Hey Gang! I hope early summer is finding you well and eagerly preparing for the rapidly approaching Dragons journey. Allana and I will be calling you in the coming days to address any questions and concerns you may have. I look forward to hearing what you are excited to do and learn and try this summer. Below I have added our tentative weekly itinerary--I say tentative because the itinerary will remain flexible throughout the course. We hope for and expect student direction as well so please be proactive and share your ideas. Obviously, safety issues and risk management sometimes come into play, so we will juggle the course elements as needed to make everything run smoothly. Without further ado, the 2009 WTBD Cambodia itinerary!

Week One
After orientation in LA, arrive in the bustling, cosmopolitan capital of Phnom Penh. Begin course with a blessing at a local Wat. (Buddhist temple) Explore streets and markets in group activities to get bearings and build teamwork. Begin formal and informal language lessons as platform to dive into culture, history, development, religion, and daily life. Travel to remote Sen Monorom for first NGO visit and then begin jungle trek.  Group starts to gel as they try different leadership roles, all while getting first glimpse of rural communities, P’nong culture, elephants,  Animism,  and the Cambodian northwestern wilderness. Begin discussions on religious comparison, environmental issues like deforestation, and meditation as spark for self-exploration.

Week Two
In provincial capitals Kratie and Pursat, visit NGOs and delve into survey of development issues like education, water problems, human rights, agriculture, and health care. Conduct first service project, gaining insight to the concept of service as continual practice and the Cambodian cultural custom of greng jeut. Continued language lessons will provide ample opportunities for interaction with Cambodians, especially with students at Sustainable Cambodia’s school in Pursat. Begin Independent Study Projects.

Week Three
Journey to Battambang, Cambodia’s sleepy, second largest city. Students take on further leadership roles in organizing group logistics. Meet with NGO directors and employees to enhance understanding of development issues and discuss the role of foreign aid and organizations in development. Visit modern Wats and ancient holy sites to deepen our understanding of Buddhism and its role in Cambodian daily life, as well as to initiate further reflective solo time for students. Travel around the great lake of Tonle Sap to Siem Reap and explore the magical temples of Angkor, learning about art, history, and the unique blend of ancient Buddhist and Hindu civilizations of the Khmer Empire. Students debate the effects of tourism on local communities and learn more about responsible travel.

Week Four
Return to Phnom Penh to face the harsh realities of Cambodia’s recent history, visiting the former concentration camp of Tuol Sleng (S-21) and the Killing Fields. Conversations with candid survivors of the Khmer Rouge and family members of those who perished. Study of issues facing contemporary Cambodia such as human trafficking and urban migration. Balancing the emotional drain of examining the tragic past and present-day challenges, students connect with masters and young apprentices of traditional Khmer arts of dance, song, and shadow puppets. Before traveling out of Phnom Penh again to begin weeklong home-stay in Prek Pdao village, students explore more of the vivid street life to hone language skills.

Weeks Five and Six
The heart of the course. Students have ample time to experience rural life in Cambodia’s countryside, comparing home-stays and service projects in Prek Pdao and on an island village of the Bassac River. Students focus on Independent Study Projects, gaining a profound understanding of their chosen topics as they prepare for presentations. Students are now comfortable with all leadership roles and direct the final week of the course in the southern coastal region, working as a team to design activities and organize logistics. Return to Phnom Penh to debrief, reflect on the journey and make resolutions for future learning before taking a final look at the city and saying goodbye.