Prostitutes, Scuba, and Barefooting with Aladdin Pants.

Susei dei!

We are now in the Land of Buddha: CAMBODIA.

After a 11 hour flight surrounded by Orientally-clad flight attendants and ice cream after our meals(!), arrival was made in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. My first time in Asia and I am already loving it. Towering over all of the Cambodites, I am an obvious tourist to this foreign land.

A quirky little Cambodian man picks me up to take me to my project. I have to spend two nights in Phnom Penh with the Orphanage volunteers and await the other conservation volunteers so that we may go to the island together. I met some wonderful volunteers here from all over Europe and even some Americans! Fancy that!
We hit up the Phnom Penh nightlife and indulged in some interesting experiences, including wonderful markets and Phnom Penh nightlife. We also attended an amazing puppet show, traditional entertainment of this area! (See pics!)
After 2 days of this, I took a 4 hour bus ride to Sihanoukville with a girl from Australia and a boy from New York. A treacherous 2 hour boat ride brought us to the final destination of Koh Rong Samloem Island, where I will reside for the next 2 months!

Our boat brought us to this idyllic fishing village with turquoise water, stilted bungalows, and colorful fishing boats undulating with the waves. Climbing off the boat with my bag that could hold small children, I trekked through the captivating village towards my bungalow, which had the ocean lapping on our doorstep.My bungalow even featured the magical bucket shower and toilet combo! Yep, We flush with a bucket and shower with a bucket...and I love it!

Being surrounded by this beauty was so utterly tempting, but our first call of duty was to become scuba divers! We had one day to do 5 pages off bookwork and read the PADI scuba book and that night we would take the test.After 10 dives in 4 days, we were advanced scuba divers!

The following day, we began training to learn about reef checks and seahorse surveys! Using compasses, measuring tape, and other technical and professional appearing tools, we could now perform environmental studies on the underwater world.

We were invited to a wedding in the village and it was a very interestingly different version of a wedding. For starters, the bride wore white face makeup to appear as a caucasian person. This is because if people are tan, it is symbolic that they had to work out in the sun for a living. Being white means being privileged enough to have a roof over their head. They want to be white and we want to be tan. Wow.

As we walked throught the village the other day, we saw a starving puppy, so we asked the owner if we could take him and feed him. He was tiny and had worms, so we gave him medicine and food and wrapped him in a towel. He earned the name Custeau and became our best friend.

There is a makeshift schoolroom in the village where the village children come to learn english. I came to help one day and was astonished by the willingness to learn. They write in squiggles and seeing them comprehend english was such a triumph for all of us.

Scuba diving twice a day is amazing and exhausting. We set up the equipment, lug it on our backs, and jump off the boat in the middle of the ocean. After diving to the bottom, we explore the wildlife before us and identify it to our buddies using signs.

Seeing the alien world that lies just below the surface of the ocean takes my breath away. Being a part of this conservation project provides me with the confidence that one person can make a difference in this world. Removing entagled nets from the corals, ridding the beaches of endless styrofoam and plastic(and thousands of straws...don't use straws please!), and releasing exotic fish from traps is all in my day's work. At the end of the day, we go to the village and socialize with locals, which is one of my favorite parts--learning that people are all the same, despite our differences.

Orkun TomTom and Leah Hai! (Thank you big big and goodbye!)    :)

Sincerely,

Cailie Kafura!

Puppet/Silhouette Show!

Puppet Show!

My arrival to the island!

Pristine Scene.

My Bed!

My Bucket Toilet and Shower!

Custeau, the rescued puppy! ♥

Home.

STOP! Hammock Time!!!

Teaching English- a difficult task indeed.

Wedding Party Ladies!

The Beautiful Bride with her white makeup.

The dance floor...around a table!

The dinner table :) Beer, mystery meat, and a whole lot of fun!

Rooftop view of my backyard! AH!

Market Mealtime!

Promise of Return.

Molo! Mora! Howzit?! :)

My four African months have come to a close. I wrote this reminiscence from seat 35D on Malaysia Airlines en route to Cambodia. Since my birthday, I have engaged in many an amazing experience.

November 3-10: Ten-hour bus ride across South Africa to Port Elizabeth... shacks, haybales, oceans, and mountains lined the countryside. Once in PE, I volunteered at a home for children who have come from impoverished families. One girl, Emmy, carried the scars of her malnourished childhood upon her face. Many children resided happily here, awaiting a forever family to adopt them.

Another excursion in PE brought me to ADDO elephant park. Here, the Circle of Life occurred once again feet from our car, with baby elephants a la carte to the 50-some herd! Filled my heart with happiness!

November 12th: My drama kids performed their skit for the other 60 students. Twas a proud moment for me. After the performance, my kiddies were rewarded with Christmas goodies and Kentucky Fried Chicken. :)

November 24th: Thanksgiving--not only an American tradition anymore! My wonderful SA family humored me and thus butternut squash pie was born as a pumpkin pie substitute. We then took a literal approach to the Native American picnicking and wore feathers in our hair. We then ate pizza...:)
No one liked the "pumpkin" pie except for the American!

December 8th: I was given a tour of a place called Cotlands. Inside, newborns and toddlers with AIDS find happiness and sanctuary. Upon the wall in a long hallway held the portraits of 30 children who lost the battle against AIDS. At the end of this very same hallway, chidren joyfully played and laughed--completely unaware of their numbered days....  bittersweet.

December 9th: Shark Cage Diving!
Boarding the boat named "Nemo" with 20 strangers suddenly became an adventure when 6-foot waves plummeted into the vessel. Once in the open ocean, the cage was harnesses to the boat by one rope. Wetsuited up, I climbed into the cage's turbulent water as sharks lurked nearby.
Tuna heads floated on a line in front of us as we watched and waited. Out of nowhere, the guides told us to go under and watch for the shark. All that was visible was the rope from the bait as I watched it WHIP past the cage...I then knew the great white held the other end. I surfaced in time to see the beast thrashing in front of my eyes! NOM to the NOM.

December 11th: Township (Shantytown) Tour!
Seeing the inner-workings of a township provided me with understanding and appreciation towards this seemingly unfortunate community. However, the recycled, reused, and reduced lifestyle proved that a minimalistic society can still be a happy one! Some of the nicest people I met in South Africa lived in one room with 3 other families.
With a potato-skin beer and a sheep tongue in my belly, I left the township with my faith restored in humanity's ability to create peace amongst war and happiness despite poverty.

December 12th: On this day, I had the most eye-opening experience when I visited new mothers and their premature babies at a hospital. The program is called Bosom Buddies and they bring a bag of goods to the new mother. Not only did I witness 20 mothers in one room, but I stood awestruck at the side the incubators that held the most fragile humans...premature babies fighting for their lives. Amazing.

December 25th & December 31st:  My first Christmas away from family, but my surrogate one made it special regardless. Singing carols with 30 family members, hugging Santa, and feasting like a beast was indubitably merry!!
New Year's Eve was my best yet as we braai-ed multiple meat categories and socialized around champagne and cupcakes....The countdown landed the cool few, sparklers in hand, into the pool, clothes and all.
YAY!

January 1-4th: Goodbye City!

At my old age home, I spent the day with my cronies. I left a rose with my favorites and promised I would write to them. I must admit that these octogenarians were indeed my favorite people.

I did my last soup kitchen with my best pals Malakkie, David, and Grace. We had such fun working together once a week for the past four months...feedin' the needin' and having a blast. Sadly, it ended with a group hug and tears....and a promise of return...one day.  :(

My final evening was a jamboree at the beach with my university buds. We had champagne in kiddie cups on a picnic blanket and bonded while watching the sunset. After hugging everyone goodbye, for potentially the last time, we took one final dusk dip  into the sea. The waves were bein' something fierce, so we almost died. :)
The sky and the sea melted together as I embraced my last South African moments.

MAGICALITY.

Thank you, South Africa.

I love you loooong time.


Yours,
La Americana ♥

*pictures coming soon to this blog near you!*