Back to Siem Reap

Right now I am sitting by the poolside of my hotel in Siem Reap enjoying this day off and getting my bearrings before I head to the high school tomorrow with the volunteer coordinator for Caring for Cambodia.  I find it strange that I am back here after only a few months and this time for such a different reason.

After coming home, I started searching for ways to help the education system here and it did not take me long to find this organization.  They support local teachers by giving them extra money and bonuses when they perform certain student-centered lessons.  I am here to try to develop as many science resources as I can in just 16 days.  I do not have high expectations but I do hope that  can do at least one useful thing while I'm here.  I will get picked up tomorrow and I expect to do a certain amount of watching at first before I branch off on my own and try to get something done.

The flight here was epic and definitely the longest trip I have ever taken.  It is low season here and it shows because the flight to Hong Kong was half empty as was the final leg of the journey from Ho Chi Minh city to Siem Reap.  As soon as I stepped off the plane I smelled that familiar smell of burning wood and charcoal that reminds you that you are in a country that does not have a developped energy sector the way we do back at home.  In fact, once the plane flew over the border in between Vietnam and Cambodia, there is a sudden and dramatic change of scenery.  Outside my window was darkness and only once we got near the town of Siem Reap did I begin to see lights.  But these were not the bright whites and yellows of electrical lighting but rather the warm flickering red of open flames. 

I had ordered an airport pick-up from my hotel and the man was there waiting for me holding a sign with my name on it.  My luggage showed up much to my delight, and I had my visa processed and was through immigration in record time.  It was great.  I got my simcard this morning and then suddenly found myself with no plan for the afternoon.  Hence the hanging out by the pool.  There is an international group here of young people teaching English in local schools and they have warned me to expect things to take a long time to get things done here.  I guess we will just have to wait and see.  I will have a better idea of the state of affairs once I get my tour tomorrow.  Plus, the other volunteer will be here at some point and we will probably be more effective working as a team.

I have looked over many of the documents created by other teachers in the dropbox folder, and I feel a little more ready to get started tomorrow.  I guess we shall see.