While I can take and OK snap I’m not sure of how good a writer I am… I’ll do my best to describe this place in ways that pictures alone can’t.

The place is peaceful, welcoming and incredibly loving… like no place I’ve ever been and I’m sure I’ve already tried to say this. But as beautiful as it is, there certainly are moments where your breath is just taken away, reality hits, and all of a sudden the illness and suffering that is so prevalent through this village smacks you in the face.

After strolling through the village on Saturday afternoon I sat down on a shop step with my roomy and new friend, Lou. We were having a drink and playing with some young girls that were having fun with our cameras. This lady walked up to me and just stood there right in front of me. I asked if she wanted her photo, with a simple `hmm’ and a pose, I then took her picture. With such pride to look well I noticed she was even wearing makeup to cover her paleness but she was terribly thin and quite obviously very ill. I’m not sure if awkward is the word, but there was certainly something uncomfortable about taking this photo – nevertheless, I took it and showed her – she found the strength to give me a tiny smile of appreciation, then her frail body wandered off.

I can only guess what this woman was thinking; and my guess is that she is very ill, she doesn’t have long left, and having an opportunity to see an image of herself with her son who will soon be an orphan, was there. I’m not sure what more to add to this but that’s the story behind this picture anyway.