When Heather came to visit and work with us last year, we took her on a quad biking adventure to show her more of the country. This is her story, sorry it is so late!
We’d just hopped off our ATVs and dashed to join dozens of drenched Cambodians huddling up next to a line of motorcycles underneath a house on stilts. Outside, men held down the poles of a tent to keep it from blowing away. It was protecting a group of women beating paste next to bowls of raw pork. Inside, a dolled up bride and a dapper groom wait for the rain to pass on their wedding day. I’m soaked and completely covered in mud, but I’m having the best day ever.
I’ve only been in Siem Reap a week, but I can already tell my decision to spend two months working for Journeys Within in Cambodia was the right one.
Earlier that afternoon, Andrea, myself, and her two children saddled up our ATVs and started our four wheeling tour of the outskirts of town. We bounced down a network of dirt roads, meandering through picturesque villages and countrysides. We passed groups of monks, bamboo shacks, men herding water buffalo and local temples. It’s hard to believe we were only kilometers from the heart of Siem Reap. Children darted out of their houses, past their chickens, cows and pigs to wave “hello.” Men looked up from their volleyball games. Women sitting on porches smiled. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of waving back at everyone.
Riding through the countryside
We eventually turned into a school, Chres Village School and Orphanage, complete with six open-air classrooms. As we made our way towards the row of desks, the children stood up. “Welcome to our school,” they said in the same sing songy tone. “How are you? Where are you from?” In addition to English, I was shocked to learn that the children were also learning Khmer, Chinese and Japanese. The most amazing part is that the education is free for all these children. They generate funds from donations and the sale of pigs. $150 for each squealing animal they feed and raise out back. The high school students guiding us around the clean, efficiently run complex spoke impressive English. Andrea ended up inviting them to stop by Journeys Within Our Community to apply for internships and scholarships.
We waved again and were off.
We navigated an endless string of potholes until we saw lighting in the distance. When it started pouring cats, dogs and elephants, our ATV tour gang crashed a wedding party. The bouncers didn’t bounce us. Instead, smiling faces offered us bags of treats- a mixture of palm sugar and some kind of jelly wrapped in leaves. They also took a picture of us giving the bride and groom good luck money. When we left, they thanked us for stopping by. And offered us even more food.
Our dusty adventure, before the rain
Up until this adventure, I’d felt trapped in my tourist bubble. I love all the temples and the exhilarating sensory overload that is downtown, but this was the first time I’ve seen what life is really like for so many Cambodians. It’s poverty in every sense of the word, but it wasn’t depressing. It feels weird to say that, but it was just the opposite. There is an infectious optimism and warmth that these people emanate.
It’s pretty cheesy, but as I rode home in the tuk tuk at the end of the day, I was left with an overwhelming sense of wanting to give, volunteer, and chase down any opportunity to get out in the community and get to know these people better. The glimpse I had while bounding down the road was enough to hook me. It’s hard to leave without feeling that way.
I’m thrilled to be in this country.
Quad Adventures offers 5 different tours, with varying lengths and times of day. From full day adventures to a quick 1-hour sunset tour, there is something for everyone. This is a great way to see the countryside of Cambodia, and even the one-hour tour will be sure to show you sights you would never normally have access to. Reservations are required and you can book this trip with the hotel !
NEED TRANSFER TO THIS QUAD ADVENTURE TOUR VISIT THIS WEBSITE: WWW.ANGKORFOCUS.COM
