laurahodges

my final night in asia! i'm sat with my beer and my book ready and have just checked in online for my flight...printed out the boarding pass which cost me more than my beer! not impressed! grumpy old man on reception 'forgot' to inform me of this! gosh people can be rude!!! however saying that, travelling is all about chance encounters and taking risks and opportunities! i have met some of the most wonderful people on my travels, i could write a book of all the email addresses and personalities!! bangkok has been no exception!!! on my first day i met three lovely canadians; we managed to navigate the local bangkok bus network and arrive cheaply in downtown bangkok. i left them to find my pre-booked guesthouse, which was nothing like the pictures! i was paying ... read more

on monday i said good bye to cambodia. I really wasn't as sad as i should have been cause i alread know that i will be going back. i'm not sure when, why or how, but i know i will be back. by the end of the three months, the country just felt like my home. the people became so close to me and i will really miss them, not just the other volunteers (who i will miss incredibly and will also hopefully visit in austrailia, boston, paris, england!!!) but also the cambodian people, those that worked at the school, my students i taught, or even the people i met in random locations like yoga or the pool. i has been the most memorable experience and i hold firm that people travel/volunteer to escape something. i ... read more

The adventure began at 6am packing for the weekend in Koh Kong. Anna, Rachel, Cindy and me got on the bus after stocking up on supplies (sweets, crossiants and crisps) at the station!! The journey was such a lovely one to watch out of the window, the scnery was full of lush greens and wild vegetation because the rainy season has arrived early in Cambodia. after about 3 hours of passing time eating, sleeping and talking, the bus stops for a break in the middle of a field. the men clambour off and we remember the horror story of one of the other volunteers, who told us that her bus only had one toilet stop and it was in the middle of a field. we disembark quickly and head towards the bushes!! however, less than 10 ... read more

What a day!!!! I got taken to the Royal Palace with two of my students, but because we were late we had to wit until 2pm for it to re-open!!! so we went for an early lunch and ate greasy burgers at 11am and then went to a vietnamese cultural thing. little did i know that complacency would get the better of me. two women were so quick to open my bag and steal my camera. i am so lucky that i have my photos backed up! after that we decded to cheer ourselves up with ice cream at an air-conditioned shopping centre which was wonderful and then we made our way back to the palace for 2pm. we were joined by srey roth's beautiful little cousins, 5 and 8 years old and we spent the ... read more

So after getting to know everyone in the volunteer house, there is not one person i could say a bad word about! i am so lucky! the guy that was here before was saying that the previous group divided into team america and team austrailia! instead this year it is just team britain!! during our orientation week, we took a trip to the CRDT project in streung treng which is about 7hours drive from phnom penh! *note* i am volunteering with a school called CWF (conversations with foreigners) and they help people who want to improve their language skills after school or work. it is quite cheap for the three months, but all the money left over from supplying the school is sent to the various CRDT (cambodian rural development) projects, run by the same people. ... read more