Sambo

May 18 (May 11, Sunday)
Sunday

Like I said I’m really getting behind on my blogspot. Anyway, last Sunday afternoon Boramey and I went to Wat Phnom to ride an elephant. Remember when I said we would do it awhile ago, but we just never could make a good time for both of us, so a couple of weeks later we finally did it. I was so excited too! We arrived there just about the time it was scheduled to rain (3-4 p.m), but thankfully it didn’t rain. What I was so surprised with was how easy it was to get onto the elephant. Sambo (his name, which means a lot) just walked right under stairs, which you climb to get on. The forty year old elephant must have done this so much that it all comes natural. Sambo could probably walk around without someone leading him and be perfectly fine. As we were getting on and getting situated I dropped my camera! I was really worried someone would run under Sambo and take off with it, but fortunately the man in charge just picked it up and gave it back to me on a stick that he uses to guide Sambo. Just as we were ready to take off a man approached us and asked if a little boy could ride with us. It didn’t matter to me. So, he climbed on and we headed off. The ride was really fun. Sambo of course had to walk right into the branches. LOL! Everyone was looking and smiling. The ride lasted for about 20-30 minutes. What I loved was how we all moved to one side of Sambo with each step. His head had long grayish hair. I wanted to touch him with my feet so I took my shoes off and felt every movement on top of his neck; soft and squishy. Before the ride I had bought some corn from a street cart (1000rel; 25cents) and started to eat it. I offered the little boy and Boramey some, but none takers.

After the ride we got a picture with Sambo, and a little more. The man whom approached us at the beginning came to say thanks and explain the little boy. It turns out that the he has Aids. His parents died because of it and now the boy is going to face the same fate. I was completely blown away. How could a little boy have Aids? Why? He is only twelve years old and will never get to even have the option of having the joys of growing up. The man was running an orphanage filled with children like this little boy. He was French and could speak Khmer. At first he started talking to me in French, but I said I’m American. He couldn’t speak good enough English so I asked him in broken English if he could speak Khmer; thankfully he could. Boramey translated for me and I got the whole story. The man (father) was taking him around Phnom Penh to do what he wants for his last weeks on earth. I didn’t know what to say to the man. I was so blown away with the little boy. WHY? Why, was he burdened with this?

After the elephant experience we went to the Olympic Stadium. I have driven by it so many times and always wondered what went on, that day my questions were answered. As I walked in there were at least 20 games of football (soccer) go on. In order to keep the games divided they would use their shoes as goalies and boundaries. We had to run in between people to get across the way. We walked up lots of stairs to get into the bowl of the stadium. At the time there was a college football game going on. I’m not much of a football fan, but it was nice to see all the people running along the stadium stairs. At four o’clock people start dancing for exercise. They set up different stations for you to choose. It only cost 500rel (13cents) to participate. I saw anywhere between twelve years of age to forty. It was pretty nice to see a different part of Cambodia. It’s nice to know that some people actually work to stay small.