others the backdrop of the mountains stood out against the skyline. The rivers were constant and beautiful, and despite the jungle being part of the mountains, the surrounding terrain was much less hilly than what we’re used to back home. At night, the stars astounded all of us. You could see a breath-taking amount, and Orion’s belt (aka Brians Belts – thank you, Tom’s brother) featured in the centre of the sky. We even learnt about the big circle star, and cheek star – Khmer names for some of them.
Speaking of rivers, we spent much of our time submerged in the cool waters. The whole time, we washed in the pools in addition to swimming in them and relaxing in them. The first one we went to were the rapid (fairly different to Romsey rapids) but twice as fun. We slid over the rocks very quickly which resulted in a few bruises and scrapes. After the first 9k of walking, we stopped at O Tuek Vat Waterfall before lunch. This is the first waterfall most of us have ever swam in, this was a brilliant experience – not only refreshing. Sitting on the rock under the spray felt like Khmer massages none of us had tried yet. At the river on the last day, where we stopped for lunch, the boys decided to build a damn while our brilliant guides caught their weight in fish in a matter of seconds.
Aside from the company of the 11 of us we made many friends in the form of wildlife. They may have been able to kill us, but that didn’t deter us. We didn’t even realise half of the insects existed! Our guides were brilliant in making sure we didn’t miss out on the tiniest details of the jungle, whether that was a giant millipede or the remnants of a rampaging elephant. One thing we didn’t need the guides to notice was the incessant screeching of the cicadas, described as a hoard of demented kettles that would never shut up. There’s nothing like a natural car alarm going off around you as you try to sleep. One exciting moment was when our guide saved us from a very poisonous snake with his machete-on-a-stick (the snake may have been the size of a small pencil but we appreciate his heroicness). The coolest plant that 
caught all of our attention was the fantastical water vine. This morning our guide wandered off the path (like always) and returned with a section of the vine that he had slashed. As the name suggests, the water vine sprung a trail of fresh water that we all drank happily.
Our favourite animal friend in the jungle was our chefs dog and loyal companion, Lok (aka Kipper, as named by Rosemary). We had adopted our ginger friend by the third day when he happened to follow some tourists into our campsite; we say it was fate.
The chefs were brilliant – they made us delicious meals 3 times a day, as well 
as providing pineapple and The Best Coffee in existence. Noodles and rice for breakfast was strange and something we found hard to adjust to, especially with the spice. A month ago, I never thought I could be sick of rice, but after 15 meals of rice with fried egg and veg, we all reached our limit, despite the glorious cooking of our chefs.
New Year’s Eve was made very special for us. Our guides kicked it off with banana pancakes and sweet potato fries for breakfast, and after days of only rice, our taste buds were in heaven. We finished our walking early that day – after all it was only 12km – and so spent the rest of the day lazing around the campsite. We freshened up in the nearby stream, and swung around in 
hammocks for a long time. Like most days, we ended up playing long card games as we counted down the hours to the new year. For tea, again we had sweet potato fries and barbecued pork (with a veggie option for Tom), with lime and pepper dip. The food was incredible, and even though our guides weren’t experienced with making western food, they did an amazing job. Each of us got a can of coke, which nothing beats after a few days of hiking with ashy water. Around the campfire, we played Werewolf, a game we all love. We even played with Key and Vannak (two of our guides) as well as Elodie and Lucy (two Dutch tourists) which was made even more fun by the hilarious issues caused by language barriers. A highlight of the night was going round the group and sharing our biggest achievements/highlights of 2016; both expedition related and personal. The whole group has had a year to be proud of, and the “Achievable Goals” for 2017 (copyright: Rosemary) show that the coming year will be another great one. Gathered round the fire as the clock struck midnight, we all sang Auld Lang Sine, as taught to the group by Becky throughout the trek. A great start to the new year.
The whole trek started and finished in the same way, by gliding down the side of the Cardamon mountains by boat. Undoubtedly, an experienced we all loved. The hour or so journey was quickly filled with anticipation of what was to come, and its worth saying that the jungle experience was even better than what we had hoped for. We even had George the gnome on board, brought all the way from England, to celebrate New Year’s in the jungle with us; however, on the journey back he may have had a few more cracks. After the final 11k hike this morning, we were greeted with an armada of rowing boats ready to take us part way down the river. Once we had boarded in pairs, with no slip ups, our boats were making their way along the jungle serenely. Everyone was astounded by the beauty of the landscape, with tropical palm trees branching out way over the water’s edge; filling our minds with ideas of hammock villages and rope swings, as well as the lush, green plants contrasting brightly with the clear, blue sky. We couldn’t have asked for better conditions. Around 40 minutes in, we made our last boat change slap bang in the middle of the wide river into the motor boat. to our surprise no one fell in this time either, possibly helped by the dramatic soundtrack provided by the engine. Within a few minutes most of us were napping in the golden sunlight and relaxing after our most physical week of the expedition before getting to the village in order to head off to Phnom Penh tomorrow morning.
Anna, Becky & Cerys
by Ian | Dec 26, 2016 | Cambodia 2016
Continuing our discovery of Cambodia’s dark history, on the 23rd December we went to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek . We were expecting something resembling an old felid, but instead found a beautiful memorial park; the audio guide revealing the harrowing story that lay beneath the serenity.
The killing fields of Choeung Ek is one of hundreds found around the country, but by far the most famous. Following imprisonment and a forced confession from the S-21 prison, prisoners were taken in trucks to the killing fields for execution and burial. Due to the secrecy of the Khmer Rouge, no one knew what was really going on behind the compound walls, although no one could have imagined the horrors that actually transpired.
Walking though the peaceful lake, we were able to listen to stories of survivors still trying to fit their lives back together. One man was only 15 when he was imprisoned; he lived only thanks to a heroic man who sacrificed himself so that the boy could be freed.
Perhaps the most horrific part of the fields was the killing tree – stumbled across originally by a man searching for food – which marked the mass grave of over 100 infants and women, most of whom were found to be naked. The tree itself was used to kill children in front of their mothers; an ultimate act of inhumanity in front of people who had already suffered too much. This was not the only mass grave; many were uncovered containing thousands of bodies. Adults were killed so that their bodies would fall unaided into the pit. These dreadful images are hideous to think of, but as the guide said, it’s so very important to remember them; both in tribute to the victims, and to stop it from ever repeating.
The largest mass graves have been covered with shelters and marked to honour those buried beneath. On these wooden structures – and the killing tree itself – are hundreds of coloured bracelets and strings; left from visitors in the memory of those who died. Money was left by some, flowers too, and incense burnt almost constantly. This aspect of the fields was a favourite, as the love and sorrow felt by all visitors was expressed to show respect and honour the dead. Some graves were left undisturbed so that their spirits may rest peacefully.
Beautiful and striking in the centre of the compound lay a memorial Supa; constructed to house the skulls and jaw bones of the recovered bodies. Only these distinctive bones are arranged in the Supa: there simply wasn’t room for all of the skulls, let alone the other bones. Despite the giant size of the Supa, the scale of the tragedy was just too big. The Supa itself was built full of meaning; it is decorated with a combination of hindu and buddhist symbolism. Nagas guard the Supa from the roof, next to their sworn enemies, garuda birds. When these foes come together, it is meant to symbolise ultimate peace and amity.
We hope that all victims of the genocide have found peace, whether they be dead or still surviving.
After lunch we swiftly moved on, via tuk tuk, to our next activity for the day, Cambodia’s National Museum. Luckily, although all 
the exhibits were written in Khmer we had the Cambodian scouts on hand to give us pieces of information on various statues and religious symbols. This part of the day was really interesting as it was so different to other museums we had visited in England.
Once we were filled to the brim with Cambodian history we made our way to the Royal Palaces. As soon as we entered we were met with large Gold buildings decorated from top to toe with various serpents and swirls, they were truly incredible. In two groups we explored the royal grounds making sure to question the scouts about all the different buildings such as the Ball room and the Kings offices. The hot temperatures of over 30oc soon forced us to find shade which led us to finding a shrine hidden in a cluster of trees, a place of peace and tranquillity in the centre of a capital city. Although we all loved walking around the grand palace and taking in all the exotic features, we were all thrilled to find an air conditioned room at the end of it!
Just before we said goodbye to the Scouts we swapped neckers in Costa, learning more about each other and their country. Bradley was ecstatic to hear that he looked twenty and Cerys was particularity amazed to find out that they have no Squirrels here. After a few selfies were taken with the scouts and the Costa staff it was time for us to leave in order to take art in our last exciting opportunity for the day, a boat ride in the sunset.
The private boat itself looked impressive, decorated with bright lights and comfy seats however the ladder propped up over the river by two bobbing boats made getting on an exciting experience, luckily no one fell in! As soon as we made it on we had taken our seats on the top deck with our legs dangling over the edge as the boat drifted away from the busy city streets. This was a great end to an even greater day with casual chit chat and a gentle breeze to relax us into the evening.
Becky & Cerys
by Ian | Dec 22, 2016 | Cambodia 2016
Due to the nature of the museum, photographs were prohibited from inside the grounds.
After a late start in the day we embarked on our potentially most upsetting, yet important day of our trip. The Tuol Sleng Genocide museum was the secret centre of a network of nearly 2000 prisoners, where people were tortured by the Khmer Rouge as they tried to turn Cambodia into an extreme communist country.
As soon as we stepped inside the prison and turned on our audio headset guide, we were given an introduction to the nightmare which had taken place 37 years prior. Firstly, we started learning about the history of the prison and how up until the 17th of April 1975 it had in fact been the Tuol Sleng high school. We were shocked to hear how a place of learning and laughter was juxtaposed to the horrific shrieking of the torture of every inmate. It was hard to understand how even something as simple as a climbing frame was used as a weapon of torture.
Just in front of what used to be the playground lays 14 white graves, for the last bodies found. They’re all anonymous as they were unrecognisable at the time of death but not forgotten. Once we had reflected on the few memorials we had already seen we all entered the 4 prison blocks at our own pace.
Building A was used for torture and interrogation. Each room showed a picture of exactly how the room was found, even showing the dead bodies still shackled on the beds. Although this was hard to take in we felt that it was important to learn about it, especially as it was so recent.
Building B and C were used to house the prisoners, who were stripped of all their dignity. One way of doing this was referring to them as “it”. In the bottom floor they were housed in tiny cells like animals with two people sharing a kennel like room. The backs of the cell doors were graphitied with demoralising sentences to lower their moral ready for interrogation. Caging the balconies were nets of barbed wire preventing escapes and suicide attempts. All deaths were prohibited until the victim had written their letter of confession. On the upper floors were large detention rooms which had metal rings in the floor which victims were bound to for often months at a time before interrogation or death. These buildings also housed exhibitions of the many faces of the victims. They had no names, only numbers. We were reminded that this place of devastation was once a school, as there were maths equations scared onto the walls. This made us wonder how far Cambodia would of progressed without this horrific attack holding them back.
Building D was used for other methods of torture, such as water boarding and specialised inventions. Some prisoners experienced torture up to three times a day. One we had witnessed paintings drawn by one of the 7 survivors, of this particular camo, we moved on into another reflecting room. This held cabinets filled to the ceiling filled with human skulls. These were collected from the killing fields and small plaques gave detail about each break or scar in the skull and how it was formed. There were also cabinets filled with mens, womens and Childrens clothes.
At the end we were given a chance to write down our thoughts about the exhibitions and hang them on a wooden tree or write our notes onto a wall before continuing out to meet two of the survivors.
Today’s visit was truly shocking and disheartening, however we all understand how important it is to learn about these atrocities and make sure it’s never repeated or forgotten.
Anna & Cerys
by Ian | Dec 21, 2016 | Cambodia 2016
This morning, at the break of dawn (6:30), we awoke, and began to get ready for the day ahead. Bradley and I, excitement in our hearts and our steps, ran up to the top floor, ready to devour our meal, at 7:30… … not realizing everyone else would arrive at 8:00. Standing there confused, we soon realized the error of our ways, and proceeded back to our room, to experiment with our new speaker which we had bought from Siem Reap.
At 8:00, we attempted our trip upstairs for the second time that morning, and ate a lavish breakfast, an assortment of various products from the kitchen, arriving late, as is Cambodian culture. Baguettes, Fruit Salad and other delicacies for nourishment. Needless to say, it was delightful.
We packed our day bags, gathered and were briefed by the leaders on the events to transpire. We had perhaps the greatest activity to have been suggested thus far. The Battambang Bamboo Train. For those unaware of this gem in the countryside in the Battambang area, it is basically a glorified bamboo sheet over two sets of wheels, with a small engine powering the mighty steed. A local man accompanied each carriage, ensuring it would arrive at a “steady” pace, to it’s destination.
Each of us was, in turn, loaded into a Tuk-Tuk. At a speed best not known by those of a weak disposition, we motored towards the first station. At our destination, we were greeted by two officers of the law, who directed us towards the current money collector for the operation. We paid her, and then continued to, in small groups, offload onto a carriage in turn. We sat down, suddenly noticing the lack of belts, walls or anything that abided to the American or European transport safety guidelines. The only thing that resembled a train was the tracks, which seemed to have been cobbled together as a hobby. Not very promising.
We were suddenly propelled forward, and we could finally see why this was such a glorious activity. We were rushing through 
nature itself. As the track had been abandoned, trees, grass, bushes and bodies of water had taken over, slowly easing their way into the spots available to create an altogether enlightening experience.
Light streaming through, as we carried on through a clearing; we were heading 7 Km onwards, to arrive at a nearby village. On the horizon, however, and rushing ever closer, was the sight of another carriage. We hadn’t been informed that the trains there, and back, were on the same track. Scary stuff.
We halted our progress, and the other “train” was dissembled and removed 
from the track. How peculiar! We continued, and eventually got to the village. Barely worth mentioning, it was a small shanty town, with Bamboo Train t-shirts for sale. The highlight was when we were harassed into promising a young girl, that if we bought a bracelet, it would be from her.
As we arrived back at the original station, we were taken by the Tuk-Tuks. Our Driver quizzed us on cockney rhyming slang, and allowed us to take photos of the statue resembling Battambang Province.
We spent some time in the Jacuzzi, a thoroughly pleasant experience. Shortly after we left for Lunch. We arrived at the White Rose, our restaurant of 
choice, and continued to order and then demolish the food provided.
It was at this point we were informed of a challenge that we were going to have to complete…
Intrigued as to what was to lay ahead, we quickly ate our lunch to find out what this challenge was all about. With empty plates and full stomachs, Matt briefed us on how we were to fill our afternoon.
After we were split into two teams, (Anna, Kenneth & Bradley in team 1 and Ed, Cerys, Tom & Becky in team 2); each being given two lists, a map, and 20 dollars. Our challenge was to answer the questions on one of the lists and buy all the stuff on the other list (an apprentice come supermarket sweep style challenge). This consisted of carrot seeds, a brush, a shoe horn, an egg timer, a tent peg, a dictionary, a 13-amp fuse and 6 bananas, which to be honest, was a pretty random list. The winner was the group with most money left over with as many of the items we can find, buy, and the most questions answered.
Feeling confident, we set off looking for the answers to the questions, and the shops to buy our stuff. We had 3 and a half hours to find 17 things. When you think of it, that is plenty of time. It turned out to be surprisingly difficult! My team answered all the questions, but couldn’t find the egg timer, shoe horn, and the tent peg. The other team said that they found everything…. However with a closer look from the leaders they had been caught trying to pass of items as things they were not. We won because we spent less money, so that was good!
Tom & Bradley.
by Ian | Dec 18, 2016 | Cambodia 2016
There aren’t many things in the world that are worth waking up at 4:00am for, but after visiting the Angkor temples, we can say this is definitely one of them!
We left the Tropical Breeze Guest House at 4:30am in a fleet of tuk tuks driven by a Mr Lucky, Mr Im and Mr Bothan, who would be taking us to the temple ruins that lay hidden in the jungle.
Our journey was short, with only a quick stop to purchase our day passes for the temples, before leaving the city and tarmac behind for dirt tracks running through dense jungle. We passed wide rivers that reflected the early morning sky that was starting to shine as we reached the first, and most famous of the temples, Angkor Wat.
Everybody was excited to see the sun rise over the black silhouette of Angkor Wat, so we hurried to a nearby ruin close to the main path, giving us a great view of the temple. As the sun began to rise, we were amazed by what we were seeing. It is impossible to describe how incredible the view was!
After taking many photos, we moved inside the temple to explore the impressive and world famous sand stone, which was decorated with detailed engravings. Reaching the top of the temple, I was particularly amazed by the panoramic view we had of the temple’s courtyard and the infinite jungle that surrounded it, which was tainted by the golden glow of the rising sun.
Leaving Angkor Wat was very different to how we first entered it, with the sun now revealing the surrounding areas, filled with stalls selling similar souvenirs to that of the Night Market.
Mr Lucky and his associates took us to two other temples, the first of which was Bayon. This temple was a smaller site than Angkor Wat, but was still just as detailed and intricate as the previous. The second temple, Ta Prohm, was covered in trees and scaffolding, which supported the 12th century structure from the hundreds of years of erosion. This temple was perhaps the most crowded, due to it’s co-starring role with Angelina Jolie in the Tomb Raider film.
Visiting a number of smaller temples during the morning, we saw a glimpse of the 
wildlife that lived in the jungles of Cambodia, including a Gibbon, some parrots (we think they were parrots) and elephants that were carrying tourists to temples. Whilst the elephants may not have been the happiest mammals alive, they gave us hope that we would see one during the jungle trek.
Visiting this world heritage site today has definitely been the highlight of the expedition so far and the whole team is excited to see what Cambodia has for us next, in Battambang…
Kenneth.
