On January 13, Ambassador Heidt accompanied his wife Sotie on a trip to her hometown Krakor, in Pursat province. This was her first visit to the area since the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime 1979.

“It’s a trip that I felt I had to make,” Sotie said. “Standing at the site of my childhood home, I was overwhelmed by memories of when our family was still together. The only thing remaining from the past was an old, dried-up well that has been sitting there silently witnessing history. It was an emotional day, but meeting Krakor residents who knew us from back then made the trip and my connection to Krakor all that much more special.”

“I was very moved by the warm welcome the people of Krakor gave us,” Ambassador Heidt said. “It was the first time I’ve seen where my wife and her sister grew up, and I learned a lot about Cambodia’s history as well as its exciting potential.”