Mission Siem Reap - day 1
flight time was scheduled at 2.35. meeting time was set at 12.30. but we were kiasu and went early. left the house by 11.30.
at the airport, we met the Phuket team just before they checked in and set off. got to talk a while, give them our blessings and send them off.
soon the rest of the team came. after checking in our luggage, went for a quick lunch within 15 mins and had to rush off without finishing our food (sth i hate) and then waited at the gate for another 10mins =.='
we boarded the plane by 2.15 and by 2.35 it was clear to take off.
Away we go to Siem Reap...
arrived there at 3.45 local time (1 hour earlier than SG) the airport there looks like some beach resort. then we packed all our luggage onto the back of a van which brought us to the Millenium guest house - the place we stayed for the mission trip.
arrived there at about 5pm. the place was very dusty, but still we had to remove footwear inside. we decided on our rooming, and were assigned our rooms. girls on 2nd floor, guys on ground floor. [Dora makes a big fuss cause she was made to room with her dad]
the rooms were not so good, but not bad. had a fan and aircon, hot water, proper beds and blankets. but all very simple. my room had a very bad view - just outside the window is a stranger's shack with tools hanging from the walls. the window was kept closed for the whole trip.
when i first used the toilet, by first impressions, it failed. i turned on the tap, and as the water flowed down the sink, suddenly 2 cockroaches came running out of it! one stayed in the sink and the other leaped out onto the floor.
everywhere, every place in Siem reap, you can see spirit houses. along the street, outside houses and shops. even in the millenium guest house, there were at least 2 spirit houses and 2 altars. such is the idolatry of Siem Reap.
6pm, left the guest house for dinner. at this restaurant with fairly good ambience. we tried many local foods like Khmer soup and curry, Lab, Lok lak. good value for money.
along the way, can see alot of nice posh hotels and restaurants, along with old cheaply built shops and houses just side by side. foreigners are found in the posh areas, and the locals in the rest.
we did some grocery shopping at a minimart on the way - buy water and breakfast for tmr.
8pm, gathered at the meeting area of the guest house for a talk by Fhonkie, to share more about his experiences in Siem Reap, the situation here, stories. We were warned of the high level of spiritual warfare here, affecting our emotions and also spiritual attacks on past missionaries. got us scared and praying. [but there was none for the whole trip]
it was also during this meeting that we finally got our draft of places we can go to for ministry, and our time table. i think we are the only group that didnt know before hand.
when we returned to our rooms and proceeded to wash up for the day, at 9.10, there was suddenly a blackout throughout the guest house! just at this time, ppl were bathing halfway in every room, and started making alot of noise. as for me, i was just about to take off my clothes in the toilet when it happened. nice timing. it was pitch dark in the toilet and a small bit of light in the room. power was restored after about 5mins.
we went to sleep early; no social activities this night.
at the airport, we met the Phuket team just before they checked in and set off. got to talk a while, give them our blessings and send them off.
soon the rest of the team came. after checking in our luggage, went for a quick lunch within 15 mins and had to rush off without finishing our food (sth i hate) and then waited at the gate for another 10mins =.='
we boarded the plane by 2.15 and by 2.35 it was clear to take off.
Away we go to Siem Reap...
arrived there at 3.45 local time (1 hour earlier than SG) the airport there looks like some beach resort. then we packed all our luggage onto the back of a van which brought us to the Millenium guest house - the place we stayed for the mission trip.
arrived there at about 5pm. the place was very dusty, but still we had to remove footwear inside. we decided on our rooming, and were assigned our rooms. girls on 2nd floor, guys on ground floor. [Dora makes a big fuss cause she was made to room with her dad]
the rooms were not so good, but not bad. had a fan and aircon, hot water, proper beds and blankets. but all very simple. my room had a very bad view - just outside the window is a stranger's shack with tools hanging from the walls. the window was kept closed for the whole trip.
when i first used the toilet, by first impressions, it failed. i turned on the tap, and as the water flowed down the sink, suddenly 2 cockroaches came running out of it! one stayed in the sink and the other leaped out onto the floor.
everywhere, every place in Siem reap, you can see spirit houses. along the street, outside houses and shops. even in the millenium guest house, there were at least 2 spirit houses and 2 altars. such is the idolatry of Siem Reap.
6pm, left the guest house for dinner. at this restaurant with fairly good ambience. we tried many local foods like Khmer soup and curry, Lab, Lok lak. good value for money.
along the way, can see alot of nice posh hotels and restaurants, along with old cheaply built shops and houses just side by side. foreigners are found in the posh areas, and the locals in the rest.
we did some grocery shopping at a minimart on the way - buy water and breakfast for tmr.
8pm, gathered at the meeting area of the guest house for a talk by Fhonkie, to share more about his experiences in Siem Reap, the situation here, stories. We were warned of the high level of spiritual warfare here, affecting our emotions and also spiritual attacks on past missionaries. got us scared and praying. [but there was none for the whole trip]
it was also during this meeting that we finally got our draft of places we can go to for ministry, and our time table. i think we are the only group that didnt know before hand.
when we returned to our rooms and proceeded to wash up for the day, at 9.10, there was suddenly a blackout throughout the guest house! just at this time, ppl were bathing halfway in every room, and started making alot of noise. as for me, i was just about to take off my clothes in the toilet when it happened. nice timing. it was pitch dark in the toilet and a small bit of light in the room. power was restored after about 5mins.
we went to sleep early; no social activities this night.
posted by 50U1 | 8:36 AM
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