Kids First Riders

8,000 skulls were excavated at The Killing Fields and put in a stupa to honor the victims.

A visit to Cambodia gave us three days to learn about its history. First on our list was The Killing Fields, the largest burial site from the Cambodian genocide in the late 1970s. On this site the remains of thousands of victims still lay in the ground. A memorial, called a stupa, holds 8,000 skulls honoring the dead. Overall two million - almost a third of Cambodia’s population - lost their lives to the Khmer Rouge, between 1975 and 1979. We also visited the prison, once a school, where many were tortured.

There are many floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake. People live here because it's free. We saw floating churches, a school, and a basketball court. The water was very dirty, though, and the stentch was almost overwhelming.

Next we toured several ancient temples more than 1,000 years old. Please visit our photo gallery. After that, we took a boat ride to one of the floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia. One of the observations during our journey through Cambodia was that many people are poor and desperate, even when compared with Vietnam.

A young girl pours palm sugar into a mold to make candy.

We saw many young children (as young as 8-12) working in construction sites, selling goods in the markets, and peddling souvenirs at tourist attractions. Many children might attend school for four years, then drop out to support their family. 60% of the population is under age 20. The illiteracy rate is 65%.

In town, straw shacks lined the dirty river. This river is used like a sewer. To say that we witnessed unsanitary conditions is an understatement. This might sound to you like we had an awful time, but we did not. Enlightening, yes, but also enjoyable.

Visit our photo album for a visual tour. Full captions and journal will be coming, so please check back later.