Peace, Love & Joy in Cambodia

Tower of Skulls at the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh stands as a Memorial to those Lost to the Khmer Rouge

A past riddled with brutality

From a regime favoring mortality 

Yet hope was not a fatality

And now freedom is their reality. 

Land mines still scattered in fields

Tortuous dreams rarely yield

Yet in the light of day, the pain concealed

Only strength is revealed.

Most homes,
Plastic tarps
Wooden supports
Tin roofs

The depth of poverty, undeniable
Yet joy ever so recognizable.
The glowing faces indescribable
Bright eyes, brilliant smiles, just incredible

A population with no water or electricity
Surviving without even the bare neccesities
Yet only smiles beam back at me
Making my soul glow instantly

The people,
Laughing,
Smiling,
Engaging

Schools overcrowded with girls and boys
Classes in which none are coy
Perfectly incandescent joy
With imagination as their favorite toy.

Every person dressed to impress
with their clothes showing no duress
despite what little they possess
their image is one of success.

Pure inspiration,
Overwhelming
Irrefutable,
Inexplicable.

One face amongst the crowd shone particularly brightly. Sophalla, our tuk tuk driver had become our friend by the end of the trip. Sophalla, a gentle soul with a generous heart, had nothing but love to share with the world and took care of us the entire time we were in Siem Reap.

We had traveled north to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh to do a little work with a local charity and visit Angkor Wat. Having arrived in town we were greeted by a gentleman from I Am Cambodia (the charity) named Chris. Chris had arrived in a tuk tuk driven by a humorous gentleman to whom we were introduced, Sophalla. Chris raved about Sophalla so we hired him on the spot for the next day. From then on, Sophalla would pick us up and drive us either to the school in Prey Chrouk or to Angkor Wat. It took a little while for Sophalla to warm up to us but after being swarmed by charming impoverished children with the most creative sales skills at the first temple he grew rather fond of us (not sure if that was due to the way we handled ourselves or failed to do so but either way we were in his good books).

We ended up getting absolutely drowned on this first day at the temples. However, the sun decided to come out just as we were getting ready to drive out of the complex, so we took off our ponchos and put them behind us on the seat so they would not blow away. Getting lost in the scenery and smiling faces that were walking home we had completely forgotten about our ponchos by the time we had arrived back, carelessly leaving them in Sophalla's tuk tuk. The next morning Sophalla showed up at the hotel proudly bearing two pristine ponchos that his wife had washed for us the night before. This small gesture may seem silly to some, but we were blown away by his thoughtfulness.

Sophalla was surprised by our genuine appreciation and from that moment on we had a special bond. Sophalla was constantly joking with us and telling us stories about his past and his hopes for the future of Cambodia. He would take us to various local stops either to experience a bit of luxury when he felt we could use it or enjoy some local flavor when he sensed we were intrigued by something.

A true friend, Sophallea was an inspiration. He could not be brought down, finding light at the end of every tunnel, hope where there appeared to be none left. We were honored on our second to last day in Cambodia by an invitation from Sophalla to visit his house in order to meet his wife and children. I had assumed given his pristine clothing and fancy tuk tuk that he was relatively well off. However, I was not exactly right with this assumption.

Sophalla drove us to his home, a humble 20ft x15ft plot with wooden floor boards surrounded by concrete walls holding up a tin roof. The home backed up to the river and was tightly jam packed in the middle of a row of hundreds of homes along a stretch of road. Waiting in anticipation, his wife and children greeted us excitedly. The young girl grinning ear to ear carrying her little puppy, as her brother grinned sheepishly in his Hawaiian swimsuit, baseball cap on backwards feeling very cool.

We were invited to sit on the table (that appeared to act as table, chairs, and bed). Quickly being presented with glasses of water and food to eat before being shown the family photo album. We enjoyed the photographs as we graciously drank our water and ate the food presented to us, chatting happily with Sophalla's wife and children through the help of his translations. Such wonderful people, they were the perfect example of what every family should strive for. So grateful for each other and the things they had, proudly showing off there most prized possessions.

That was the day my heart learned how to open up to
the world, my soul learned how to forgive, and my mind learned not to covet material things. Living in a world so obsessed by material possessions it is easy to lose sight of what really matters in life: peace, love & joy.

Throughout the next few days I will continue posting about this inspirational country, sharing with you the things that make Cambodia special... See you soon!