So quiet here, it is Khmer New Year and most people travel to their homes in the countryside for a weeks holiday. The rice harvest is complete and they enjoy a break before the new crop needs to be planted. This is also a slower tourist period as the weather becomes uncomfortably hot and then the rains will arrive.
Yesterday, with friends and helpers Sokha and Khemra, I visited Phom Kok Chan village to meet a man very famous in the area for his ability to heal broken bones. Hom Trop treats people who have travelled great distances to see him. Patients live dormitory style under his house and bring a family member to cook and care for them during treatment. They pay whatever they can afford and some of this money is used by Mr Trop's wife to buy food and cook for the monks in the local pagoda.
I don't know how he does his healing, except he only treats broken bones and only uses his hands. The patient then repeatedly bathes the area with herbal remedies. The patients had amazing stories to tell - one man was to have his leg amputated but chose to come to Mr Trop for treatment and is now walking again. I suppose you just need to have faith it will work - and it will!
There are 80 families living in this area and they are in desperate need of water. There are only two wells in the area that I am aware of - one is at Mr Trop's house but it is unusable, the water is dirty and smells very bad. So looks like we have a new project to get a new well for them and also a couple of toilets. The weather is extremely dry - the Mekong is at it's lowest level for 50 years.
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