Probably the best way to describe today is as we have done in the title: today encompassed exuberance, empathy and a multitude of other expressions.
A ritual on the tour is for some of us to join a morning walk through the streets near our hotel. Accompanied by the teachers, these walks give an insight into the rhythms of the day around us, and the early morning temperatures are cooler, allowing us to take in some of the sensory offerings at a slower pace.
We started the day’s itinerary with two counterpoints of Cambodian history and culture: the Hindu-influenced temple at Banteay Srey, and the Cambodian Landmine Museum.
Being a girls school, we are all about celebrating the unique contributions and capacities of women, and the visit to Banteay Srey temple today reaffirmed that. Srey is the Cambodian word denoting feminine, and the unique pink sandstone construction and intricate, deep relief carvings in the stonework reflect this. As a citadel to women, Banteay Srey was not built to celebrate a king’s power like most of the other temples, instead designed to reflect worship of the goddess Shiva.
The Cambodian Landmine museum allowed us to develop a deeper understanding of the sad recent history of Cambodia, and the interrelationships of politics and global forces that shaped the conflict that eventuated in Indo China throughout the 20th Century.
After lunch we had a chance to visit the artisan Made in Cambodia market, where we encouraged the students to select some of the gifts they would like to share with loved ones at home.
As it was Millie’s 16th Birthday today and we were keen to make it special, we arranged a visit to Jaya House River Park, a 5-star boutique hotel which is also leading the way in environmental initiatives. The surprise of the day was that we were met there by Director Christian De Boer, who explained his mission and purpose in eliminating single use plastics in the hotel industry. We took some time there also to soak in the ambience and enjoy a mocktail, before Millie headed off for her birthday treat of a foot massage with Caitlin.
The evening we spent with the Geckos again, enjoying a phenomenal performance of the Phare Circus. The young performers are trained in circus and other performing arts through Phare Ponleu Selpak’s vocational training centre in Battambang.
Today we have some reflections from Hannah and Claire T:
Today we had such a busy day. We visited the Banteay Srey temple (women’s temple) and this temple contrasted the others as it is made of pink sandstone rather than grey sandstone. Next we visited the Cambodian Landmine Museum, for a lot of us, this experience was confronting yet eye-opening and reminded us of our mission for this trip and why we are all here. A volunteer who has been involved with Aki Ra and the museum since he was injured by a landmine spoke to us about his story and the need for help in ensuring safety across the country from uncleared landmines left from the conflict. A shocking statistic that was shared with us is that 1 in 300 Cambodians are affected by land mines. Despite the first half of the day being challenging, the second was filled with fun and bonding as a group. We visited the Made in Cambodia market which was later followed by a visit to the Jaya House River Park Hotel, which is a 98% plastic free hotel. We spent the night at Phare Circus having dinner with the Geckos which was not only fun but gave us a chance to further make connections with them. This is only the 4th day of our trip and already have learnt so much and we can’t wait for what’s to come.
Claire T and Hannah
What a joy to observe your daughters forming relationships with the Green Gecko children and young adults already, and immersing themselves fully in the experiences offered. Tomorrow we spend part of the day with them again, starting with a session at the Footprints Farm – prepare for some muddy faces in tomorrow’s blog post!
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