Mission to Cambodia 2014
from Mary Lynn Ware, Nursing student

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We ate breakfast at the hotel in Siem Reap before hitting the bumpy road for Battambang. When the bus arrived to pick us up we piled in and sprawled out thinking the whole bus was all ours- how American of us! We then stopped by the bus station to pick up the Cambodian bus patrons. After a 5 hour bumpy, wobbly ride, we arrived in Battambang! As we walked off the bus, all the tuk-tuk drivers swarmed around us looking to get business. It was immediately clear that this city was much smaller and less Westernized than Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Our hotel here is smaller and more like separate villas that surround a patio and pool area. It is adorable! We were greeted with refreshing welcome drinks- ice cold, delicious, lime sodas! Some people immediately got in the pool and we ordered lunch and smoothies at the hotel bar.

We then had free time the rest of the afternoon. Some people swam, some rested, others went to the small market here, and a group went to play volleyball across the street at the Battambang Church of Christ fellowship house.

We walked to dinner a couple blocks away at the Green Mango, which we all loved! After dinner we watched a lovely synchronized swimming dance that Erin, Libby, and Dr. Taplin had prepared for the group during free time!