The best laid plans

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The best laid plans should never have been made. All ideas of traveling to Banthey Meanchey have been cancelled and the Royal Rooftop is awash will rain water. The monsoon forgot that it was over and returned with a vengeance making conversation impossible in the din of heavy rain on the roof above us.

Sophat has 'offered' to walk the 50m to the market and buy a sheet of plastic to cover our packs and when there's even a slight break in this downpour we intend to set off, back to Phnom Penh.

I can't help wondering what state the grounds of the orphanage are in this morning. The tumbled down wooden shacks had been built over a low point of the land, a marsh like breeding ground for mosquitos offering a contaminted source of drinking water. Talking with a volunteer from the US, there are plans to relocate to higher ground if reasonably priced land can be found and experimental water filter methods were set up a few days ago. I will stay in touch with the Ohio based non-profit organization sponsering this and other poorly funded orphanages in SE Asia. It's a branch of an American company that may be able to direct Connect Television along a similar philanthropic path.

One more coffee for the road and Sophat can wait for breakfast along the way. PP is filling up with people pouring in from the countryside for the water festival. Long colourfully painted wooden boats are being blessed at the pagodas in preparation for three days of racing on the tonle sap river in front of the Royal Palace. The King's boat will race too, and if it loses ......what then?!
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