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This website was created to share my adventures in
Cambodia in a visual format. My first visit was in
June 1997. Subsequent trips were made in November 2000
and June 2001, each for a month. My facination with
the country includes the people, culture, history,
handicrafts, food and weather. With the beautiful
smiles of the Khmers, their colorful dress and the
country's striking landscapes, I hope I can convey
some of the character of Cambodia to those who visit
this site. I undertook three more excursions to the
colorful country, in February 2003, August 2003 and
April 2004, for a week each.
The latter three trips had a special purpose, as I have adopted a fire station in Sihanoukville (on the coast). Each time I visit, I deliver radios, books, tapes and clothing donated by the community where I live in the Colorado Rockies and by firefighter friends of mine to help the station and its crew become more adept at handling incidents. I plan to go back twice a year to help this and other fire stations in Cambodia. In Sept. '04, I went back for a month to visit and help fire stations in other parts of the country. It was a very beneficial trip as I was able to visit and help seven fire stations in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Kampot, Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, Battambang and Ban Lung, Ratanakiri. My latest excursion was Jan. '05 for two weeks to assist a non-profit (www.oesp.net) from Washington state put on a two-week fire academy for the firefighters in Phnom Penh. A very rewarding experience !! I also brought nearly 400 lbs. of clothing, games, toys, a camcorder, a camera and school supplies to donate to M'lop Tapang in Sihanoukville for the street kids that the organization cares for. During recent visits, I visited two organizations that give street kids the skills to reintegrate into society, into the public school system, into their culture and their families. I helped out by giving clothes, school supplies, stuffed animals and toys to "FRIENDS" in Phnom Penh (www.streetkids.org) and "M'LOP TAPANG" in Sihanoukville (www.mloptapang.org). This site is dynamic, so pictures and new locations from other countries will be added over time. Please come back and visit for new and exiting pictures of places from around the world. Doug Mendel |