Month #3: Reflections of Life on the Road, Cambodia & Philippines

It's hard to believe that we are already halfway through our trip. It has gone way too fast and we are constantly wishing time would slow down.

Month #3 was very humbling for us. We pushed ourselves out of our comfort zone even further and had the opportunity to give a little back in all the countries we visited. We were very moved by the number of people we met from all over the world who were also taking time out of their travels and lives to give back to these communities.

SOS message from Earthquake-ravaged Bohol, Philippines

Cambodia melted our hearts and then tugged at it. Of all the countries we've visited, this has been the one we've gotten the most intimate with. The warmth and hospitality we received from the people was very inspiring, especially given their recent turbulent history and the abject poverty.  While in Cambodia we had the opportunity to teach English and help bring clean drinking water to remote villages.

Grazing cattle in Cambodia

We spent most of our time in the Philippines volunteering with All Hands sledging concrete and deconstructing wrecked homes and schools impacted by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit last year. We met the most amazing people here.  The other volunteers, most of whom are in their late twenties and early thirties, are spending an average of three weeks doing hard manual labor by day and having great times at night.

All Hands volunteers' morning commute - photo taken from the top of our jeepney

We are so thankful to have to ability to travel like this. We did work hard for two years to make it happen, but we also know how fortunate we are. We are constantly surrounded by poverty and know we are lucky to be traveling, to have have a great support system from our families and to simply be coming from a developed nation like the US. The lyrics to the song "Just Another Day in Paradise" hit home when it played during our trip as we were surrounded by those less fortunate than ourselves.

A child working the streets of Agra, India

We've adjusted to life on the road.  We can repack our bags in mere minutes and often don't worry about booking hotels (and occasionally even flights) until 24 hours before check in.  Jan is getting tired of squat toilets and had one occasion where she splurged on Pizza Hut to satisfy her Western food craving.  Yemi doesn't miss much except for our Tempur-Pedic mattress.  And of course, we both miss our friends, families and four-legged boys.

Bohol's Recovery

We dumped dozens of wheel barrels full of concrete rubble over the ledge of his home's old foundation. The rubble would crash into the jungle and roll to a stop between the pig's stye and a pile of old coconuts that had rotted during rainy season. Despite the fact that we had been using sledgehammers to bring down the concrete walls of his home for the last four hours, the reality of his situation hadn't hit home for us.

  

Suddenly the steady shoveling sound stopped. Our shovels had uncovered what must have once been a women's closet. We tenderly swept the dirt and concrete from the clothes and pulled out mismatched shoes, trying to match pairs whenever possible.

As we set the belongings on the concrete ledge that was once his living room, he suddenly appeared and leaned down to sort the items. He inspected each item carefully before determining if it could be salvaged. His solemn face never showed any emotion, but his eyes showed sadness as they glazed over.

The homeowner (in green) sorting through the belongings our team uncovered

The 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Bohol, Philippines on October 15, 2013, killed dozens of people and damaged countless homes and centuries old churches. We were volunteering with All Hands to help those in need safely deconstruct their severely damaged homes in a manner that allows them to recycle as many materials as possible to use in rebuilding. 

The 60+ volunteers from all over the world working tirelessly for months on end were truly inspirational to us. For six days a week their time is spent tearing down walls of damaged homes with sledgehammers, pulling nails from rusted metal roofs, shoveling never ending concrete rubble and sorting out the rebars to be salvaged. Each day new sites would be completed and twice as many would be added to the list. We are grateful to have joined this amazing group of people and contributed a tiny piece to the long rebuilding process that lies ahead for Bohol.

stepping over one of the many fault lines in the area

Help Us Fundraise for Philippines Earthquake and Typhoon Response

**Donate here**

We had planned several volunteering projects for our honeymoon. However, when the 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the Philippines on October 15, 2013, followed by the tragic typhoon a few weeks later, we decided to squeeze the Philippines into our travel plans in hopes we could help.

Photo credit CNN

Photo credit All Hands Org

In February we will be volunteering with All Hands in Bohol, Philippines deconstructing damaged homes and recycling salvageable materials for the long rebuilding process. Any support you can provide to this wonderful organization would be put to great use and very much appreciated!

It cost about $15/day for each volunteer.  Thank you for any support you can provide.

Jan & Yemi

**DONATE HERE**