You should visit Cambodia.
No really, you should. I just got back from this beautiful country and can honestly say it is great if you are wanting to go change the world and great if you just want a cool place to visit filled with history.
Before going I honeslty did not know much about the country other than a few things I read online, but upon arrival I fell in love. In love with the country, the people, and the food…there is all kinds of food and it is was just amazing.
Here are some of the reasons why you should travel to Cambodia:
1.) The People
I spent my days a little differently than most tourists, I went and visited a slum with one of my team’s missionary friends that is a local and my eyes were opened to the amazing people. While the people at the markets and tourist spots are great, to see people with nothing be so welcoming and loving towards us was amazing. We spent several hours with women and children from the area and ate with them and laughed. The language barrier was hard, but smiles are universal. I was beyond honored to hang with them and it made me realize how great the people are. To have people be truly genuine and loving when they did not even know us from Adam was so incredible.
2.) The Food
This one seems super shallow, but let me tell you- the food is the bomb. At every restaurant you can get a little
bit of everything. I ate Water Buffalo…Lok Lak (it’s name) sounds much less upsetting, and the best fried rice I have ever eaten. I ate this Cilantro Chicken meal that I promptly made when I returned home because I was missing it after the meal ended. The food was incredible.
I also learned though that there are many people in Cambodia who do not get enough food to eat. They may have only rice for all three meals a day, and they are hungry. Can you imagine only eating rice three meals a day? (That is, if you can afford to eat three meals a day). So as we were eating all this amazing food, I did not want it lost on me that there are people who are going without.
** If you want to do something about the global hunger crisis, check out www.servone.org or www.feedabillion.org
3) The History
Did you know about the Killing Fields or S21? While this is a more gruesome part of Cambodia, I think visiting and doing the tours of these places really helps you get to know the culture and the country on a deeper level. You may walk around and wonder why everyone is so young or why there are people struggling in some areas, to learn the history is to know their story. Cambodia is haunted by a terrible past, one that was not too long ago, but they are also a country that is moving forward and doing an amazing job of pushing ahead. The people are driven, focused, intelligent, and they are world changers. The country as a whole is going places and letting the hurt in the past launch it forward.
Also, Angkor Wat is just amazing. Read up on that and go see it for yourself. It is incredible.
4.) The Language
Okay this was one that was hard for me because if someone did not speak English there was no way I was going to even come close to understanding them. But, with that said, I am a lover of learning a language. I will ask what the Khmer word is for everything if I am in Cambodia, and my dear friends were more than gracious to answer me every time and hear me butcher the pronunciation. It is just a cool language. While being very hard, it is also really beautiful to me.
Side Note: I can only say Hello, Thank You, No, and Banana… So you could basically say I am fluent J
5.) Miscellaneous: The Tuk Tuks, Lime Juice, and the Marketplace
While that sounds like the title of a really great book…okay a decent book for children…If you go to Cambodia, please take Tuk Tuk’s everywhere. It is the only way to travel and they are just awesome. The Lime Juice from the Blue Pumpkin is my favorite thing ever…besides Sugar Cane and Ginger juice from Kenya, and it just will make you so happy. It is so worth the $1 for it. Also, do yourself a favor and go shopping at the markets. There are so many cute things to buy, but also it is supporting the local economy if you buy from the right people.
I recommend going to Daughters, Friends, and 3Strands in Phnom Pehn, everything bought from there goes directly to support girls who were rescued from Human Trafficking. Google them as well, they are just amazing organizations.
While Cambodia has a dark history, it is a country full of people of light. There are so many reasons to visit whether you want to be a tourist or go pour into people and minister to their hearts, Cambodia is an amazing place. I already cannot wait to go back and bring friends so they can meet all the new friends I made.
Cambodia-You should go!
Oh and of course get Lime Juice J
