Submitted by Katie Bonnano on the 2013 winter session program in Cambodia and Vietnam sponsored by the Department of Art…
Our group is on the move again. After three hours on the road today, we will arrive in Kompong Cham, one of our many stops in rural villages on the way to Siem Reap, where we will visit the spectacular Angkor Complex. While there are plenty of amazing sites ahead of us, these adventures come after a wonderful week in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. During our week in Phnom Penh, we visited many beautiful cultural sites, including the Royal Palace, Wat Phnom, and the National Museum. We also enjoyed exploring the city’s many, many outdoor markets, which teem with food, clothes, and even small beauty salons.
Though the city is certainly exciting and energetic, my favorite part of our stay in Phnom Penh was the time we spent with the people who live here. Earlier in the week, we spent a day exploring the city with Cambodian college students who attend the Royal University of Phnom Penh. They showed us not only some of the city’s most interesting places, but also what it is like to be a Cambodian student. Our group also visited Wat Ounalom pagoda where we helped local students learning English practice their conversation skills.
Outside of the city, our group traveled to the rural area surrounding Phnom Penh yesterday to volunteer at Free the Bears, a non-government organization working to protect Asian black bears. Here, we helped the zookeeper clean bear enclosures, make food for the bears, and even place the food within the enclosures. It was wonderful to watch the bears enter the enclosures and enjoy the treats we had just placed for them. These special experiences inside and outside of the city made our time in Cambodia’s capital truly unique and authentic. Now, onward to Kompong Cham!
