Now onto the food before getting to the good stuff. Breakfast, lunch and dinner of Vegan food only was an intimidating mindset to get into as I have never done either aside from a cleanse here or there. I was excited to try Cambodian food and flavors especially after the food tour I did in Hong Kong on my quick stayover on the way to Cambodia. I was just hoping that the vegan aspect wouldn’t take away from the Cambodian experience. The center has mango, lemon, apple and other local trees and also a garden so all food is either on property or from the local markets. Getting to a place of local fresh daily food was really nice, I mean really nice.
In talking with the foodie guide in Hong Kong and the guests from Japan, it seems like small kitchens and little food storage means that most people in Southeast Asia buy food daily vs in bulk like we do in America, especially when they don’t have cars and are walking to and from public transport. The markets opened at 5am and things really came alive in the villages as people did their daily shopping.
So far I haven’t had much of an issue with the vegan side b/c the vegetables are fantastic and the fruit to die for and of course, an abundance of rice. I have little issue with only drinking water and juice as I have never been a coffee drinker. Plus we were going to be getting on average 8 hours of sleep as it was quiet time between 10pm and 9am as silence wasn’t lifted til breakfast.
Before each meal we gather and hear any news/ announcements from the team as well as a poem from one of the leaders and dig in.
One of my favorite poems:
Even
After
All this time
The Sun never says to the Earth,
"You owe me."
Look
What happens
With a love like that,
It lights the whole sky.
Hafiz
Lots of soup based items and as stated before tons of veggies. I was happy to pass on the beans and double up on the peanuts for most meals. Daily pressed juices were a highlight and I have determined I need more passion and dragon fruit in my life. My favorite drink from the juice bar (open throughout the day with juices, raw cakes and ice cream for purchase) was a Roger Rabbit. Carrot, lemon, ginger, and some other goodness – it made me so happy each day.
