When the River Flows Backward

The Tonle Sap is the world's only river that reverses course naturally twice each year. Driven by spring melt, each May the Mekong River rushes south from Tibet, toward Phnom Penh, with a flow of roughly 500,000 cubic feet per second. Where the Mekong converges with the Tonle Sap, just south of the village of Prek Pnov, the force of the powerful river overtakes the smaller Tonle Sap, reversing its direction of flow and massively flooding everything in its path.

During the four years that I lived and worked in Cambodia, I spent more time in Prek Pnov than any other village. While the level of poverty is unlike anything I’ve witnessed in the States, this place, and the people who live there, became dear to me. Although their streets, businesses, and homes are filled with 10-15 feet of water from May through October, they don’t lose pace in industry or morale.

Much of my life as an American is about managing circumstances to maximize comfort. The people in Prek Pnov don’t manage the river though. They make no attempt to stop the flood; to control the river, as an American might do. In Prek Pnov the river does what it does and the people accept, anticipate, and adapt to life alongside it with unwavering tenacity, grit, and ingenuity.

These images provide a glimpse into daily life in Prek Pnov. Even in the midst of great discomfort, life can and will go on. Discomfort does not equal defeat.