Despite having long desired a GoPro camera, I had resisted buying one.  Although it seemed like such a great little device, and a lot of fun to "play" with, I honestly could not see a "practical use" for it in my camera bag on a regular basis.  However, a couple of months ago I was given a GoPro HERO3 Black Edition camera as a gift (side note: awesome gift!!) and I couldn't have been happier.

I was excited for the opportunity to really experiment with the GoPro on my recent holiday to Canada when my father and brother and I traveled on our annual "Father & Sons Harley-Davidson Roadtrip", mounting the camera to various places around our motorcycles.  However, unexpectedly, it was while playing with my young nieces -- Carissa (6 years old), Brooke (7 years old) and Paige (9 years old) -- when the GoPro was truly the most enjoyable.

We played with it on the swings, we jumped with it on the trampoline, we took it down the water slide, we strapped it to their heads (side note: awesome uncle!!) as they rode their bikes and scooted on their scooters.

But perhaps the most fun we had with the GoPro was on our last afternoon together when we brought it to the swimming pool.  I packed the camera in it's waterproof housing and then rigged-up a little wristband for the girls

so they could easily swim with it (and so I wasn't worried they might drop it).  They absolutely loved filming each other and themselves, capturing every jump, dive, spin and handstand on video.  It's all a bit Blair Witch Project to watch their videos, but they had a blast.

For me, however, the best part was playing with the GoPro's still photo features (old habits die hard, I guess).  The wide angle lens provided some very interesting and dynamic fields of view, the waterproof housing let me try underwater photography (for the first time ever, actually) and the camera's burst mode allowed me to shoot 30 frames in 3 seconds, which was fantastic for capturing moments like these when the girls were exploding into the water from the diving board above.

As photographer Chase Jarvis said in The New York Times last year, “For the last 50 years, companies like Nikon and Canon have been focused on precision, which has its benefits but also has its limits.  GoPro is incredibly disruptive to these legacy camera makers."  As a Nikon Professional Photographer and staunch supporter of their brand and their products, I couldn't agree more.  And when one adds iPhones and other mobile phone cameras to this equation, it's a brave new world for both camera makers and image makers the world over.

For the past couple of years I have worked closely with the Sala Bai Hotel & Restaurant School in Siem Reap, Cambodia to document the positive work they are doing for the nation's disadvantaged youth.  My creative partners and I have made photographic reportage and documentary film about this tuition-free hospitality training school and how they provide students with the capabilities and experience necessary to secure gainful employment in one of the city's numerous hotels, guesthouses or restaurants.

Our most recent project with Sala Bai was last year when followed our friend, Sam McGoun, as he swam, cycled and ran more than 670km across Cambodia to raise funds for Sala Bai and grow awareness of the dangers of human trafficking.

Inspired by the challenges overcome by the students of Sala Bai, Sam’s route across the Kingdom of Wonder followed the actual journey traveled by a former student named Khatna: from her floating village in Mechrey on Tonle Sap Lake, to Sala Bai where she studied in Siem Reap, to her graduation celebration on the sandy beachfront overlooking the Gulf of Thailand in Sihanoukville.

As the documentary photography- and film-making team tasked with chronicling Sam’s odyssey, we did our

best to keep pace with him as he traversed muddy lakes and rivers, ran through small villages and pedaled across the countryside of rural Cambodia on his way to raising more than USD$30,000 for Sala Bai.

Along our journey we posted a daily "Reports from the Road" journal and photo essay.  And, last year, a collection of these photographs -- along with a feature about Sam and his inspirational adventure -- was published by EX Magazine in Singapore.  Excitingly, I just recently learned from EX's editor, Kate Mallord, that the story, "Khmer Ultra Tri", was awarded "Best Feature on Asian Travel" at the Asian Publishing Awards 2013.

It is always wonderful to be positively recognized for the work we do.  But it is even more rewarding to know that the stories we tell can help better the lives of others.  Thank you to EX Magazine for helping to give Sam's mission an even bigger voice.

Click here to watch our documentary team turn the cameras on ourselves in a short behind-the-scenes video.

The Voyager's next port of call is the dazzling 'Blue City' of Jodhpur, India.

In the fourth episode of The HISTORY Channel's Around The World With Voyager, I meet renowned fashion designer Raghavendra Rathore and explore with him this majestic city on the edge of the Thar desert.

Born in Rajasthan, India’s “State of Kings”, Raghavendra is a proud bearer of his heritage as one of the descendants of Jodhpur’s royal clan, the Rathores (he is the great-grandson of Sardar Singh, 34th Maharaja of Jodhpur). Raghavendra shares stories of a childhood spent in Rajasthan before leaving India as a young man for further studies in the United States.

Fearing that academia might stifle his pursuit of creativity, Raghavendra studied Human Anthropology and Robotics at Hampshire College in Massachusetts, then Arts and Philosophy at Marlboro College in Vermont, before enrolling at New York's acclaimed Parsons School of Design.

When acclaimed fashion designer Donna Karan visited Parsons, she handpicked Raghavendra to work for her as an assistant designer at DKNY's sportwear division. Raghavendra went on to work with other famous

Manhattan labels Oscar de la Renta and Bill Blass before returning to Jodhpur and launching his eponymous fashion label, “Rathore Jodhpur”.

Inspired by his hometown of Jodhpur, Raghavendra's personal designs integrate the heritage and charm of classic Rajasthani fashion with modern styling and aesthetics.  He is best known for reviving the traditional Jodhpurs and Bandhgalas, making them internationally fashionable, while also preserving and promoting Rajashtan culture.

In 2011, Raghavendra was honoured by Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, for promoting the heritage and culture of Rajasthan through his fashion designs and for making his designs synonymous with Indian heritage.

I first meet Raghavendra at the regal sandstone Ajit Bhawan palace, his distinguished home filled with family photographs and other heirlooms.  It is here that I learn about his family -- and, in particular, his father, who had a significant influence in shaping Raghavendra's life -- and I make a portrait of him in his drawing room.

We take time to admire his family's remarkable vintage automobile collection, but it is one car in particular -- a beautiful 1947 MG TC -- that Raghavendra lovingly

and personally restored that catches my eye for our photo shoot.

Next, Raghavendra takes me to the historic and imposing Mehrangarh Fort.  Towering on a hill more than 400 feet above Jodhpur, this is one of the largest forts in all of India. Celebrated for its elaborate carvings and expansive courtyards, it is here that Raghavendra's cousin, His Highness The Maharaja Gaj Singh II, invited Raghavendra to host his first fashion show, changing the trajectory of Raghavendra's life.  Together we create a fashion-inspired portrait in one of the citadel's stunning courtyards.

When Raghavendra was a boy, his father would take him to the countryside, exposing him to village life and allowing him to experience indigenous Rajasthani customs and tradition.  Pukraj is a village weaver that Raghavendra and his father met many decades ago, and together we visit him at his humble home.  Although Raghavendra's designs are contemporary, here with Pukraj I witness firsthand how he continues to draw inspiration from his cultural roots.  In an enjoyable twist, I photograph both Pukraj and Raghavendra together.

Our final location is a couple of hours' drive outside Jodhpur in the vast Thar desert.  With some help from some local young men, we drag a giant seven-foot mirror up a

massive sand dune to create a more conceptual portrait of our subject.  Just as the sun sets over the Rajasthan desert, I capture Raghavendra in reflection, both literally and figuratively.

Raghavendra is an incredibly interesting person to meet and a fantastic subject to photograph.  I admire how his contemporary design principles have been strongly influenced by his cultural heritage, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about his family history and his creative and life philosophies.

To experience Raghavendra's journey through my lens, catch the fourth episode of Around The World With Voyager,which premieres on Monday 11 February at 11pm on HISTORY and HISTORY HD.

Watch the promotional trailers for the first, second and third episodes where I met and photographed chef Sean Anson Xu (徐安昇) in Taipei, action star and movie director/producer Stephen Fung Tak-Lun (馮德倫) in Hong Kong and film director Brillante Mendoza in Manila.

I believe that photography is the most accessible and democratic form of artistic expression.  The ubiquity of digital cameras -- on mobile phones or small point-and-shoot cameras all the way to large, powerful DSLR or medium format cameras -- is making it ever simpler to capture high-quality images anywhere, anytime.

But as most will attest, making great photographs has little to do with owning the best and most expensive equipment.  Personally, I believe that the real secret behind great photography is in how you see a moment and interpret it in a still frame, regardless of what type of camera you are using.  Are you able to make something ordinary appear extraordinary by showing it differently?  Are you able to make the viewer feel an emotion when they see your photograph?  Are you able to transport someone to a moment with you simply by pressing the shutter?

I often find it hard to imagine what I did before I owned an iPhone.  I've shot more pictures in the past three years than I have in my entire life, making more than ten thousand photographs that I never would have ever created if I'd not had a camera in my pocket at all times.

My iPhone has undoubtedly made me a better photographer.  As anyone who loves photography will

attest, you cannot turn creativity on and off; amazing photographic opportunities exist all around us.  And an endless stream of imagery floating across my screen from photographers across the globe on Instagram and Flickr and Twitter provides me with constant stimulation and inspiration.  As photographer Chase Jarvis succinctly stated, "The best camera is the one that’s with you".  And my iPhone always is.

As a professional photographer, I am paid to document my experiences around the world.  It is an amazing job, and I feel truly thankful and fortunate for my career and the opportunities I have.  But, candidly, it is so invigorating to visit a new country, enjoy the sights and sounds and actually experience the journey -- to be present and live the adventure, observing with my own two eyes rather than being concerned about capturing every moment through the lens of my camera.  This is the approach I consciously took on my recent holiday to Myanmar.

I packed a camera bag full of Nikon DSLRs and fast lenses, which I dutifully lugged on six flights into, across and out of "The Golden Land", and only dug them out of their cocoon twice in more than two weeks.  It was refreshing, but more than anything else, it was liberating.

Of course, this doesn't mean that I didn't make many

hundreds of images.  It just means that I did it differently. Rather than actively hunting for photographs, I allowed the photographs to find me.  And I did it entirely on my iPhone. The result was a different kind of travel and photographic experience than I am used to having.  And I loved it.

I have always called my style “Choose Your Own Adventure Photography” after the books I used to read as a child. Literally and creatively, I can go one direction and discover a remarkable photographic opportunity; or I can go another direction and find something entirely different.  It is this serendipity that is the beauty of photography for me.  The 15 days I spent exploring and experiencing and enjoying Myanmar with my iPhone further validated this philosophy.

See more of my iPhoneography elsewhere on this blog or on Flickr.

Follow me and my iPhoneography on Instagram.

The Voyager's next port of call is the frenetic Philippine port city of Manila.

In the third episode of The HISTORY Channel's Around The World With Voyager, globally acclaimed auteur Brillante Mendoza, a man who’s forged the path for Filipino filmmakers on the world stage, tours me around his nation's capital of 12 million people.

First, Brillante brings me to the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest university in all of Asia, where he majored in advertising.  It was here that Brillante launched a successful career as a production designer, working on television commercials for renowned Filipino and international brands.  However, Brillante reveals how he wanted something more from his life.

In 2005, he received a script for a movie, reworked it and with just USD$10,000, made Masahista (The Masseur).  The film would win Mendoza various awards including the Golden Leopard at the 58th Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland.

I then follow Brillante to Mandaluyong, one of the 16 cities comprising Metropolitan Manila.  It was in these streets that Brillante filmed Masahista -- and here that he realised filmmaking was his true life's calling.

In Mandaluyong, Brillante also filmed scenes for Kinatay (Butchered), a hard-hitting 2009 effort that earned him the Prix de la mise en scène (Best Director) at the Cannes International Film Festival, making him the first Filipino to ever win this prestigious award.

From here, Brillante brings me to visit the Quiapo Church, Manila’s famous Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, where he regularly attends mass.  Mendoza's personal life remains important, and here he explains that his greatest achievement beyond all his film awards is being a father to his adopted daughter.

I then follow and photograph Brillante in the packed streets of Quiapo, Manila's old downtown, where he filmed Tirador (Slingshot).  He explains to me that it is here, among the ordinary people living in these neighbourhoods, that he finds the inspiration for his films; he seeks people in extraordinary situations to reflect life's realities and inspiring change.

From the bustling streets, I retreat with Brillante to his personal Eden.  It is inside this lush, green hideaway -- known as the "Secret Garden" -- where Brillante continues to make films with honesty.  In this serene location, in one of Asia’s most unique cities, I conclude my time with a truly distinctive Filipino voice: Brillante Mendoza.

I found Brillante to be a remarkable subject; his passion for his craft, his country and his fellow Filipinos is both palpable and admirable.

To experience Brillante's journey through my lens, catch the third episode of Around The World With Voyager,which premieres on Monday 14 January at 11pm on HISTORY and HISTORY HD.

To learn more about my time on Voyager in Manila and with Brillante, read these articles in The Philippine Star, The Philippine Daily Inquirer and Rappler.

Watch the promotional trailers for the first and second episodes where I met and photographed Sean Anson Xu (徐安昇) in Taipei and Stephen Fung Tak-Lun (馮德倫) in Hong Kong.

The Voyager's next port of call is Hong Kong.

In this episode of The HISTORY Channel's Around The World With Voyager, I meet actor, singer, musician, model, writer and director Stephen Fung Tak-Lun (馮德倫), one of the territory's most versatile talents.

Stephen first rose to fame in the 1990s as one half of the music duo Dry, before moving into acting in and directing action movies Gen-X Cops, Enter the Phoenix and Jump! which cemented his popularity with the Hong Kong public.

Stephen is a multifaceted personality, and has continued to cross genres with his film work.

Stephen takes on the role of my tour guide, leading me to five different locations that represent significant milestones in his life in Hong Kong.  My mission is to photograph five definitive portraits of Stephen at these locations around the city, capturing and revealing his phenomenal rise through Hong Kong's competitive and acclaimed entertainment industry.

Revealing his unlikely beginnings as a star, Stephen brings me to Hong Kong's iconic Peak and the German Swiss

School he attended as a teenager.  Here we reminisce about his youth and growing-up in this bustling city.

Stephen loves heavy metal music -- bands like AC/DC, Guns 'N Roses, Metallica -- and as a youngster he dreamed of being a rock 'n roll star.  We visit the Tom Lee Music School where Stephen learned to play and we talk about his passion for music and how it influenced his life.  Stephen even rips a few chords for me on his electric guitar.

He then takes me on a tour of Happy Valley and to his first home.  Aiming to get access inside, he provides me some insight into the community and what his modest first apartment meant to him after many years of hard work.

To uncover the beginnings of Stephen's movie career, he brings me to the trendy On Lan Street in Central where he filmed the first scene of his directorial debut, Enter the Phoenix, in which he also co-starred alongside his close friend Daniel Wu.

And, for his final portrait, Stephen and I visit Diversion Pictures, the production company that he recently started with Wu.  Here we talk about their acclaimed inaugural film, Tai Chi Zero, and how this complex

project has been such a huge step for him, signaling yet another new and exciting phase in his life.

It was a pleasure to meet Stephen and have an opportunity to explore Hong Kong through his eyes.

To experience Stephen's journey through my lens, catch the second episode of Around The World With Voyager, which premieres on Monday 10 December at 11pm on HISTORY and HISTORY HD.

Click here to watch the promotional trailer for the first episode where I met and photographed Sean Anson Xu 徐安昇 in Taipei.

This past August, I received a phone call from The Moving Visuals Company, a television and film production house in Singapore.  They were contacting me on behalf of The HISTORY Channel, who was searching for a photographer to host a TV series, and they wanted to know if I was interested in such a role.

I can honestly say I hadn't awoken that morning thinking I wanted to be on television.  However, as my father always says, "you never know if you never go", so I agreed to a meeting to discuss the opportunity further.

One thing led to another and a few weeks later -- following a screen test with the show's Creative Director and countless phone calls with the series' Executive Producer -- I learned that I had been selected as the program's host. And so began a three-month (and counting) adventure filming the television series Around The World With Voyager.

Sponsored by John Walker & Sons, and inspired by the rare 1920s travel guide Around the World -- a journal that documented cities and countries across the globe nearly one hundred years ago -- the TV show follows me on the 187-foot custom designed luxury yacht, Voyager, as I sail across Asia, from Shanghai to Mumbai, recreating the epic

journeys of the early 20th Century traders.  The series will comprise of five episodes, one created in each of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, India and Vietnam.

The show is one-half biography and one-half travelogue, as I disembark and meet with local icons -- a celebrity, an entrepreneur or an entertainer -- who define their cities as much as their cities have defined them.  Each personality acts as my tour guide, taking me to five different locations that represent significant milestones in his/her life and have helped shape his/her professional and personal successes.

As host and photographer, my role is to learn about the icons and their lives, while at the same time documenting their personal journeys by shooting a definitive portrait of them at each of their five milestone locations.

Historic yet contemporary, Around The World With Voyager strives to uniquely document the evolving history of modern Asia.

This is the promotional trailer for the premiere episode, where my first port of call is Taipei.  Here I meet Sean Anson Xu 徐安昇, one of Taiwan's most admired and ambitious entrepreneurs.

Candidly, stepping out from behind my lens to host a television series has been quite a journey in its own right for me personally.  It has been a challenging transition, but it has certainly been a rewarding opportunity.  And although making television is a completely different endeavour from my world of still photography, I have absolutely enjoyed the experience of bringing these two worlds together in Around The World With Voyager.

Around The World With Voyager premieres on Monday 26 November at 11pm on HISTORY and HISTORY HD.

This past March/April, Mike Rogers, Meghan Shea and I spent more than a week documenting our friend, Sam McGoun, as he swam, cycled and ran more than 670km across Cambodia to raise awareness of, and help to fight against, human trafficking.

Inspired by the challenges overcome by the students of Sala Bai Hotel & Restaurant School, Sam’s route across the Kingdom of Wonder followed the actual journey traveled by a former student named Khatna: from her floating village in Mechrey on Tonle Sap Lake, to Sala Bai where she studied in Siem Reap, to her graduation celebration on the sandy beachfront overlooking the Gulf of Thailand in Sihanoukville.

As the documentary photograph- and film-making team tasked with chronicling Sam’s odyssey, we did our best to keep pace with him as he dove into snake-filled lakes, crossed muddy rivers, ran through small villages and pedaled across the countryside of rural Cambodia on his way to raising more than USD$30,000 for Sala Bai.

We also tried to take the time to briefly turn the cameras on ourselves as we shared in Sam's epic journey, sleeping in active Buddhist monasteries, exploring abandoned 7th century pre-Ankorian temples and stumbling upon

beautiful, cinematic scenes of village women plunging fully-clothed to the bottom of a muddy river to catch trey phtok, a local freshwater fish.

Set to the recently released song "Anderson" by Wishes and Thieves, the result is a short two-and-a-half-minute video that Mike and I created to go behind-the-scenes and offer a brief glimpse into our personal experiences photographing and filming Sam's adventure.

Interested in more?  Click here to follow Sam's cross-Cambodia journey through our "Report from the Road" daily journal.  Or visit my website to see more of my lifestyle and travel photography portfolio.

In the final installment of Sam McGoun's cross-Cambodian adventure, our hero -- whom over the past few weeks has had time to reflect on his epic adventure -- pens an open letter to his friends, family and supporters.

Dear friends,

It is with the deepest heartfelt gratitude that I thank each and every one of you for supporting me and the students of Sala Bai Hotel & Restaurant School over these past several months.  Your messages of encouragement gave me the strength to continue in my physical challenge, and both your time and financial contributions will power us forward well into the future.

As I reflect upon my journey across Cambodia to benefit the students of this special school, I am often overcome with emotion -- all very positive and all very powerful.

Today, as I will do for many days, weeks and months to come, I am attempting to process these emotions.  That is, I am attempting to draw out the deeper meaning -- a conclusion or revelation, perhaps even a philosophy -- that I can use to help guide me going forward.   As we all know, a profound life experience is often the best opportunity to learn and grow as an individual.

So what then, are the conclusions, revelations or philosophies that have resulted from my running, biking and swimming 670km across Cambodia to benefit the students of Sala Bai?  There are many; below I share two.

True happiness requires a purpose and passion in life

From my perspective, the only definition of success is true happiness.  And while true happiness eludes many of us, I am pleased to share that I’ve found it with the help of Sala Bai and its inspirational students.  My true happiness is knowing that I have both a purpose and a passion in this life much bigger and far more important than me.

My purpose is helping others -- giving more in this world than I could possibly ever take.  My passion is Sala Bai, and more specifically, giving young Cambodian women access to education and employment in the hospitality industry.

My true happiness, therefore, is the result of helping others, and in particular, the students of Sala Bai.

To be clear, there are other core ingredients required for true happiness -- ingredients that I am blessed to already have present in my own life: my health, my family and my friends.  And indeed, while everyone is different, I feel confident that true happiness will continue to elude us if we

don't have a purpose or a passion or if we do not make these about other people or other things that benefit humanity overall.  For me, this is eliminating poverty and fighting human trafficking by educating and employing the students of Sala Bai.  For you, it may be raising your children with a value system that enables them to be good (and happy) adult human beings.

Two things are for certain:  one’s purpose and one’s passion are individual choices, and these are two ingredients required for our own true happiness.

Smiles have no language barrier

Smiles are universal signs of welcome and respect.  I speak exactly three words of Khmer (Cambodian).  Most rural Cambodians speak about the same amount of English.  Our ability to speak each other’s language has absolutely no bearing on our ability to welcome one another or show a simple sign of respect. Throughout my 670km journey, I was the beneficiary of literally hundreds of smiles.  Little did I know that such a simple gesture could have such a profound and positive impact upon my own outlook.

Without a doubt, the smiles of Cambodian men, women and children gave me the motivation and strength to finish my days' physical commitments.

The reality is that most of the smiles I received during my journey came from people who earn less than USD$50 per month, who barely have enough food to survive, who work in harsh conditions more than 12 hours per day, who have little or no education and who have little or no access to even the most basic healthcare.  These kind people welcomed me into their communities and respected me in the process with genuine smiles.

Truthfully, most days I’m so “busy” getting from point A to point B that I walk around with a blank facial expression that is so unwelcoming you’d think I didn’t have facial muscles to form a smile.  What’s my excuse?  Clearly, there isn’t one.  Enough said.

It is time to smile.  It will welcome others within your immediate surroundings and show them a sign of respect.  And if you need another reason:  I promise it will make you much happier in the process.

My journey has just begun

While I have completed the physical journey of crossing Cambodia to benefit the students of Sala Bai, the emotional journey and my lifelong commitment to fighting human trafficking with education and employment in hospitality has only just begun.  You can follow and join this journey

by 'Liking' Touch Sala Bai on Facebook, by visiting the Touch Sala Bai website or by writing to me directly at smcgoun@touchsalabai.com.  We will ensure that you receive periodic updates from Touch Sala Bai about upcoming events, important developments on the fight against human trafficking and the progress of past, current and future Sala Bai students.

And while I have several more reflections that I look forward to sharing with you in the future, it's time to bring this chapter to a close.

I would like to thank the three people who have given a voice to this cross-Cambodia journey, and more importantly, the students of Sala Bai: Scott Woodward, Mike Rogers and Meghan Shea are the truly gifted professionals who lent their talents to giving voices to those individuals who do not have them. Through their still and moving images, they have told a story that connects not just our minds, but also our hearts, to something far more important than ourselves.  Without them, none of this would have been possible.  Scott, Mike and Meghan, thank you for following your own dreams -- you continue to inspire me, and others, to do the same.

And finally, on behalf of Jean-Paul and Emmanuelle

de Thomas, the students of Sala Bai and the members of Touch Sala Bai, I thank you all for making a difference.

- Sam

To help celebrate Sam’s journey and to support the fight against human trafficking, please donate to Touch Sala Bai today.  Donations to Sam's cross-Cambodian journey will close on Monday 7 May.

Did you miss our daily "Reports from the Road" during Sam's cross-Cambodian journey?  Catch-up on all of Sam's adventures and experiences here.

Kep to Sihanoukville

We spent last evening on the beach following a seafood barbeque, serenaded into dreamland by a local Cambodian wedding and a chorus of wild barking dogs.  Falling asleep after midnight did not keep Sam from setting out at sunrise on the final day of his cross-Cambodian odyssey.

Sam ran along the seaside in Kep, a sleepy coastal town once a glamorous resort destination founded as a French colonial retreat.  The town reached the height of it’s popularity in the 1960s, and today is dotted with the select few French-style villas which survived the Khmer Rouge regime.

Sam departed Kep with his sprits high, pounding the pavement and making great time as he arrived 16km later in Kampot, a small city renown in couture culinary circles for it’s pepper.

Stopping for our last lunchtime picnic just outside Kampot, Sam was fueled-up for the final stretch of his race by indulging in bologna, cheese and jelly sandwiches. Seriously.

Sam brought a deep reservoir of focus and strength to the final segment of this journey, which included 80km on his

mountain bike followed by a further 20km on foot. Somewhat ironically, the steepest terrain of Sam's entire journey was to be found in the final half of today’s trek.

Our crew expanded in the final hours with the welcome addition of Sam’s mother and father who traveled from the States to help watch Sam complete his race and support his venture.

We arrived in the coastal city of Sihanoukville just as the sun began to sink into the sea, casting the city in a triumphant golden hue.  Sam was single-minded in his focus to finish his journey at the exact beach that the Sala Bai Hotel & Restaurant School students visit during their annual graduation celebration.  To reach this beach, Sam conquered seemingly unending inclines and deftly navigated streets packed with tourists, motorcycles, and touting restaurateurs.

At the brink of total exhaustion, Sam arrived at the waters' edge and dove into the Gulf of Thailand, still wearing his running shoes, Sala Bai shirt and a newly-born feeling of exaltation.

For Sam, diving into the ocean completed his circle: he had followed the actual journey taken by one recent graduate,

Khatna, from her floating village in Mechrey on Tonle Sap Lake to the sandy beachfront of Sihanoukville.

It was an emotional few moments after Sam emerged from the water and embraced his parents on the beach, remarking with conviction, “Anything is possible. We can do anything we put our hearts to; all we need is a little support from our friends and family”.  Sam is a proof that a committed individual can accomplish anything.  After these brief and eloquent words, Sam hugged each of his parents and left the beach for a well-deserved hot shower and comfortable night's sleep.

Over the course of seven days, Sam cycled 503 kilometers, ran just over four marathons, swam in one lake, and crossed one river.  Sam has completed his journey.

To help celebrate Sam’s journey and to support the fight against human trafficking, please donate to Touch Sala Bai today.

Did you miss our previous posts?  Read the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh installments of Sam's adventure.

- Meghan Shea

Takeo to Kep

We fell asleep last night in a Takeo ricefield to the hums of the resident farmer tending to his fields perched atop his tractor (at 1am).  Joy.  Sunrise came quickly, and Sam took advantage of our auspicious location next to a pagoda by finding a moment to kneel, pray and reflect on his journey before setting out on day six of his cross-Cambodian adventure.  Following this brief spiritual reprieve, Sam bounded out of the campsite and into the town of Takeo. Scott and Mike were equally spry this morning and dove out of their tents to take full advantage of the beautiful golden hour sunlight.

After departing camp we explored Takeo, a lakeside city that was a stronghold for the Khmer Rouge Regime until 1996.  Sam’s route took him past the grounds of one of the most infamous residents of the city, former Khmer Rouge Commander Ta Mok.  Ta Mok served as the Khmer Rouge’s Chief of Staff in the 1960s and constructed a chilling Brutalist residence in Takeo surrounded by a moat and accessed only by a long, wooden footbridge.

Sam ran across the bridge and circled the property, now decaying and currently employed as a police training facility.  Behind Ta Mok's home we watched women

gracefully gliding across the property’s moat in their palm boats collecting lotus flowers; it was difficult to reconcile this serenity with the horrific atrocities committed by the home’s former resident.

Sam left Takeo, heading for the ocean village of Kep, biking in (literally) asphalt-melting conditions.  After nearly a week on the road, unrelenting heat, and countless kilometers, Sam has developed severe saddle sore on his backside.  It required immediate (and agonizing) attention at lunch to prevent infection.  We were in disbelief that, following a brief lunch break, Sam was ready to pedal for another 20km.

We took our question to the source, asking Sam where on earth his energy came from, to which he responded, “Honestly, I‘m not entirely sure where [it] is coming from.  It’s just kind like [I am] on a mission now; it’s uncomfortable but [I] just do it.”

We tipped our hats to Sam as he strode in Kep; six days down and one to go.

Our goal is help Sam raise USD$15,000 for Sala Bai Hotel & Restaurant School before his adventure is over.

As we write this, Sam has raised $10,245 with 24 more hours to go.  If you haven’t yet donated, please do so today.

Did you miss our previous posts?  Read the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth installments of Sam's adventure.

- Meghan Shea

Sa Ang to Takeo

We picked-up where left off last night, grateful to be hosted in a local (and active) pagoda in Sa Ang.  Upon our arrival late last evening, Sam explained to the pagoda’s head monk that he was running across Cambodia to expose the risks of human trafficking, after which the monk promised to accompany Sam to the river's edge when he embarked on his swim across the Mekong River this morning.

We awoke at dawn amidst the hum of monastic rituals; the night rain had purged the air and for a few splendid morning hours we were dust-free, and the countryside was bathed in ochre-colored light.  We set-out early to meet the river that was our current-laden foe mere hours earlier. It was a quite a team that stood on the shores of the muddy Mekong, ready to support Sam’s swim: a scruffy-looking documentary crew, seas of curious onlookers, vans and pick-up trucks waiting in the wings, and a lone monk cloaked in a glorious orange robe, offering his blessing to Sam's journey.  Sam dove in and crossed the Mekong, keeping pace with a rustic plank-style barge, emerging on the other side strong and prepared to begin running, biking, and sweating.

For the second part of day, the photography and video teams split from Sam and headed back into Phnom Penh to

learn first-hand about the realities of human trafficking from survivors themselves.  Thanks to our friends at the Cause Effect Agency, we were able to connect with some incredible women who are part of the Voices For Change program with the Somamly Mam Foundation and AEFSIP.

As explained on her website, the Somaly Man Foundation is “modeled after Somaly’s life example...[and] Voices For Change is designed to give survivors an opportunity to help themselves by helping others, to have their voices heard in the courts of law and public perception, and to have influence and impact on effectuating change...Each one of these women has lived through horrific conditions, and has emerged as young leaders, for Voices for Change.

“Co-founded by sexual slavery survivor, Somaly Mam, the foundation works to eradicate human trafficking, liberate its victims, and empower survivors so they can create and sustain lives of dignity."

We were honored to have the chance to interview such courageous and strong women.  They have lived through unimaginable atrocities and have survived to inform and educate others on the realities of trafficking.  These interviews will feature in the forthcoming documentary by Persistent Productions about Sam's cross-Cambodian

journey, articulating why this cause is important and why Sam wants your support to help prevent sex trafficking before it starts.

Donate to support Sam, Sala Bai Hotel & Restaurant School and the fight against human trafficking.

Did you miss our previous posts?  Read the first, second, third, fourth and fifth installments of Sam's adventure.

- Meghan Shea

Skun to Sa Ang

Sam began his journey early this morning by running through the small village of Phao Chum in An Lon Chey Commune.  Local residents were curious about the blonde man jogging through the center of their kampong, but no one more than the community children.  Sam collected a small entourage of 4, 5 and 6 year-olds who joined him for a mid-race stretching session, followed by a heated foot race.  Arriving at the Mekong River midday, the wide water vista was a prelude for this evening's face-off with river.

We rolled into Phnom Penh at lunch hour and Sam was quickly bobbing and weaving through the web of urban traffic, running past grand French colonial architecture, local markets, Independence Monument and The Royal Palace, all the while encircled by the buzz that is Cambodia's capital.  It seems that every new day usurps the traffic insanity of the previous ones: exhaust, haze, dust and smog abound, causing Sam to exclaim mid-run, “I think I’ve eaten an engine today.  At least a V8.  On second thought, make that a V12”.

Today Sam’s shirt reads “Stop Human Trafficking Before It Starts”.  He chose to wear this shirt while running through Phnom Penh as it is the destination for many

trafficked women.  Organizations like Sala Bai Hotel & Restaurant School aim to help prevent trafficking before it begins by giving young women and men the opportunity for an education and employment.  ECPAT Cambodia (End Child Prostitution, Abuse and Trafficking in Cambodia) reports that as many as one third of the trafficked victims in prostitution are children.  Learn more about the severity of human trafficking in Cambodia here and here.

The latter part of the day was spent battling the rain as Sam cycled out of Phnom Penh and headed for the river crossing where he planned to swim across the Mekong.  The showers were relentless, and soon it was thundering and the crosswinds were howling.  It was 7pm by the time Sam arrived at the river, and the mighty Mekong's currents were strong and the water was inky black.

Sam was determined to swim, but the risks were immense. Local boats refused to cross because of the strong currents, and the crew appealed to Sam to reconsider, expressing our concern for his well-being.  After a long and painful deliberation, Sam decided to postpone the swim.  The team will resume the river crossing tomorrow morning at dawn; this evening we are happy to report

that Sam is safe, and we’ll be counting our blessings as we make camp at a local pagoda in Sa Ang District.

Donate to support Sam, Sala Bai and the fight against human trafficking.

Did you miss our previous posts?  Read the first, second, third and fourth installments of Sam's adventure.

- Meghan Shea

Prei Kuk to Skun

We awoke by the river in Sambor Prei Kuk in northern Kampong Thom and spent the morning exploring 7th century pre-Ankorian temples before Sam hit the road.

He cycled through town, keeping a strong and steady pace, while the menagerie of traffic barreled past him.  Sam shared the road with apathetic cows, mobile farm equipment, scooters piled sky-high with bamboo and 8-seater vans carrying more than twenty people, including a half dozen travelers perched precariously on the roof.  In the midst of this controlled chaos was Sam’s bright orange shirt emblazoned with the words "Front Office", paying homage to the Sala Bai Hotel & Restaurant School student group he ran for today.

Following a brief respite at a local restaurant, Sam hit the pavement.  Steadfast in his commitment to the Sala Bai students that his running segment be at least 20km a day, he began his run at 7pm and was guided into camp by the beaming headlights of a motorcycle escort glowing softly through the dust.

After another long day on the road, Sam will curl-up under the stars, bedding down tonight in a rice field in Skun.

Donate to support Sam, Sala Bai and the fight against human trafficking.

Did you miss our previous posts?  Read the first, second and third installments of Sam's adventure.

- Meghan Shea

Kampong Kdey to Prei Kuk

Today day was filled with dusty roads, rural villages and a significant serving of determination.  We began the morning with breakfast overlooking the idyllic 12th century Kampong Kdey Bridge.  After dining in front of this ancient architectural structure, Sam set out on his bicycle.

Today’s ride took us past lively vignettes in the village of Khoum Damrey Slap: baths with water buffalos, rice farming, volleyball games and a most cinematic scene of village women and girls schnok-ing where they plunged fully clothed to the bottom of a muddy river, throwing down their nets and bamboo traps and, moments later, dredged-up their catch of trey phtok, a local freshwater fish.  This all-women group flowed rapidly down river and we found ourselves racing to keep up with this delightful cacophony of laughing, catching, and swimming.

Today’s physical journey was a testament to Sam’s will and resolve; a mid-morning routing faux pas had Sam riding an additional 30km in oppressive midday heat.  With temperatures high and a profound amount of dust on the road, Sam had to work hard for each kilometer.  Resolute in his commitment to physically power himself the entire way,

Sam pushed on until well after dark explaining, “What’s important is that I do the journey no matter what happens. Mistakes, incorrect [routes], it doesn’t matter.  Not everyone can just jump in a car and go.“

Sam was unwavering in his commitment to the students of Sala Bai Hotel & Restaurant School and is determined that this race help fundraise for their program.  He was on the road today for 140km over the course of 13 hours.  It was a powerful thing to behold.

Donate to support Sam, Sala Bai and the fight against human trafficking.

Did you miss our previous posts?  Read the first and second installments of Sam's adventure.

- Meghan Shea