Today was our last day in Cambodia. We began the day with a beach walk, opposite our hotel. It was hot and humid, even at 9am. At the end of the walk, the group were told to find a quiet space in which to reflect on their time so far. The circle time last night drew out of them their highlights of Cambodia, things they found challenging and what they were most thankful for – with their parents being the most common response. The 20 minutes of quiet time along the beach this morning enabled them to take in their surroundings, whilst completing one of their Journey.doc tasks. They then used the rest of the time to contemplate about home, what they miss and how they see their life and what is important to them now that they are away.
Following this the group had a well-deserved dip in the pool to cool off and then an early lunch.
We then started our journey back to Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh for our flight to Laos. Once at the airport, we bid a fond farewell to our bus driver who has taken as everywhere for the past 10 days and our two Khmer tour guides. At the airport we had a bite to eat and then got on a small plane for our flight to Vientiane, Laos.
Stepping off the plane, the first thing we noticed was how much cooler and less humid the air was – a very welcome relief! We were greeted by our new tour guides who will remain with us for the rest of our trip. Hopping onto the bus, we were transported to our hotel, which sits along the banks of the Mekong River. Whilst room allocation was being decided, we took the students for an orientation walk and night market exploration along the river. It is a lively place, with music and late night dining amongst the market stalls. At first impressions, it seems more affluent compared to Cambodia, which isn’t hard, given the poverty that we have witnessed over the last ten days.
We will spend one night at this hotel, before setting off early in the morning for our next destination. The group are in high spirits and looking forward to discovering Laos.