Kentucky Takes Cambo

First of all, sorry I am so behind on blogging.  I have literally been non-stop busy the past few weeks between multiple visitors from home and doing a bit of traveling.  So let me catch you up!

My friends from home arrived on Tuesday, January 27, at around 10:30 pm!  The weeks leading up to the visit crept by as did the actual day that they arrived.  I didn't think it would ever be time to leave for the airport.  Three of my best friends from home, Blair & Sara & Emily, arrived safe and sound, and I basically broke my toe running to them, banging it on a suitcase, and hugging them so tight.  Hilarious.

They arrived!  Selfie with the sign I made to welcome them at the airport! 

On Wednesday, January 28, we woke up, got organized, and headed to my office.  I wanted to introduce them to the people I work with and show them around the office.  It was so fun having them there for a bit and getting to talk about the work I've been doing this year.  We left at around 11 to head to the bus station as we had a bus to catch to Mondulkiri province at noon.  When Blair first initiated this trip, she stated that her only requirement on the trip was seeing and touching an elephant.  Therefore, I had to make that happen.  Cambodia has an elephant sanctuary in the northern province of Mondulkiri (close to the Vietnam border).  The bus took about 5 hours so we arrived pretty exhausted and hangry (angry + hungry, especially me).  We rented a bungalow at the Nature Lodge which is a fun, little hotel that has the feel of living in tree houses.  We ate some dinner, chatted, and turned in for the evening as we had an early wake-up call to meet some sweet elephants.

On Thursday, January 29, we spent the day at the Mondulkiri Elephant Project.  It was amazing.  We essentially hiked behind elephants all day, going where they wanted to go and just asking lots of questions about them.  It was a beautiful hike as well.  The weather was perfect and not too hot.  After walking for a few hours with the elephant, we turned the corner to see all these hammocks set up!  We helped the elephant caretakers grab some snacks for the elephants (entire banana trees!) and made piles for each elephant.  We layed in the hammocks, chatted, and watched the perfectly content elephants chomp away on some fresh greens.  We had an amazing Khmer picnic and enjoyed a dip in the stream with the elephants.  I was a little intimidated to get really close for long periods of time because they are so massive.  It was amazing though; all the girls jumped right in, splashing and touching them.  It was literally a one-in-a-lifetime experience.  Blair was SOOOO happy to say the least.  Haha! After the dip, we hung out in the hammocks for a while drying off and napping basically.  It was getting close to 5 pm, so we packed up and heading out, passing by a really beautiful waterfall and rickety, old bridge.  It was a fantastic day.  We headed back to our hotel and spend the rest of the evening sitting on the porch talking and enjoying a delicious dinner at the Lodge.

Chocos for the win!

Uh! So beautiful!

Best moment of her life?  YES!

Gathering some banana tree snacks. 

Just hanging around.  How amazing is our life!?

Not a shabby view, huh? 

So thankful for this girl and her friendship!

She may be super sassy, but life is great with this girl by my side! 

The travelers! 

ELEPHANT!!!!

Earning their keep. 

Bath time! Eek!  Freaking out. 

Little tree swinging.  This was a guide for the day.  He knows more American songs that we did.  He sang all day. 

Herbal remedy for my broken toe and nail.  It didn't really help. Ha. 

The group!  We had such a perfect day!  

After a 5 hour bus ride early Friday morning, we returned to Phnom Penh.  I was excited to show the girls around my city and introduce them to my friends! First things first when we arrived, we had to get some lunch so Sara took a ride on my moto to grab some super amazing cheap dumplings.  We sat on my balcony, looked the city and gorged ourselves on dumplings.  

She braved a ride on Dale the Moto!  

$1.25 for 12.  Yes. Please.  Perks of SE Asia living. 

We walked to Toul Sleng, the genocide museum, which is down the road from me so they could do a short tour.  It's pretty depressing, but in order to understand Cambodia, it's definitely worth seeing.  After the museum, we lifted our spirits by meeting two of my Khmer co-workers at The Chocolate Shoppe.   I loved that my friends from home got to meet two of the most important girls from Cambodia.  Daden and Socheata are the other gals in our Legal Dept, and some of my best friends in Cambo.  I was so happy to have everyone together to get to know each other; it was definitely a highlight from the trip for me.  

The ladies after some tea and macaroons! 

The rest of the night was really low-key.  We went to Flicks which is a movie theatre that has couches and big mattress pillow things to lay on.  We ordered food (chicken nuggets, fries, and popcorn...hello junk food) which they deliver to you while lounging and watching a movie and enjoyed the film "Whiplash" (which turned out to be my favorite Oscar movie).  All in all, a very normal fun night in Phnom Penh.  

On Saturday, January 31, we slept in and had brunch with my girlfriends.  We brunch almost every weekend, so I was happy to bring my friends from home along.  Some of the girls are from work, others I have meet through friends, but these girls have become my family here so it was important to get together with them.  We enjoyed a nice long lunch full of good cups of coffee and funny stories. After brunch, I headed to the office to catch up on some work while the ladies took a Tuk Tuk to the Killing Fields.  Again, it's a depressing thing to see but necessary.  They spent a few hours at the site then returned to relax and get ready for dinner.  I took them to a restaurant called Romdeng which is run by a local NGO that trains street children.  They have traditional Khmer food including tarantulas....so of course it was a must-eat.  Everyone tried the tarantulas...although Blair was a champ eating 1 1/2 all by herself...haha!  After dinner, we went out on the town.  We had some cocktails at the rooftop bar at a local hotel them met up with my favorite Marines for some dancing.  It was a great night overall and so fun to have my friends in town.  

Sunday, February1, was a really relaxed day and fun day.  We had pancakes for breakfast, did some market shopping, had a massage at a spa, then had some Khmer glamor shots taken.  This is a must-do while in Cambodia.  Imagine the tacky Western photos you can get done in places like Gatlinburg with the addition of 3 hours of hair and makeup.  We had a blast.  It was so hilarious and none of us looked remotely like ourselves.  It provided a fun afternoon of laughs.  We got individual and group shots.  Well worth the $15 per person fee.  

On Monday, February 2, we took an early flight to Siem Reap to finish out the tour through Cambodia.  We stayed at the same hotel I had taken my mom which is fabulous.  It's called the Angkor Rural Boutique Hotel, and if you are ever in Siem Reap, you should totally stay there because it is absolutely beautiful.  We layer by the pool, drank coconuts, and enjoyed the sunshine.  The girls would be returning to some extremely cold weather, so they wanted to get in some pool time! In the evening, we headed to downtown Siem Reap for some shopping and dinner at a great Italian place. We feasted on meats and cheeses, pasta and wine.  Such a fun evening exploring.   

Dinner photos! 

On Tuesday, February 3, we explored the Angkor Wat archeological site.  We explored about 4 temples and had a blast.  It was pretty warm outside, but wasn't as hot as the last time I had gone.  We took tons of pictures!  We concluded the day by another fabulous dinner at a little Indian place in town. 

Maybe my favorite picture...haha!

Yoga!

Wednesday, February 4, was our last day together.  The girls would fly home that evening and I would take the short flight back to Phnom Penh.  We spent the day doing some last-minute shopping, having cupcakes at Blossom, and laying by the pool.  It was a relaxing last day.

It was very bittersweet to say goodbye to the girls at the airport.  I definitely cried as did they.  I was so glad they came to visit, but it made me so much more aware of how much I miss my friends back home.  I'm so thankful for my friends.  They literally are some of the best people in the whole world.  They have provided so much love and support and encouragement this year.  I am truly blessed.  It was a whirlwind week, but so, so FUN.  Come back Blair, Sara and Emily!!!!