Sihanoukville, Cambodia

We tendered into Sihanoukville.  Since it was raining, no one was able to sit on top.  The one hundred and twenty passengers were huddled inside the boat trying to stay dry.  The driver of the boat was very focused on getting us to shore from the ship.  The waves were rough and we were rocking back and forth.

It was early and everyone was very quiet.  As we sat there, I thought of the people who had fled from Cambodia and Vietnam during wartime.  A lot of the people had escaped in boats that lacked a sign saying "maximum occupancy" found in our tender.  The people that were fleeing from their country were thankful just to be on a boat to escape the brutality.  The twenty to thirty minute ride to shore seemed long.

I really did not know what to expect to see in this city that had been through many wars and lots of hardship.  Our bus driver and guide were waiting for us as we docked.

Our tour guide spoke good English and he was excited to take our group to visit his city.

Cambodia is located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia.  It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest and Laos to the northeast and Vietnam to the east and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest.

One of the first stops was at the War Memorial to remember the two to three million Cambodians that had been murdered between 1975 to 1979.  The Cambodia genocide was at the hands of Khmer Rouge's regime and Pol Pots troops.

The bus then took us to the Wat Krom, Buddhist Temple.  It has a unique and beautiful architecture as well as a view over Sihanoukville and the sea.  As we entered the temple area, we were greeted by the homeless children and a beggar.  We observed some of the monks walking from one temple area to the next.

As we drove through the city, I observed the trash and how the men were constructing buildings, one brick at a time.  There did not seem to be any urgency in completing the buildings.  Also, you noticed men welding while standing in water and wearing glasses, but not wearing helmets or other safety garments.

I did meet a couple on the ship, who told me that they were in the construction business in Australia.  As they travel into third-world countries and they see these men on the construction sites without the proper safety equipment, they will purchase safety items and give them to the workers.  They said the workers are all appreciative of their gifts.  The companies don't pay for safety equipment and the workers have to purchase their own.

I had read that Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world.  About one third of the population live on less than a $1.00 a day.  The population of Cambodia is sixteen million and the town we were in the population is approximately two hundred thousand.

Our guide took us a "typical" Khmer village to meet a family and to see how they live.  The father works for the government and was not at home.  The wife and twin three year old boys with the grandparents were at the house to greet us.  The grandmother was in the back washing the clothes out of a bucket and the mother was inside their one room sweeping.  In the one room was a bed and the kitchen area had a small gas stove.

The other homes in the area were tents with some wood paneling holding it together.

The majority of the roads were dirt and due to the tropical storm, Tembin, that had come through the roads were very muddy.

The rewarding part of the excursion was visiting the local private school.  As the bus pulled up, students were being dismissed from the morning classes.  The students either attend in the morning or in the afternoon.  At this school, there were about one hundred-fifty students.  One class waited to be dismissed until our group was able to come in and meet the students and the teacher.  The students were dressed in an uniform and had bright, big smiles on their faces.  They were happy to meet us.  The children loved high-fiving with Kenny.

When I signed Kenny and myself up for this tour, it was recommended that we bring gift items, such as school stationery, pens, rulers, scissors, etc.  I purchased and brought materials with me, but after seeing the school's condition, I felt that I should have brought more supplies.

The property of the school was very run down.  There were no pathed sidewalks.  Trash was everywhere.  Even as I looked at these conditions, I felt the warmth of happiness from these children and teacher.

We were at the school for only about fifteen minutes and then we were off to the Psar Lu Market.  It was very crowded.  The market had everything.  There were trinkets, clothes, fruit, vegetables, eat.

To end the day, we were then driven to the beach, where there was a nice hotel and a resort is being built there.

As I looked at the beautiful white sandy beaches and the blue water, I reflected on the contrast of the city.  It was hard to comprehend that only a few miles away, people were living in poverty.  I am wondering how could I make a difference to this country?