Killing Fields at Choeung Ek

My friend, Kim, and I on the beach with the bartender, Camera, and two local girls.

Hello from Phnom Penh!! The past couple of weeks have been crazy! I am officially done with the pediatric ward. I really enjoyed working with the children and since I love kids and have a heart for the HIV positive population, it was a great fit for me. It was a little bit slow and I usually didn’t have much work in the afternoon but this made for a great opportunity to explore a little bit more of Phnom Penh. I went to the killing fields last week and it was a very interesting experience. It is about 30 min outside of the city and since I love the countryside of Cambodia, I loved the drive out! I spent about two hours wandering around the killing fields by myself. Signs and a headset explain what everything is and what happened there. It is heartbreaking to think that the sweet Cambodian people experienced such a hate-filled time in history. I found that the most bone-chilling part was the tree that they beat babies and children against before throwing them into the mass graves. Visitors leave bracelets around the posts of the mass graves and on the trees to show respect, support and love. On the way out, you can buy flowers and incense to leave after you pray for the victims. Some say to not spend time at the killing fields if you visit Phnom Penh but I disagree. I think it’s an important experience!

I spent this past weekend in Sihanoukville. I took the 6-hour bus ride down on Friday afternoon. I still can’t get over how absolutely beautiful Cambodia is! I never sleep on the buses…mostly because it would be nearly impossible due to the cramped conditions, obnoxious khmer karaoke videos and uncomfortable seats…but also because the countryside is so gorgeous! I feel like I’m in a movie!  We got there on Friday evening at about 8 pm. We went out for some Indian food and then wandered along the beach. We stopped in some bars and listened to music and made new friends. We made our way to the hostel pretty late and were greeted in our room with a bed full of bed bugs. Three rooms later we found one without bed bugs! Luxury! On Saturday, my friend Kim and I were going to take a boat to the islands but the weather was a little sketchy so we ended up having breakfast and taking a tuk tuk out to the waterfalls. It took about 1 hr to get there and we spent some time swimming in the water and exploring with a little Cambodian girl. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach and playing with the little kids that sold stuff along the water. Once they get over the fact that you’re not going to buy something, they’re a lot of fun and so adorable. Our evening was once again spent in the bars on the beach meeting new people and even seeing some people we knew from Phnom Penh! We got a bus back on Sunday and I will now prepare for my long backpacking trip. For every 10 weeks that you work with Projects Abroad, you get to take 2 weeks of vacation. So, I’m taking my vacation time with my friend Steph and backpacking through Thailand and Laos. We are catching a 6 am flight on Wednesday morning to Koh Samui and starting our adventures! I won’t have a computer with me so I won’t be able to update my blog but I am keeping a journal so I won’t forget any fun details.

I feel so lucky to be able to experience southeast Asia. The people here are so wonderful and of course, I’m obsessed with the little kids. It’s a beautiful area of the world!! I can’t wait to explore it further and then return to Phnom Penh and head back into surgery!!