seeing hands - the blind of siem reap, cambodia
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| I silently walked into the barren, dusty courtyard as the harsh midday sun beat down on the beige Cambodian dirt. No one was in sight. A persistent low moan of agony drummed the still air while chickens pecked at the dirt floor. One of the masseurs has a terminal illness. Bedridden and too poor to get medical help, his friends cared for him. Three days after I first met them, he passed on and the heavy, quiet air became even more deafeningly soundless. Times were hard. No tourist ventured into their home-based massage hall, for in the bustling tourist town of Siem Reap, affordable luxurious massage parlors and drinking bars and restaurants abound. It seems the Angkor Wat has done nothing for them. But this bunch shone hope from their hearts. Like the rest of the Khmers, no struggle could bring down their spirits. view photos |
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