Fantastic finale!

[Hillary] From the rooftop bar in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, we sit and enjoy the moonlight dancing on the water below us; the Brazilian bossanova behind us and the ladder to the partial moon setting the tone for the evening. [Leo] Gazing down at street level, the contrasts with home are obvious – a barge painted with a giant fluro coloured chicken, fake deer grazing on its deck. Closer still, Cambodian couples on motorbikes stare, equally amused at the foreigners looking down at them as a dried squid vendor passes yet another dried squid vendor on a bike-cart. [Scott] The last few days in rural Cambodia have been awesome. Homestaying amidst day-glo green ricefields and building a house for a needy Cambodian mother have been fantastic and rewarding. It has also been a nice escape from the intensity of Vietnam.

One week later and we're sitting at the airport in Bangkok, waiting to fly to beautiful Southern Thailand. Coming back to Bangkok felt like coming home for many people, recognizing places from before and planning the next exciting streetfood meal kept us all busy. As we drove into Bangkok, we were also excited reminiscing about how we all met and how far we've come as a group.

Our time in Cambodia was absolutely beautiful. From living briefly in a rice paddy to the majesty of Angkor Wat, we are all in agreement that Cambodia is a very special place. Our group is smiling, sunbaked and ready for scuba diving. As our trip is coming to a close, we are excited to spend some good quality time on the beach.

Touring the Khmer Rouge killing fields and Tuol Sleng prison, where many of the 2 million Cambodians were killed and tortured during that time, was sobering. A sad, yet important history for us all to see. I (Leo) was particulary affected by the bits of clothing and bone sticking up out of the soil where people were brutally murdered – Choeng Ek Killing fields, one of hundreds discovered in the late 1970's.

Siem Reap was a humbling and interesting time. We visited many beautiful ancient temple ruins. The many gorgeous sunrises and sunsets we shared as a group meant that we avoided the hot part of the day. Walking around these beautiful, crumbling creations evoked wonderment and awe at the time and effort taken to produce all the temples. Its hard to imagine the people actually living in and using the temples back in the day. A visit to the landmine museum provoked sadness and thoughtfulness about what hardships people have been through. The visit to the Angkor Childrens hospital in Siem Reap left some people with less blood, as most of the group donated blood to this worthy cause, helping save a childs life (don't worry folks, totally sterile and safe) felt awesome.

We are off on our final adventure as a team! Some of us are staying in the south after the trip, others are embarking on new adventures, and some returning home. Time to board our flight, see you soon!

Hugs
Leo and Hils