A lot of people travel to Cambodia to see the spectacular temples and learn all about their horrific history. However, “touristy” places rarely excite me no matter how magnificent. Granted I did see the temples and did my best to absorb their brutal past, my favorite experiences always come from chance encounters and genuine interactions with the people who live in each country.
There were two days that really stood out for me while traveling through Cambodia. The first day was when I visited the Lighthouse Orphanage outside of Phnom Penh. On Sundays visitors are invited to come and play with the children and witness the daily life skills they are being taught. Also, the older kids get all dolled up in make-up and costumes and perform traditional Cambodian dances, while the younger ones gather around wildly clapping and smiling from ear-to-ear. The way these kids smile, laugh and play you would think they are the luckiest people in the world. They were so sweet and friendly that the second you sat down you had a child crawling onto your lap.
The second day happened by chance while exploring the many temples of Angkor near Siem Reap. I was admiring the giant stone faces at the famous Bayon temple when I became distracted by a bustle of saffron robed men coming from a small cluster of wooden shacks. The monks of the tiny village were really happy I wandered over and were eager to show me around and practice their English with me. A moment before I was surrounded by umbrella wielding tourists jostling for position all trying to take the same photograph. Then, by simply crossing the street, I was in a quiet village where a boy was being blessed by an old man who sang a soft prayer to him.
