There's Something in the Water

Tuesday, January 1st:  Scroll down for the blog entries by Blake Priddy and Dr. Romeyn

Blake Priddy

Yesterday we traveled to Tonle Sap Lake on a bumpy dirt road. Along the way we saw lots of cows, chickens, and stray dogs.  Once we arrived at the lake we boarded a 30 foot “homemade” tour boat, we saw fishing villages along the water where the houses were up on stilts. Our guide wanted us to split up on to a series of small boats to better adventure through the mangroves, but our previous guide Wayne warned us about cobras in the trees! We went out to the open lake, the largest body of “fresh” water in all of Asia. On the way back we stopped at a Buddhist temple, decorated with a series of paintings along the ceiling depicting the life of the Buddha. For dinner we wanted a break of the Cambodian food so we went to an Italian restaurant called Il Forno where we were skillfully persuaded into buying multiple bracelets from a very charismatic ten year old who challenged us to games of rock, paper, and scissors and swiftly won every time.

Sara Romeyn

I took the pictures in today’s blog post, and as I scroll through and select my favorites for today’s blog, I wanted to add a few thoughts of my own.  Today was the day that the abject poverty of this country really hit me in the gut.  We’ve spent a fair amount of time in or near the cities, where many families have something resembling modern housing, but the families in this fishing village seem to inhabit another century.  There is no electricity, no paved road, no running water, and little opportunity for education.  There is an occasional medical clinic, but all women give birth at home, assisted by other women.  Most women have at least six children, and the average life expectancy for women is several years shorter than men (about 55-60 years).  The utter lack of hygiene was almost too much to witness.  The filthy canal water is a big multi-tasker—it is the source of the local fish, but also serves as the main mode of transportation, the place to bathe, and even the toilet.  We saw many naked children playing in or near the water, and their small statures and large bellies suggested that they were both undernourished and infected with parasites or worms.  Frequently, when I have tried to guess a child's age based on her size I am off by several years--my eight year old daughter would tower over many 12 year olds.  I have been thinking of my own children often throughout this trip, who were born into a world of privilege and have never worried about food, medical care, or housing.  My children have every basic need:  immunizations,  a dentist, clean drinking water, and nutritious food.  They also have incredible luxuries:  a house full of books, trumpet lessons, summer vacations, and a college fund. There’s an expression that comes to mind—“there but for the grace of God go I.”  Cambodians believe in reincarnation—I wonder what the next life will bring for these children?