Here is the lay of the land - Siem Reap, Cambodia. Remember, it's rainy season...
Aside from visiting the obvious - Ankor Wat - we also visited a couple of villages. This one is a floating village ... truly amazing ...
Together with a couple of natives and Jenn, we took a boat ride to see how these people lived - their homes, stores, schools, places of worship, etc. It was really an eye opening experience! One sad but interesting fact is that the average life expectancy of someone living in this village is 56 years old.
While coasting along, other boats rode beside us with children carrying these really long snakes around their necks. For a foreigner like me, who only sees or admires little snakes from a glass tank, it is quite a unique sight! On a deeper level though, these parents are exploiting their children! We were advised not to give money, which is extremely difficult when they jump on our moving boat with outstretched hands ...
This is a school!!!
Afterwards, we went to another village where we sat with some leaders and members of their small community. Aside from the UNBEARABLE heat, it was great to hear parents vocalize the high aspirations they had for their children. While we were communicating with members from the village, these girls were hanging around me and Manisha and decided to draw in my notebook!
We were given a unique opportunity to walk around the village which was a jaw-dropping experience for me! I could not get over the simple, SIMPLE lifestyle that they had!! More importantly, I couldn't get over all of the "stuff" they didn't have and all of the "stuff" that I possess!! Here Martin is showing a picture he took of them; the reaction of seeing themselves on his camera screen is priceless!!!!
These two young boys just returned from playing in the river as the presence of foreigners in their village intrigued them! Apparently, no one has ever taken the time to visit their village!! Other kids were playing with marbles on the dirt road as well as with their flip flops.
It truly amazed me to see young children taking care of children!!! Despite what they were doing, everyone was smiling and happy. 
As we were walking around Manisha asked me why I was so sad and quiet. My emotional response what that "I was processing." It just saddened me to see them live in such poverty - dirt streets, no toys ... nothing!!! Through her experience in Africa, more specifically Mosambique, seeing this village made her happy because all of the children here were happy! She explained to see in a very sincere and soft voice, "In Mosambique, children are not happy. They are poor! I saw many on the side of the road - DEAD! Their parents have died before them from AIDS and there is noone left to care for them. They, too, have AIDS ... " I couldn't even begin to imagine ...
They do in fact look happy!! One thing they know for sure is the peace sign!!!! Aren't they precious!?
I can vividly recall sitting on the front steps of my house with my brother years and years ago... These two sibblings are doing the same thing ...
The eyes of this little girl were precious! I would have taken her home with me in a nanosecond!!!!!!!!!
