The exuberant fun, the tears in each and every one of the pupils as we left Cambodia on that fateful day, 14 March 2008. We said our goodbyes to the cheerful tour guide, Mr. Soo Peng Thai, and the ever-vigilant bus driver, who could smash a u-turn 180 degrees on a two-way main road without any dividers in Siam Reap... The trip could not have been better. It was my best holiday outing to overseas until now.

It was a fleeting moment when we said our goodbyes to our parents and Singapore. I could really feel the rush and the adrenaline pumping everywhere through my body. We boarded SilkAir and flew a 2 hours journey to Cambodia. I must say though, the SilkAir captain was a very skilled pilot. We landed without any sudden droppings or even bumpy rides.

The Phnom Penh International Airport was brillant in architecture and design. Despite its small stature and size, it was almost the equivalent of a 3-star international airport. Smooth passport control and baggage, we were zooming into the bustling streets of Phnom Penh immediately after that.

Due to the shortage of time I have for blogging, I shall summarize the rest of the trip.

We experienced the ghostly horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime when we visited the Toul Sleng Museum and the Killing Field. It was simply ghastly that around 20000 people were tortured and only 7 managed to make it out alive. They killed small infants, women, men alike, without mercy, without fear.

Then, we visited the Royal Palace, a wonderful built structure with magnificent architecture. Though we could not take any pictures of the beautiful crafted Buddhas inside the palace, it was simply brillant.

The next day, after we were transferred to Siam Reap, we rowed along the Tonle Sap river to enjoy the grandeur of the sea and explore the different geographical aspects. Questions like how did the people adapt to the environment there was answered with they built floating villages, restaurants, schools, basketball courts, libraries etc. It was pitiful to see a 
young boy sitting on a speedboat coming forth towards our boat and climbing up the boat, agile as
a monkey, to sell drinks to us. He was only about 5 years of age, wearing a woollen cap and a
sweater.

On the third day, we went to the orphanage to give out all our old clothes and food. I could see that the people at the orphanage were streaming with tears at the magnificent gifts that we have gave them. Then, we went to the market to have a first-hand experience at the Cambodian market. Though the rates there were cheaper than Singapore's, the quality of food there was also not bad. We went straight back to the orphanage and helped the students to cook some lunch. There was a big wok that we could cook everything in and a huge fire that they made below the wok. I could safely say that my Home Econs skills were marvellous... lol

On the fourth day, we made a beeline to Angkor Thome City to see the awesomeness of the Angkor Wat, the mystical and mysterious Bayon, the earth and green overpowered Pra Thom and the friendship of two - Hinduism and Buddhism at the Elephant terrace.

Lastly, we went to the Old Market to get the last bargain we would ever get in Cambodia. We were rocking out all the 甜言蜜语 that we had. Getting 5 books for $16 was a huge bargain.

Cambodia is a beautiful place to visit. It is simply awesome and amazing.