(Theo) Today, our group woke up fairly early In order to head back to the Angkor Wat National park. After our fast tuk tuk ride, we visited Bayom temple which was shaped like a lotus. We gradually scaled the temple and took many pictures of its great details. Then, we walked past a large temple shaped out of a laying down Buddha which appeared in First They Killed My Father. Following that temple, we walked to the royal palace in the park, while hearing about the complex’s ancient history. In the park sat many small, old temples, all for the royal family, and we saw what is thought to be a royal grave site. Behind the graves, we walked by a large lake which was filled even now, despite the massive humidity. Past the royal park was another small temple where we stopped and bought coconuts and other drinks. Then, we got back on to the tuk tuks and went to Ta Prohm, the temple associated with Tomb Raider. There, we were shown the very large trees cemented into the temple and the negative consequences associated with them. We took many group photos and then continued back to the tuk tuks to go to lunch at a small restaurant in town.
(Jason) After lunch, we learned about the education system in Cambodia, especially the Siem Reap province where we are currently staying. Tomorrow we are meeting with our Cambodian pen pals from an organization called PEPY, so our group leaders found it fitting that we learned about their education. We discussed many aspects about education as a whole, with a focus on Cambodian education. My group, during the discussion, said that education was, “The sharing of knowledge, experiences, and ideas from one person to another.” Sadly, schooling in Cambodia is economically challenging and inaccessible for many. We learned that many rural families in Siem Reap are unable to afford the price and travel of primary and secondary school. We also learned that a large percentage of teachers in Cambodia don’t have a college degree. Like many modern problems in Cambodia, a leading factor to the lack of educators is rooted in the Khmer Rouge, specifically their purge of educated citizens. Finally we discussed the gap in education between males and females in Cambodia. However, even though the educational system in Cambodia is challenged it is certainly improving. Through NGOs like PEPY more young Cambodians are being educated which will lead to a brighter future for Cambodia.
