Cambodia: Going Nowhere

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It hasn't stopped raining since last evening and most of that time I've spend in the cool hotel room. Yesterday was spent at the family house in conference about the inevitable delay in finishing the house since Sophat misused significant amounts of the money. He is in disgrace and it has been suggested that he leave the family and "go away from here". It has been agreed that too many people are to be sheltered by this home and that it should be completed by one further bank transfer of funds, but that the top floor only will be built and the underneath of the house will be used for storage and for serving noodles to the locals. A trip to the bank was my last chore of the day to ask for "Remittance Instructions" to a bank account that does NOT have Sophats name on it.

Today I hope to meet with a cousin of the family, Theany, who has worked hard with the small loan we made to her, has networked with an established Phnom Penh tour company and takes large groups of their clients into Laos. She also arranges groups from Laos to visit various sites of interest in Cambodia. Apparently she will no longer work as a midwife and training coordinator at the Siem Pang clinic she was involved with, which is where I met her but will still be available to advise and assist me in any healthcare training needs in the future.

A small group of us will move on to Ban Lung tomorrow in pursuit of more official papers but I hope to keep a low profile as the only "Barang" and may just find myself relaxing at the Terre Rouge Lodge once again. We have two dinner invitations already and I must muster the energy to attend to honour friends not seen in a while. Hopefully then, we will visit the children's center which is where our three older orphans were raised who now work for Sophat with the tourists in the dry season. When backpackers are haggling for cheaper than cheap prices, I hope to increase their awareness by using a tour group endevouring to employ these 'Lost Boys' who must leave the care of the child center at a certain age and have nowhere else to go. Perhaps then they may be willing to pay a fair price for the services they want.

As I'm wet and miserable I intend to check for email and help the small girl next to me with her English homework before asking Sophat to bring me to the house for noodles and coffee.

Until Banlung.

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