Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

I took this picture while traveling with my husband by boat on the Tonle Sap on our honeymoon. Initially, I was impacted by the poverty that these people live in. However, then I realized that they live a simple life in harmony with nature. They fish, harvest shrimp, and take from the lake what they need, grateful and respectful of what it gives them. The water dictates life. As the lakes' waters dramatically rise and fall with the seasons, the children either walk to school or take a small boat to school. And then I began wonder how can I help this village? Do I wish for them to stay as they are or what level and type of involvement is appropriate when on the downside there is the possibility of losing the proximity with nature, compromising the ecosystem balance, and forgoing the simplicity of life?