The afternoon of our arrival in Siem Reap was a very special one for me because I finally met a man who had been a Facebook friend for a number of years. His name is Samnang – Sam, for short. Sam is the founder of Angkor Kids Center, a village school where students are taught by volunteer teachers. I have followed the regular updates from AKC with interest, and have often engaged in online conversations with Sam, so I was really looking forward to meeting him. Sam had just started a new business, Asia Natural Tours, and we were his first customers.
Sam and his mate, Vanny, arrived at our guesthouse in an old US Army Jeep. They were taking us out to visit a remote floating village. En route, we stopped at a silk worm farm operated by Artisans of Angkor. This was a fascinating visit. We saw every step of the process, from growing the mulberry bushes through cultivation of the silk worms to the spinning and weaving of the fine silk threads. This industry provides an income for many people from surrounding villages. The beautiful silk products are available in several Artisans of Angkor outlets around Siem Reap. It was getting late and the sky looked a little threatening, so we cut our visit short and climbed back into the jeep, bound for the floating village.
On The Road With Garry 