BUGZ!
Ah, the glamour of tropical travel! Giardia has struck for the second time this trip – never got rid of it – but it hasn’t struck me down! I’m now in the crux of this little venture and opportunities are finally starting to stack up. Tomorrow (Sat Mar 16th) a visit to the Catholic Mission to solidify a date on treating/teaching their 39 handicapped children inpatients. The mission also sends relief volunteers into the border country on a daily basis and my long game is to hitch rides (me and my mirrors) with them and hit the villagers with a little love and a lot of relief. This one opportunity alone presents me with the perfect balance of spreading the word in the towns and in a more clinical setting and getting up into the hills and getting face (and mirror) time with people who, more often than not, Never make it out of their villages, or at least their communes.
Monday I saddle up and pedal to Samlout, the most landmined area on Earth and from there jump in a truck for an 18km dirt ride up into the hills to work with the villagers under the care of the TRAUMA CARE FOUNDATION here in Battambang. Their project manager has already done a reconnaissance trip up there to discover that dozens of the local amps have confessed to being plagued by PLP (Phantom Limb Pain). I’ll be sleeping in a hammock in their workshop for a couple days before riding back for a Thursday appointment at HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL’s Battambang clinic where I’ll be both training therapists and teaching amps. They are going the extra mile and transporting amps under their care from the villages all around. I’ll be paying for gas money and their lunches, but it’s money well-spent.
Friday/Saturday I’m southbound to Pursat to hit the villagers there with the entertaining and expert assistance of Henry from Lom Orng (Bee Pollen in Khmer). Even though Pursat lies in the direction of Phnom Penh, it’s the poorest province in Cambodia so I expect it to be both emotionally tough and gratifying too.
Finally, a density of encounters and a mix of events that I can feel both proud of and satisfied with.
I’ll be digging deep here shortly, but I know I’ve got it in me. I’m also blowing through a pack of mirrors and buying gas and lunch for the locals, so don’t be shy of the ‘DONATE’ button at the top of the page and please, if you find what I’m doing either valuable or compelling … Spread The Word!
Urs,s
