Thursday, January 22, 2009

Camera To Cambodia

More exciting news!

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to send an old (but still in very good shape) digital camera to Cambodia for my friend to use.

I went to UPS and they quoted me over $200 to send it. I thought this was a little expensive so I decided to drive on down to the regular post office. After all, $200 could build another water pump for a Cambodian family.

Thankfully the post office quoted me about $25 to send my package. I had serious doubts that it would get there, mostly because the address was literally "Village of ..." with no street address. I wondered how a postal worker would find someone in a remote village with no other details, but I figured that everyone probably knew each other and eventually it would get into the right hands.

I also wondered if someone would steal it so I put the contents as "recorder and charger". Something ambiguous. Something that didn't sound expensive.

They told me it would take about two weeks.

Well, guess what, it finally arrived. I have no idea how (and hopefully it still works) but I received the blessed news yesterday. Considering how corrupt Cambodia is, I consider this a minor miracle.

And some more good news ...

They are building the water pumps from the money I sent over there. There will be more updates later (with pics!) but so far, so good.

To all the people that made this happen, I am VERY grateful. And I'm sure the villagers are even more grateful. I can't imagine anything worse than getting your drinking water from a dirty, scummy water pit.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Your writing and photography are wonderful as usual. You are on the shit list for not calling. Casa De Eva is open free of charge. So next month call us up and hang out. Come meet Malibu my wonderdog! Miss you, Eva