Water

We have already spent two days in the temples around Angkor Wat and have found so much to share.  I will let Josh be the one to relay those adventures.  For now, I want to talk about water.

A great deal of the world's people are without access to clean water.  That is obviously different than saying, access to water at all.  All of the places we have been thus far has been blessed with abundant water.  But is it drinkable?  Here in Cambodia, we have heard that tap water is OK to drink only in Phnom Penh, the capital.  Now that we are in Siem Reap, we can't rely on the tap.

No problem, just give us a lake!

Here, Josh is sterilizing that lake water by draining it through a cloth and then agitating it with an ultraviolet light wand for 90 seconds.  It is really hard to believe, but it works.  The light apparently breaks down the DNA of all biological matter in the water.  All that cholera and giardia is still alive, but no longer capable of reproduction.  And so it goes into our stomachs inert, and maybe even nutritious?  We have drank water from faucets, wells, and this lovely Angkor Thom reflecting pool that has carvings depicting all the life flowing in it.

Water marks the seasonal shifts here, from wet to dry.  Seeing all the houses on stilts makes me wonder what it looks like when it is all flooded during the rainy season (our summer).  We are definitely lucky to be exploring the temples during the dry season, when roads are clear and the temperatures pleasant.  But I am also glad the rainy season exists, since it provides abundant water and keeps Cambodia incredibly fertile.