Hi readers! This is Calla, here to tell you all about March 31st 2026, our final day in Cambodia. We started off the day with breakfast at our hotel and a tuk-tuk ride to the botanical gardens, where we were introduced to our way of the day - meditation. At the gardens, we set out on a journey to find the perfect photo spot. One of our chaperones, Ms. Sharma, brought with her a vintage, glossy wooden 4 by 5 camera. Unlike our own digital cameras, the 4 by 5 camera is not nearly as forgiving. The slightest wobble of the subject or the camera itself can cause the image to go completely out of focus, uneven lighting can cause the exposure to be too bright in one place and too dark in another, forgetting to close the lens before you take the shot can ruin the film… there was a disciplined method we had to follow that allowed me to focus on the photo and nothing else. Although we all wanted to see the final results, we will have to wait until Ms. Sharma develops the film in the dark room for us to see our black and white film photographs.

Other than honing our photography skills, we also enjoyed the blooming botanical gardens and forest. Lush greenery of so many different textures, blooming flowers and pineapple plants, rivers of water surrounded us. We saw ostriches, bearded dragons, peacocks, roosters, geese, and a particularly playful monkey.

Lunch was at the botanical gardens, where many of us had already enjoyed mango smoothies and iced honey lemon teas... drinks were a highlight for the group throughout the trip; no matter where in Cambodia we were, fresh fruit smoothies seemed to never disappoint. After lunch, we headed back to the hotel for some rest time before a final reflection session with our chaperones and tour guides. We discussed the trip, tracing back to the very beginning, when we first landed in Cambodia, our faces flushed with both excitement and the heat which, we would later discover, was bound to get much more intense. My favorite activity was one where we blindly showed our appreciation to each other. We sat in a circle, closing our eyes, as multiple people were pulled up to tap others who applied to the prompt read by Mony; for example, one prompt was "People who have been kind to you this trip," while another was "People who shared good stories with you". I think it was incredible to feel how far we had come as a group, most of us not even knowing each other before we went on this trip, and yet, many of us are leaving with newly formed friendships and a plethora of bonding memories.

And then, just like that, it was off to our last activity in Cambodia: the Phare Siem Reap Circus. All their performers had trained at their school in Battambong for at least 10 years before joining the circus, and all those years of training clearly paid off. I had never been to a circus before, so I had no idea what to expect, but I was not disappointed. The energy inside the tent was electric. Live drums thundered in our ears, catapulted men flipped in the air, acrobats slid down poles head first and caught themselves with their feet. An magical finale to end off a magical trip with a bang.

[picture coming soon!]

As I'm writing this on the plane back from Singapore to LA, part of me can't wait to go home. I've missed Los Angeles- my family, friends, my dog, and maybe most of all, the "cold" weather (at least relative to Cambodia)... but a big part of me also already misses Cambodia- the fresh fruit, the daily adventures, the rich history, the pride in our tour guides' voices as they talked about Khmer arts. My very first GIP trip was wonderful, an experience I will truly never forget. We all agreed in our reflection time that we learned so much about Cambodian culture and arts, which was the written goal of this trip. But we also learned so much about ourselves, about each other, a hidden, unwritten result of this trip. I know I speak for all of us when I say that the Cambodia 2026 trip was a blazing success!

Signing off,

Calla

On March 30, we started the morning early at 4:30am in order to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat. In the dark, we rode the tuktuks to the entrance of the temple and selected spots to enjoy the view. We sat peacefully as the sun slowly rose over the temple, lighting up the dark sky with hues of pink, red, and orange. We were all moved by the profound beauty of the sun peeking out from behind the towers of the temple, casting rays of light onto our surroundings. After a quick breakfast, we walked into the temple and were given the chance to explore. Many of us chose to climb the steep stairs up to the top of the three towers. The view from these towers was breathtaking, and we were able to look down at the temple grounds and out towards the dense jungle in which Siem Reap is located.

PICTURE COMING

Exiting the temple, we stopped by Starbucks to refresh ourselves with cold drinks and air conditioning. On our way to the tuktuks, we saw many monkeys and baby monkeys that were so cute! One of the monkeys stole a tourist's water bottle and was able to open it and drink the water. After, we took the tuktuks back to the meditation center and relaxed until lunch. The highlight of our lunch was the delicious mango that the center provided.

PICTURE COMING

After lunch, we took the tuktuks to a school in Siem Reap called PEPY. At PEPY, they strive to empower older, high school to university age students and give them tools such as computer skills and leadership opportunities to allow them to pursue their dream careers. We saw this in the classrooms, as the students learned how to use Excel Spreadsheets and present in English. We also got the chance to meet many of the students who told us about the mission of PEPY. We formed small groups with the students and got to know them by asking each other questions. After, we participated in fun dances where the students taught us some Khmer dance moves and performed for us. Overall, the experience at PEPY let us interact with people around the world and see how even though we come from vastly different backgrounds, we have many similarities and are able to connect in a meaningful way.

PICTURE COMING

On our way back to the Meditation Center, we stopped at a local supermarket where we bought many delicious snacks and fruits. Back at the center, we rested before leaving for dinner. After our dinner, we returned to the Meditation Center to quickly pack before settling into our new hotel in Siem Reap. We were all very relieved to sleep in a cool place, and went to bed with big smiles. We look forward to our last full day in Cambodia tomorrow!

Today on March 29th, we had an incredible start to our morning at the APOPO Mine Action. There, they train African giant pouched rats at an early age to detect hidden landmines across Cambodia. The trainers would teach the rats to get comfortable to human interactions, to listen for a clicker sound to indicate a positive reaction, and finally, to detect and smell out the particular scent of landmines. These rats have an incredible sense of smell, which allow them to have nearly 100% accuracy, and a light weight, which doesn't trigger the landmines if they step over them. Each rat has 2 handlers and all together, they create a particular routine to detect mines, section by section. After our tour ended, we all got to hold some of the active rats in training! The names of the rats were Jordan, Jenna and Sam. 

We, later, all took the bus to the Cambodian Landmine Museum founded by Aki Ra, a former child soldier who changed his life to become a savior for the people of Cambodia. He talked about his life and how he wanted to fix all his past deeds. So, he made the bold decision of personally taking out all the harmful items that he himself planted. Till this day, he continues to do the same, undoing the harmful actions of others with now, a team of loyal helpers.

After our lunch, we took a drive up into the ancient Khmer Empire, where we visited two temples, one being at the capital. Ta Prohm Temple had beautiful ancient carvings and stones with small holes, which were to transfer them with sticks that expanded when contacted with water. There were also enormous trees that grew on the top and sides of parts of the temples, seeping into each crevice. Bayon Temple, at the heart of the Empire, contained a grand statue of the Buddha and winding halls deep within. 

At the end of our journey through the two temples, we had a reflecting moment by a recently restored water body at the royal palace of Bayon Temple. It was an amazing day and we know tomorrow will be just the same!

     

    Olivia and Casey back again! Today we started bright and early at around 7:30 with a long bus ride from the cosmopolitan city of Phnom Penh to the bustling city of Siem Reap. Because of this, there sadly wasn't much to report on because of the long bus ride that took up the majority of our day besides a few riddles that took up more time than we thought it would take. In the middle of our bus ride we arrived for lunch and took some beautiful photos overlooking the beautiful Cambodian terrain. Later we arrived at our next stay, the meditation center, more humble and meditative than our other stays, yet very homely. I also believe that our dorm style rooms will bring us closer together as a group. 

    After settling down in our rooms, we gathered out into the courtyard and prepared for our first activity of the day. We talked briefly with a survivor of the genocide, Reth, and after gathering into groups we began to assemble wheelchairs with his guidance and support. Once we had finished assembling all of the wheelchairs Reth told us about the organization that distributes them and the people who would be receiving them. The story of these wheel chairs is truly inspiring. Reth and his team find disabled people in rural areas in need of support and provide them with low cost wheelchairs to promote self sufficiency and aid with finding work which might be difficult otherwise. 

    Next in the same courtyard we met with Sister Denise, who is a founder and member of the meditation center. In her story she talked mostly about Reth and how the tragedies of the Khmer Rouge affected his life so greatly and how he learned to move on emotionally and physically as time went on, where he learned how to be a mechanic and live with his amputations. She also spoke about how we must do our part in including people with disabilities and how important the environment is for our future. 

    Our last stop of the day was Pub Street where we grabbed some Khmer food then walked down to the lively night market! We separated into three groups and started off. Casey, Calla, Michel, and I were chaperoned by Ms. Sharma as we journeyed through a jungle of sellers, bargaining and shopping for skrits, bags, jewelry, and other souvenirs. The bright lights, persuasive sellers, and other talkative tourists lit up the atmosphere and filled our night with excitement. After making our rounds through the night market, we ended our journey with cool, refreshing, rolled ice cream and joined back with the rest of our group before heading back to the meditation center for a night of rest. 

-XOXO Casey and Olivia!!

Day 06 - 03/27/2026 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

CAUTION: This post contains descriptions and images that may be disturbing.

 Hello everyone, this is Kalea and Michelle reporting on today's experiences. 

Our morning began with a visit to the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, also referred to as the Killing Fields. This site is one of approximately 300 killing field locations across Cambodia, all together holding the remains of 1.38 million victims of the regime. Yesterday, during our visit to the S-21 or Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, we learned that the prisoners there were often relocated to the killing fields for execution. At the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, we listened to an audio tour and explored nineteen major stops, each retelling a distinct aspect of the stories from past victims. 

Something that particularly stood out to us was the killing tree, where many women and children lost their lives. Khmer Rouge executioners bashed victims' heads into the tree and disposed of the remains in a nearby mass grave, a pit filled to the top with corpses. We also heard about the use of propaganda music, not just for the pleasure of the Khmer Rouge, but also to drown out the agonizing screams of victims as they suffered brutal deaths. After reflecting on this information for a while, we recalled meeting Arn Chorn Pond at the Cambodian Living Arts NGO just a few days back. In both his book, Never Fall Down, and in person, he shared about how his ability to create music saved his life, as it made him valuable to the Khmer Rouge. We thought about how this presented a stark contrast between how music was used to silence the deaths of the Khmer people, but also how it saved lives. 

At the center of the site was the main monument, the stupa. It holds seventeen platforms of remains from past victims, most being skulls. A small index on the window described the ways in which each person may have died based upon physical observations about the damage to their skulls. We ended our time at the Killing Fields by meeting an expert in traditional Khmer "smot" (funeral) music. Her chants touched on themes such as gratitude for others and mindfulness about one's body and surroundings. Listening to her music was a nice way to end our morning; after witnessing the horrors of the Democratic Kampuchea regime, placing an emphasis on peace and reconciliation gave us the chance to reflect moving forward.

After lunch and a quick swim at our hotel rooftop, we were greeted by an organization known as the Khmer Magic Bus. They joined us for the journey to a nearby village, playing music for us during the bus ride. At the village, we met a couple elders in their 90s, as well as young children, and exchanged music with them. Members of the Magic Bus played various instruments including drums, horns, and string instruments. Afterwards, we shared something from our culture: "Party in the USA" and "Call Me Maybe". We had been practicing these songs over the course of our trip, and it was nice to have prepared something to share with the kind villagers. Near the end of the afternoon, everyone stood, sung, and danced in a circle together. We also got to try the instruments and talk with the kids more. In that time, they prepared an ear of corn with a candle to celebrate Ryan's birthday. Happy birthday, Ryan!

Today featured a lot of Cambodian history, culture, and themes of reconciliation and recovery from genocide. It was really impactful to walk through the killing fields and later meet elders who had survived the Khmer Rouge regime. Through it all, music played a significant role and tied everything together. 

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog!

Kalea and Michelle

Hello Readers! This is Ashlyn and Rebecca reflecting on our packed day yesterday. After watching the beautiful sunrise from the rooftop of our hotel, we gathered in the meeting room to listen to a short but interesting history lesson from our guides, Moni and Silong. They allowed us to make educated guesses on the timeline of Cambodia's history, where we worked together to explore the series of events that led to the Genocide. 

Our group then made our way to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the real site of S-21 imprisonment camp during the 1970's. As you walk into the museum, you are greeted and then given headphones and an audio player filled with recordings and explanations of what we were about to witness. The Plumeria Alba trees surround a series of courtyards and tall, beige buildings. The audio tour begins in the first courtyard that holds the graves of the 14 bodies that remained after the Imprisonment camp closed; however, the gravestones remain as a reminder of the 18,000+ victims whose bodies weren't revealed. As we listened to witness stories, survivor testimony, and even music created by those who were killed, we were able to truly immerse ourselves in the evidence and open our eyes to a new perspective. 

 Hearing the variety of stories was truly heartbreaking, including the hundreds of children, doctors, intellectuals, musicians, and artists that were brutally tortured, contained, and ultimately killed. One thing that truly stuck out to us was that there were only 12 survivors our of the almost 19,000 prisoners of S-21. Below is the surfeit of pictures that were taken by the Khmer Rouge in order to keep precise record of victims that were taken into the camp.

Walking through the rooms that once held thousands of victims truly opened our eyes to the atrocities that occurred in Cambodia. Although horrific and shocking, we are grateful for the once in a lifetime experience; an opportunity for our group to connect and reflect on a new level. 

After the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, our group was introduced to world renowned  Camboidan composer of opera, Him Sophy, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge. He brought us to his Opera School in Phnom Penh where we watched a beautifully constructed Opera film in which he strived to include other forms of art as well, such as rock. The performance, entitled Where Elephants Weep, was written in both English and Khmer and was about the desire for love between a monk and a princess. 

    

Once we concluded with the film, we made our way to a port where we boarded a ferry to go on a cruise to watch the sunset. Enjoying each others company, we listened to music, took pictures, and talked about our day as we sailed the Mekong river. 

    

After an amazing day full of activities, we finished it off and were surprised by our guides with a more comforting meal...PIZZA! 

Thank you for reading about our day!

Becca and Ashlyn 

March 25th, 2026,

Our first day in Phenom Penh started with a visit to Mr. Arn Chorn Pond's organization, Cambodia Living Arts. After hearing more about his story, we listened to two musical performances by scholarship students of CLA. We had an opportunity to learn how to play each traditional instrument, both the long-neck guitar and three string fiddle. After a short snack break with Cambodian traditional snacks, we learned three different types of dances: classical, folk, and social. Our stomachs were growling by this point.

We headed to lunch at Eleven One Kitchen after. Our personal favorite dish was the deep fried fish cakes

The highlight of the day was an afternoon adventure with Chef Nak. To get to her house, we took a ferry across the Mekong River; there we saw incredible views of the city. Back to Chef Nak, the moment we entered her culinary arts center, we were in awe with the modern landscape architecture. Colorful flags, abundant greenery, a relaxing vibe. It seemed like every component of the space came together in a really beautiful way that captured the essence of Cambodian culture. A conversation with Chef Nak taught us that although her compound looks like a museum of the outside, it is a living museum where we should touch and uses the various thing inside. By doing this, we are creating history.

 "Storytelling must begin with pride" — Chef Nak

We speak for everyone when we say that the cooking workshop brought out everyone's competitive spirit. Each group, about 6 people, had a designated area to perform their culinary art. Chef Naks started with a demonstration of the dish we will be making. With 45 minutes to recreates Chef Nak's fish curry, we all scrambled to work together. The pounding of the mortar and pestle, the chopping of knives, and the sizzling of the various ingredients. After everyone finished, we all took a portion of our finished product to the dining room where we would be enjoying a meal cooked by Chef Nak and her team. The room was decorated by elaborate furniture and intentional decorations. For dinner, we had corn fritters, string bean salad, steamed fish with the lemongrass paste we all made, and a very tasty shaved ice. 

This dinner was particularly special because it was Sophie's birthday and Ryan's early birthday since his

birthday is in two days. We celebrated with Chef Nak's watermelon "cakes," aka mounds of fresh and juicy watermelon surrounded with birthday candles, and a warm Happy Birthday song. 

This eventful day was tiring, and we were ready to go to bed, but we each took a piece of Cambodian cooking home with us. We hope that today will be filled with just as much learning, fun, and laughter. 

Yours truly, 

Sophie & Celine!