Back in Cambodia for our 3rd trip!!

It's hard to believe it's only been 8 months since we were here last... The kids have grown, the orphanage has an additional classroom and medical center, and the school is bursting with 600 students...

We arrived late Monday afternoon and Steph and Alex were desperate to see the kids, so we took a van from the airport to the guest house to drop-off our luggage first... We checked-in 8 bags and over 150kg... Thanks to Karl, Paulette and Singapore Airlines for arranging to carry our access luggage for free!! :)

As we drove into the guest house, there were Songnam and Mr. K, our tuk-tuk drivers from our last trip... Just happen to be there... :)

Some of the kids from the orphanage came with Savong, on the left, to meet us when we arrived at the guest house

Like seeing your family again... :)

We dropped-off our bags and headed to the orphanage for a happy reunion!!

It was already dark by the time we arrived at the orphanage on Monday night...

Look at these smiles... :)))

With the new school year (which started here in September), the school's timetable has changed and classes are now only running from 1-7pm, so we headed tot the orphanage for the morning...

The orphanage has had the benefit of LOTS of volunteers from all over the world - just on our first day we met Jen from Ireland, as well as volunteers from the UK, Malaysia and Japan...

The fish pond (well, we won't be eating these fish...) has been a commercial success - funded by donors from the Canada, the US and Australia of course - thanks to the UR1 team!! :)

The sewing classroom - another great success!! This week the students are learning to make shirts - for practice, they are making school shirts for the kids at the orphanage... ;-)

The medical centre at the orphanage also serves the local community, with a doctor visiting twice a week

San and Jackie from Malaysia with the kids at the orphanage - and the printer they have donated!!  Thanks San and Jackie!!

Steph, Alex, San and Jackie with Mr. K at the 'petrol station'...

We spent the afternoon at the school - getting reacquainted with the kids and wondering how they live here in the summer... 35+ degrees and humidity from morning to night... It makes us feel good to see the locals also perspire from time-to-time... :)

The kids still love playing bingo...

And the winners got clip-on koalas and icy-poles!! :)

Some familiar faces?? And still those smiles.......

Duncan Stuart, one of the school's founders, major contributors and administrator celebrated his birthday on Tuesday (Duncan lives in Auckland, New Zealand) - we rang Duncan and sang him happy birthday - and played Hangman in his honor!! :))) 

Happy Birthday Duncan!! :)))

Many of us can sit ON a printer box...

But how many can fit IN the box???  Of course Kedang can... :) 

 

The girls taking one of the afternoon classes...

On the way back to the guest house, we stopped at the orphanage to say goodnight...

The kids were just finishing dinner...

And always have time to play...

You may recall that Savet, Savong's older brother, passed away on our last trip to Cambodia. This is Savet's wife and 5 month old son - she is now our 'resident mum' at the orphanage.

That's it for our first full day - back tomorrow with more... :)