I’ve been doing some part time writing/photography/video production/research for Samaritan’s Purse Australia while we’ve been in Cambodia and it’s been a blast.

Over the past few months, it’s been an honor to get out into the provinces – often once a week, to meet people who’ve been impacted by SP projects in Cambodia, and the remarkable people who are working for SP all over the country. 80 percent of Cambodians live in rural areas…so I’ve gotten a sense of how the majority of the country lives.

I’ve experienced a bit of everything and have witnessed regular people’s lives changed by water filters, wells, schools, churches, and agricultural training.

The first week of December everything came to a climax as two videographers from Australia came to collect footage for a promotional video. I’d done all the research for the video, and now it was time to kick into full gear.

We visited five provinces in 7 days, interviewed countless villagers, saw incredible sights and saw the impact of SP projects in many, many communities. Steve even came along one day to help out with all the camera gear and acted as the boom mike operator! It was a busy week, but well worth the effort.

The New Year is looking good too! I’ll be continuing this part time work with SP covering a variety of stories throughout the country.

-Amie

The day we headed back to Phnom Penh from our adventure in Koh Chang, I had a brutal headache and my neck and shoulders felt like they were being torn apart by a vice. I thought that I’d probably slept funny – and I’ve gone for physio in the past for my shoulder so I didn’t really think too much about it.

But then the fever came. I felt so hot all the time – hotter than I normally feel in Cambodia. I rested and tried not to think too much about it. Then one evening, I took my temperature to confirm that I did indeed have a fever and sure enough – 39 degrees celcius. So we went to bed and somewhere in the middle of the night I woke up in chills and burning up all at the same time.

We went to the hospital the next morning.

Now this isn’t your ordinary hospital. The Royal Rattanak Hospital is a Thai thing – and it’s more like walking into a hotel than walking into a hospital. You know that hospital smell we all hate? Well instead of that, we got elevator music, drink dispensers scattered around the waiting area, leather furniture, no less than seven attendants waiting on us hand and foot, and no bad smell. It was a dream come true.

They did your typical exams then I spoke with the doctor who promptly ordered a blood test. Two hours later I got the results: Dengue Fever and Typhoid. No fun to say the least, but sometimes any news is better than not knowing at all.

It’s been over a week since that hospital visit and after an incredibly powerful round of antibiotics, tylenol and lots of sleep, I’m more or less back to normal.

A big thanks to everyone who thought about me while all of this was happening.

-Amie

As Phnom Penh swelled to twice its regular size for the annual water festival (that means close to 4 million people roaming around a city that's used to 2 million), we took off to Koh Chang - the nearest Thai island to Cambodia. It was worth it! We avoided the mass of humanity, and got to spend some quality time with white sand beaches, good food, fabulous sunsets and plenty of adventures!

-amie

We had another long weekend and took the opportunity to hit up part of Cambodia's coastline. A dirtbike, the highway, and us. Here are some pictures of what we experienced in Kampot and Kep - some of the most scenic areas in Cambodia!

The amazing thing about Cambodia is the lack of rules and regulations. To drive a motorbike in north america of course, you need to get a special motorcycle license. Not so in cambodia. You just show your passport as collateral, slap down four buckaroos and off you go. It's actually quite refreshing - adventurous experiences right at your fingertips! We couldn't resist the thought of a $4 motorbiking adventure, so we set off with a few friends for rural Cambodia. Our ultimate destination was Phnom Udong - a small hill north of Phnom Penh that has been considered a holy site for centuries - several kings have even been coronated here.

But of course the best part of the day was the motorbiking itself. Just us, the wind and the wide open highway - well, kind of the wide open highway. We did have to share it with a few random cows, big trucks, and motorbikes carting all sorts of things from one small town to the next. En route to Phnom Udong, we passed through quintessential rural Cambodia - stilted homes over flooded paddy; cows munching on enormous hay stacks; naked kids running around by the road; roadside snack stalls and gas stations (old pop bottles filled with gasoline and diesel sold at a roadside stand).

We climbed over 100 steps to get to the top, dodging begging children and adults. This is a good place to beg, as Cambodians on a pilgrimage to the stupas will be generous hoping for good favour in life. We prefer not giving money to encourage begging as job but we did change our minds when we saw the one legged man with the one legged monkey. The monkey was also taught to beg and although he just threw money away upon reception, it was worth the entertainment value.

After enjoying the constant breeze at the top of the hill, and the great views from the ridge, we stopped for lunch at a town that's infamous for its lounging picnic area. Imagine a bed frame with no mattress and you're getting close to what families have set up in this area. They've added weaved mats and throw pillows and hammocks for a truly relaxing dining experience.

We tried to order a rice dish with chicken in our very limited Khmer and ended up getting a whole roasted bird with a side of veggies, pig blood chunks, and liver. Ok something got lost in translation. When we thought we had carved all the meat off the roasted chicken, we were going to throw it away when some kids took it and showed us that we had actually only eaten about half the meat.

-amie