I spent yesterday walking around the relatively small town of Siem Reap, the closest town to the Angkor ruins. This was probably a very, very small place a few years ago, but is developing rapidly with the influx of tourists, with new hotels being built all the time. On the surface, it seems so touristy as to be removed from the Cambodia I've read about: the brutal Pol Pot regime of the 70's and the legacy of landmines. However, even in one day I saw several people missing limbs or blind from landmines - some begging, some selling things. It's very real.
I went to a place mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide for a massage given by the blind. I eventually find it, down an alley opening into a barren, dirty cement yard. A young guy who is blind is there, and asks if I want a massage, and even though I don't know what to make of the place, I say ok. He takes me to a building in the back with massage beds. They are clean and ok. Another blind guy comes in and does a great job of a massage - the cost is $5. When he says ''finished'' I get up and ask where I pay. He says "outside", not expecting anything. I put a dollar into his unassuming hand at his side saying "for you" and his face beams with gratitude. Outside a blind man holding a baby says I pay him. I put the money into his hand - he is completely trusting. As I leave I notice a low wooden platform with pots and a woman sitting and cooking - she is also blind. I walk back down the alley and children playing run up to hold my hand. It is this blind community living in this alley, raising kids and making a living from massage. The obvious struggle, vulnerability and yet openness of their life was very moving.
I went to a place mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide for a massage given by the blind. I eventually find it, down an alley opening into a barren, dirty cement yard. A young guy who is blind is there, and asks if I want a massage, and even though I don't know what to make of the place, I say ok. He takes me to a building in the back with massage beds. They are clean and ok. Another blind guy comes in and does a great job of a massage - the cost is $5. When he says ''finished'' I get up and ask where I pay. He says "outside", not expecting anything. I put a dollar into his unassuming hand at his side saying "for you" and his face beams with gratitude. Outside a blind man holding a baby says I pay him. I put the money into his hand - he is completely trusting. As I leave I notice a low wooden platform with pots and a woman sitting and cooking - she is also blind. I walk back down the alley and children playing run up to hold my hand. It is this blind community living in this alley, raising kids and making a living from massage. The obvious struggle, vulnerability and yet openness of their life was very moving.
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