One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to turn down an unfamiliar road and see what it leads to.
After partaking in the 100 Monks celebration at Sen Rovieng Temple that morning, it was still pretty early in the day, and we'd just been fed, so Josh and I decided to wander a little before heading back.
We found this completely tree-covered road that had this mystical draw to it, like something from a fairytale, so that's where we started. Thankfully, it also provided some much needed cover from Cambodia's unforgiving heat.
Eventually, we came upon a small school with some rich, green rice paddies behind it along a shallow, muddy river. We could see we were on the other side of the temple hill and could just make out the pagoda on top of it. A couple was manually seeding the plots and the woman approached us and explained, "The other farmers use machines, that's why their fields are so beautiful. My fields will be beautiful, too. I just have to work harder." Her face was kind and she carried a welcoming smile. She seemed to enjoy that we took an interest in her and her work and she carried on seeding.
They got their rice planted just in time before the Cambodian government called for farmers to hold off. With a severe drought impacting the region, regular water and power cuts were taking effect and expected to carry on for a few months.
These are some images made from that experience.
