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28 June 2002 |
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| Although the temples are the main attraction at Angkor, we got a lot of pleasure meeting people too. Siem Reap is surprisingly laid back and a number of foreigners have made their homes there. We enjoyed our visit to the Cambodian Butterfly Garden, a little oasis in the centre of town run by an ex-pat Englishman. There we chatted to a retired Japanese man who had come to Cambodia to settle down and find a wife. Then there was the pretty young woman from Sri Lanka who came to help train nurses in the town's hospital and stayed on - she served us in the family's Indian restaurant on her day off. A charming girl showed us round Artisans D'Angkor, a local cooperative which trains underprivileged youth in traditional skills such as carving and silk weaving - we enjoyed seeing them at work and admired their handicrafts. Many young people were working hard to make a life for themselves, such as the waiter who was brought up by monks after his parents were killed when he was one year old, or the young lad in an outdoor restaurant who had picked up his English from tourists as he couldn't afford to go to school. So many wonderful people... | ||||