The orphan band

Angkor and Siem Reape are full of children, they are filthy dirty ( so is everything with a layer of red dust) but generally a happy bunch. In a country where 50% of the population is under 25 the mothers are only children to an old lady like me. Visiting a traditional Cambodian silk weaving workshop the children were with the mothers as they worked the little ones asleep in hammocks, the older ones playing on the floor, perfect childcare. There are many orphans and street children and these sell postcards, books, scarves and water around the entrance to the temples. This could be quite unnerving but they are so happy and love to practice their English that you can't help buying everything. When a 9 year old can tell you the population of London and the last 6 Prime ministers you just have to admire their sales technique. Since then we have found that the children just love to talk even if they have nothing to sell and today i have realised that if you keep saying hello enough you just can't help smiling. Maybe that is why Cambodia has survived such terrible atrocities without.
The Orphans and land mine victims also have some great bands around the Temples and here due to the wonders of technology is a brief sample.