The Lake Clinic Kambodscha

Der Auftrag

2017-12-31T05:33:00.007+07:00

The Lake Clinic widmet sich der medizinischen Grundversorgung, der notwendigen Überweisung zur Weiterbehandlung sowie der allgemeinen Überwachung von Krankheiten in einer extrem abgelegen und unterversorgten Region von Kambodscha -- dem Tonle Sap.

Jon Morgan, Executive Director:

"Es war im Jahre 1994 als ich zum ersten mal eine Bootsreise von Phnom Penh nach Siem Reap unternahm. Damals befand sich Kambodscha, nach dem UN-Mandat, noch im Bürgerkriegszustand. Jede der politischen Parteien hatte eigene Streitkräfte, die roten Khmer waren noch nicht befriedet und Strassen und Wasserwege wurden durch hungrige, bewaffnete Menschen kontrolliert.

Zu dieser Zeit sammelte ich meine ersten Eindrücke von einigen der schwimmenden Dörfer welche man auf dem Tonle Sap See findet. Ich sah, ohne den Blick zu wenden, wie Kinder ihre Notdurft in den See verrichteten während andere darin schwammen und wieder andere ihr Geschirr darin spülten. Kinder mit aufgeblähten Bäuchen, verursacht durch Unterernährung oder Wurmbefall waren überall sichtbar. Ich wandte mich zu meiner Frau und sagte: 'Das ist ein Albtraum.'

Jetzt, dreizehn Jahre später im Besitz der notwendigen Erfahrung, dem Fachwissen und mit Zugang zu intellektueller Hilfe welche mir damals noch fehlte, kann ich zum Tonle Sap zurück kehren um diesen Dörfern Einweisung in das Gesundheitswesen und die Hilfe zu geben welche sie so dringend brauchen."

Unterstützen Sie uns um diese Vision zu verwirklichen, durch Ihrer Spende über Angkors Kinder e.V.*

Angkors Kinder Spendenkonto:
Sparkasse Hanauerland Kehl
BLZ: 66451862
Kontonummer: 104224
Empfänger: Angkors Kinder e.V.
Verwendungszweck: TLC

*Spenden über Angkors Kinder sind für Staatsangehörige und Ansässige der Bundesrepublik Deutschland steuerlich absetzbar. Bei Spenden bis zu 200 Euro, genügt Ihr Kontoauszug als Bescheinigung beim Finanzamt. Eine Spendenquittung sendet Ihnen Angkors Kinder e.V. ab einem Spendenbetrag von 200 Euro natürlich gerne zu. Bitte übermitteln Sie uns in diesem Fall Ihre postalische Adresse an: spenden@lakeclinic.de

Überblick

2017-12-30T05:49:00.000+07:00

Satellite photo of the Tonle Sap Lake

Much has been studied and written about the unique aspects of the Tonle Sap Lake and its surrounding region: its exquisite beauty; the area's biodiversity and its unique hydrodynamics that lead to providing roughly a third of the protein--from fish--for more than half of Cambodia. Little, however, is said about the people who live upon the lake in "floating villages" and along its shores.

They are an ethnically diverse population of Khmers, Cham, and Vietnamese who experience a life isolated from both the modern world AND the progress that is happening in much of Cambodia. Many communities are hours or even more than a full day away from any medical care or expertise.

Little can actually be quantified as to the state of health of the thousands of families living in this area. This project is just a beginning.

Objectives:

To provide essential public health dental services to poor and disenfranchised / vulnerable groups living in the Tonle Sap Lake region of Siem Reap, Battambang, and Kampong Cham provinces.

Children below the age of 16
Women of childbearing years[1]

To provide basic education (Primary Public Health Care) related to healthy living:

Nutrition
a. Breastfeeding, complimentary feeding
b. Floating gardens as promoted by other NGOs ("Google" Osmose + Cambodia)

Clean water

Household and village hygiene

Immunizations

Prenatal care

Birth-spacing

Critical thinking as related to family economics

To provide screening and early detection (Secondary Public Health Care) of common childhood illnesses with timely and appropriate referrals for such problems as:

Cleft lip and palates

Club foot

Neuro-disabilities

Cardiac disease

Vision impairment

To provide a venue for cooperative and complimentary activities with other NGOs whenever possible.

Water quality studies.

Lake depth and sedimentation studies.

Community development and education.

[1] Recent studies have shown a correlation between periodontal disease and premature and low birth weight

Link: http://www.ilec.or.jp/eg/lbmi/reports/25_Lake_Tonle_Sap_27February2006.pdf

Team: Management

2017-12-29T01:38:00.001+07:00

Advisors | Directors | Management

Executive Director

Jon Morgan ist Begründer und Executive Direktor der Lake Clinic Kambodscha.

In der Zeit von 1998 bis 2007 war Jon der erste Executive Direktor des Angkor Hospital for Children, in Siem Reap, Kambodscha. Das AHC wurde am 14. Januar 1999 eröffnet und wurde zum Beispiel für erschwingliche und tragbare Gesundheitsvorsorge in Entwicklungsländern. Heute betreut das AHC über 100.000 Patienten jährlich.

Jon kam im Jahre 1994 zum ersten mal nach Kambodscha und wurde zum Mitbegründer einer lokalen kambodschanischen NGO die es sich zur Aufgabe machte Entwicklungshilfe für die Menschen in den Provinzen Siem Reap, Takeo und Kompot zu leisten. Im Jahre 1998 ging diese NGO über in die Hände von lokalen Mitarbeitern und Jon schloss sich dem japanischen Fotografen Kenro Izu an um die AHC zu gründen.

Nachdem er acht Jahre lang das AHC geleitet hatte verliess er diese Aufgabe um die Lake Clinic zu gründen. Er ist überzeugt das jetzt der richtige Moment gekommen ist um aufbauend auf den enormen Erfolg des AHC auch einigen der ärmsten Menschen Kambodschas eine erste, grundlegende medizinische Versorgung zu bringen: Den Menschen am Tonle Sap See.

Advisors | Directors | Management

Team: Board of Advisors

2017-12-28T18:45:00.001+07:00

Advisors | Directors | Management

George Cooper Esq. is a graduate of the University of Hawaii law school and a lawyer with almost thirty years’ experience, specializing in land rights and environmental issues.

After twenty years in private practice in the United States, George moved to Cambodia in 1998, where he is currently senior legal advisor to the GTZ (the international development agency of the German federal government) Cambodia Land Management Project.

From 1998 to 2002, George was a legal advisor to Legal Aid of Cambodia, an NGO providing free legal services to the poor – primarily in land ownership disputes.

Dr. Caroline Dueger is program director for Pediatrics Overseas in Cambodia.

A clinical pediatrician with over 42 years’ experience (31 of those as a staff physician at Concord Hospital, Concord, NH), and a former adjunct professor of clinical medicine at Dartmouth Medical School, Caroline retired from full-time practice in 1993. Since then, she has devoted her time to improving primary healthcare provision for underserved children in developing countries all over the world.

Since 1991, Caroline has taught or practiced in fifteen countries, including Belize, Guatemala, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Cambodia, where she served until February of 2007 as a board member of Friends Without A Border – the fundraising arm of Angkor Hospital for Children, in Siem Reap.

From 2000 to 2005, Caroline also served as a member of the pediatric advisory board of Health Volunteers Overseas and as a board member of Himalayan HealthCare in Nepal for seven years. She is currently an executive committee member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on International Child Health and is a diplomate of the Royal Society for Tropical Medicine.

Advisors | Directors | Management

Team: Board of Directors

2017-12-27T18:55:00.002+07:00

Advisors | Directors | Management

Professor Varun Kumar, M.D. ist Kinderarzt und Professor für klinische Kinderheilkunde an der Brown University Medical School, in Providence, RI.

Aus Washington D.C. stammend wuchs Varun in Maryland auf und erlangte den Titel eines Bachelor of Arts von der Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, einen medizinischen Abschluss von der Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO und war als Kinderarzt von 2002 bis 2005 an der Brown University tätig.

Varun lebt und arbeitet jetzt seit zwei Jahren in Kambodscha wo er als medizinischer Berater für das Angkor Hospital for Children

arbeitet.

Dr Hal Kussik ist Zahnarzt und sowohl Mitglied in der Dental Association von Amerika wie auch von Singapor. Nachdem er zwölf Jahre als praktischer Zahnarzt in Seattle, Washington niedergelassen war ging Hal im Jahre 2005 nach Singapor wo er seit zwei Jahren eine Praxis als Zahnarzt betreibt.

Aufgewachsen in New Jersey, studierte Hal an der Universität von Kalifornien in Santa Barbara. Nach vier Jahren in denen er als Bauleiter tätig war studierte er an der Universität von Washington Zahnheilkunde und beschloss sein Studium im Jahre 1993.

Seit Hal nach Singapor umgezogen ist war es ihm immer häufiger möglich am Angkor Children's Hospital zu arbeiten wo er im Jahre 2004 als freiwilliger Helfer als Zahnarzt tätig wurde.

Hal hat auch für die Lake Clinic seine Dienste angeboten.

Vor kurzem hat er eine über 4.000 km lange Reise durch Australien gemacht - auf seinem Fahrrad!

Wollen sie mehr darüber erfahren, dann klicken sie bitte hier.

Judy Larkin, MSW, LCSW wurde vor kurzem als zusätzliches Fakultätsmitglied an der Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work als Beraterin für Studenten im MSW Programm tätig.

Zusätzlich dazu war sie in den vergangenen sieben Jahren als freiwillige mitarbeiterin und Beraterin im Women's Committee for Refugee Women and Children, aktiv und bereits mehrmals eine freiwillige Helferin im Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap in Kambodscha.

Nach den Anschlägen auf das World Trade Center in New York arbeitete während zwei Jahren in der Nachbarschaftshilfe als Koordinatorin und in der Traumabewältigung.

Judy hatte als lizensierte Therapeutin ihre eigene private Praxis und diente in einer Herberge als Direktorin für klinische Sozialarbeitsdienste wo sie zusammen mit gefährdeten Jugendlichen und deren Familien arbeitete. Vor ihrer Tätigkeit als klinische Therapeutin war sie Gemeideplanerin und Organisatorin in Harlem, NY. Sie arbeitete sowohl mit amerikanischen Indianern in Arizona wie auch mit Migranten in New Jersey. Ebenfalls in New Jersey war sie Planungsdirektorin für Gesundheitsvorsorge und Sozialdienste in der Stadt Hoboken, NJ, nachdem es in dieser Gemeinde Aufruhr und Unruhen gegeben hatte.

Als Beraterin der örtlichen, regionalen und bundesstaatlichen Behörden half sie in der Abfassung von Gesetzesvorlagen und arbeitete an Programmen gegen Drogenmissbrauch, Vergewaltigung und zur Verbesserung der allgemeinen Wohnungssituation, Gesundheitsdienst und zur Förderung der psychischen Gesundheit der Bevölkerung.

Jon Morgan ist Begründer und Executive Direktor der Lake Clinic Kambodscha.

Dr. Ngoun Pheaktra, M.D. ist medizinischer Direktor am Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap.

Geboren und aufgewachsen ist er in Kambodscha. Seine Schul- und Studienjahre hat er in Kamboscha und Thailand verbracht und mit dem Doktortitel in Allgemeinmedizin der Universität von Phnom Penh 1997 und anschliessend mit einer Spezialisierung in Kinderheilkunde an der Universität von Chulalongkorn in Thailand abgeschlossen.

Als Unterarzt für Kinderheilkunde kam Dr. Pheaktra im Jahre 1999 an das AHC. Im Jahre 2001 wurde er zum Oberarzt der Kinderheilkunde und im Jahre 2002 Leiter der Notfallabteilung und schliesslich im Jahre 2004 zum medizinischen Direktor ernannt.

Michael Owen ist Mitbegründer und Leiter von Baystrategy, LLC, Management Beratungsfirma mit Sitz in Los Angeles. Spezialisiert auf befristete Beratungs-leistungen stellt die Firma Interims Manager, strategische Planung und "debt and equity fundraising" in den U.S.A. und in der Europäischen Union.

Darüber hinaus stellt Baystrategy auch allgemeine und technische Projektmanagementservices.

Gegenwärtig befindet sich Michael als non-executive Direktor bei Premier Mission Group Ltd,, einer in London ansässigen Gesellschaft zur Markenentwicklung und Gestaltung. Er berät diese Firma auf dem Feld strategische Planung und Allianzen. Michael ist Mitglied in Beratungsauschüssen verschiedener Gesellschaften aus Grossbritannien und den U.S.A. und Mitbegründer des WHS Funds, einer Non-profit Venture Capital Fund Gesellschaft mit Sitz in Kambodscha.

Professor Dr. Walter Patrick, M.D., PhD war als leitender Arzt in verschiedenen asiatischen Ländern tätig. Er gilt als berühmter und anerkannter Lehrer im medizinischer Bereich und auf dem Gebiet des öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes und hat als Gastprofessor an zehn Universitäten in Asien mitgewirkt. Gegenwärtig leitet er das Programm für Weltgesundheit und Medizin an der John A. Burns Universität von Hawaii. Hier traf er auf Jon Morgan, den Gründer und Direktor der TLC und war sein Mentor und Berater.

Professor Patrick dient dem angesehenen Asia Pacific Academic Consortium of Public Health als Generalsekretär welches aus einem Kreis mit 60 Mitgliedern aus 20 Ländern, verteilt über den pazifischen Raum besteht. Dieser Raum reicht von Kasachstan bis in die U.S.A. und von Japan bis nach Australien.

Er diente als Berater Organisationen wie WHO. UNICEF und zahlreichen NGO's als Berater auf dem Gebiete Grundlagenmedizin, Überlebenshilfe für Kinder und Themen der geschlechtlichen Gleich-berechtigung im Gesundheitswesen in Asien. Seine Tätigkeit hat in vielen benachteiligen Gemeinde-verbänden zur Verbesserung der Gesundheitsvorsorge beigetragen.

Prak Manila is currently Nursing Education Coordinator at Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap, where she has been employed in various nursing roles since February 1999.

A native of Cambodia, Manila graduated from the Nursing School, Battambang in 1989 and served a two year internship in the maternity and pediatric department of Siem Reap Provincial Hospital (1990 to 1991). Subsequently, Manila served for over seven years as a pediatric nurse and birth spacing counselor at the Siem Reap Health Center from 1992 to 1999.

Dr. Sar Vuthy, M.D. is currently serving as the chief surgeon and vice medical director at Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap.

A native of Cambodia, Vuthy graduated from the University of Health Sciences, Phnom Penh in 1994 and was a resident pediatrician and obstetric gynecologist at the Calmette & National Pediatric Hospitals, Phnom Penh from 1993 to 1994.

Following two years in general medicine in the Siem Reap and Kra Lanh Referral Hospitals, he began training as a surgeon in 1995 at Siem Reap Provincial Hospital, joining the staff of AHC as a trainee pediatric surgeon in 1998. In 1999, Vuthy was appointed as a surgeon at AHC, becoming chief surgeon in 2003.

Kaoru Sato is an IT logistics specialist with over fifteen years’ experience of financial and operational management in the banking, software and entertainment sectors. Since moving to Cambodia in March 2007, she has been working as a full-time volunteer at the Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap, where she has been streamlining budgeting and administrative procedures.

Prior to this, Kaoru worked for Morgan Stanley in Tokyo for nine years, where she worked in risk management, equity options trading support and latterly as IT logistics manager. From 1997 to 1998, Kaoru was finance and operations manager of the Japanese subsidiary of web imaging solutions provider, Live Picture Corp.

After gaining a degree in Sociology at the State University of NY, Kaoru worked in New York City for five years – initially in financial operations for Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank (1991-1993), and subsequently as coordinator of international operations for MTV Networks(1993-1995).

Mr. Som Sophal is currently the Director of Nursing at the Angkor Hospital for Children. He is one of the first nurses hired at AHC in 1998, and quickly advanced into a management position. Sophal is also the first nurse to actually be selected to represent The Cambodian Nursing Association at an international conference.

A native of Siem Reap Province, Sophal prior to working at AHC was the Supervisor for the Provincial Hansen's Disease Department, and prior to that worked as the Information Officer of the Siem Reap Provincial Health Department from 1994 to 1996. He has continued his education; recently receiving his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration.

Tep Navy is currently assistant director of nursing and coordinator of clinical training at Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap, where he has been employed in various nursing roles since February 1999.

Navy graduated from the Nursing School, Battambang in 1995 and served as a nurse in the Sothnikum District Hospital until 1998, when he was appointed deputy director of Sothnikum Health Center. Navy has also studied in Thailand and the Philippines and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Build Bright University in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Advisors | Directors | Management

Schiffs Design

2017-12-26T05:53:00.000+07:00

BELOW MAIN DECK

Click picture to enlarge

Crew and staff quarters as well as much of the engineering needs will be placed within the hull of the ship, below the main deck. Quarters will be air-conditioned and for each of the clinic staff their rooms will be furnished with a single bed, clothes locker and a desk.

MAIN DECKClick picture to enlarge

The main deck is the "working deck" of the clinic. Oral health care, dental surgery, medical triage and treatment will take place on this level of the ship. A laboratory, designed larger than this clinic's basic needs, is adaptable for research outside of medicine; water quality, biology, etc. A library/learning center will allow health educators to provide information to patients and families in a smaller and more private environment.

THE UPPER DECK

Click picture to enlarge

The upper deck serves as a multi-purpose area; both a dining area for the staff, crew, and guests as well as a place to mingle and have recreation during off-hours. Four staterooms (or VIP rooms) are available for medical/dental volunteers or paying guests who may have a particular interest in the flora, fauna or the communities of the Tonle Sap Lake.

THE SUN DECK

Click picture to enlarge

The sun deck offers staff, crew and guests a spectacular viewing platform for star gazing and for those with sufficient sun screen lotion an area for viewing the surrounding habitat. At night, this deck can become a performance venue that will allow other organizations an opportunity to educate through entertainment, a successful strategy practiced especially for those with little or no education. (see below)

Photo Credit: Nhean Sakhem

Finanzielles

2017-12-25T05:55:00.001+07:00

13. Februar 2008: Wir haben jetzt genügend Geld aufgebracht um 100% unseres Budgets für 2007 abzudecken. Des weiteren haben wir Zusagen für nahezu 38% zur Deckung des Budgets für 2008 - Dafür danken wir!

Überblick der TLC Betriebskosten für 2008.

2008 Betriebskosten Budget: US$ 87.084,-*
*Während des Jahres 2008, richten wir unser Augenmerk auf den Start und Einsatz eines Prototyps eines kleineren Lazarettschiffes, welches sich schon unter Konstruktion befindet, und für den Preis von zirka US$ 25.000,- gebaut und eingerichtet wird. Dadurch können wir unsere Dienste auf dem See bereits vor Einsatz des großen Schiffes, der im Jahre 2009 geplant ist, anbieten. Gleichzeitig wird es uns helfen unsere Kenntnisse vom geplanten Einsatzgebiet dramatisch zu verbessern und uns erste, unschätzbare Arbeitserfahrung vermitteln.

***KLICKEN SIE HIER, UM DIE 2008 BUDGET HERUNTER ZU LADEN.

SPENDEN: Helfen Sie TLC mit Ihrer Spende über Angkors Kinder e.V.*

Angkors Kinder Spendenkonto:
Sparkasse Hanauerland Kehl
BLZ: 66451862
Kontonummer: 104224
Empfänger: Angkors Kinder e.V.
Verwendungszweck: TLC

Häufige Fragen

2017-12-24T05:56:00.000+07:00

Rather than present the usual FAQs, this is a compilation of email Q and A's with colleagues in the health field.

Hal Kussick, DDS: "How much money will it take to get the clinic to be operational?"

**We have to talk in terms of “Phases”. Phase One can be accomplished with the purchase of a fast, shallow draft boat that would provide the means to bring volunteers to outlying villages without having most of the day spent getting there. Traditional “long-tail” boats may require a four hour trip just to go one way. With a different boat we can bring that trip to under an hour and thus maximize the time actually spent providing care. The cost of that kind of boat, second hand is about $10,000.00.

**Phase Two would see a houseboat, or houseboats that would provide specialized care. Each houseboat dedicated specifically say to dentistry or ophthalmology or to pediatrics and such. This would allow us to have staff/volunteers stay on board for several days at a time and remain in one location for a period of days. Presently friends in Australia are looking into the possibility of having such a houseboat donated to TLC. At the same time we are looking into the possibility of constructing locally along more traditional lines.

**Phase Three, of course, is the clinic ship that will serve as a poly-clinic; being able to provide treatment and education in a variety of specialties. This is a big project. The ship itself will cost over $500,000.00 and almost a full year to construct.

**Note, the present overhead of the TLC office and its minimal staff is $1,500.00per month.

Hal: "How often will the clinic be treating people, and for how much of the year?"

**The demand for service is constant. Ultimately, with Phase Three we will be able to maintain an accessible presence Monday through Friday.

Hal: "How big an area, with how many people will it be able to cover?"

**The Tonle Sap covers approximately 2,500 hectares (6,200 acres) at the waters’ lowest point. It actually quadruples in size during the rainy season. There are about 1.1 million people living on its shores with 60 floating villages on the lake itself.

Hal: "Why bring dentists instead of a boat full for physicians?"

**Dentistry holds a unique place in medicine as the basic concepts and principles are easily explained and understood by uneducated people. They know that they have pain. They go to the dentist and pain is taken away. There is a sense of immediacy about this; something that other medical fields do not have. For people who have never had contact with modern health care, Dentistry is an access point.

**Until will have the clinic ship, our ability to provide medical care will be restricted to those conditions that can be diagnosed and treated with a single visit. This isn’t optimum, but it will be the best that we can do without the possibility of follow-up.

Hal: "Why are teeth in Cambodia in such bad condition?"

**Ignorance and poverty. There is a general lack of awareness and access to preventative dentistry such that many children have never seen a toothbrush, never mind how to use one correctly. There is also a lack of knowledge of the direct link between general diet and tooth decay

Hal: "Will there be a medical doctor on board?"

**When possible yes, either a pediatrician or a general practitioner will be along. By “possible”, I mean as volunteers. The Clinic Ship is being conceived now as a nursing-centric project that will provide care comparable (and better) than what is found at the government health centers where nurses provide all the care, including diagnosis and treatment. These nurses can prescribe medication. An equally important component of their job will be in the identification of medical conditions that do require a physician and to make referrals to an appropriate hospital or land-based clinic.

Hal: "What if you encounter a person with a true medical emergency?"

**We would medically stabilize that person to the best of our abilities, and then provide transportation back to town and an appropriate health center.

Hal: "What will the public health mission of the clinic include?"

**Education, education, education. Early diagnosis of chronic and or severe illnesses. Immunization, and of course oral health.

Hal: "How will you continue to finance operations one the clinic is afloat?"

**A review of the clinic ship’s plans will show that we have included four “staterooms” that can be rented out to eco- and adventure tourists. They are also available to paying volunteers as well as researchers from other NGOs or academic institutions. The income from these rooms will go towards the physical maintenance of the ship.

**As the average daily income in our target area is roughly $0.40, the idea that the populace being served will somehow pay for their care is not very realistic. As TLC-Cambodia grows and matures we envision ourselves becoming more adept and sophisticated at fundraising and grant writing. In the end, TLC, like so many charitable organizations will have to rely on the generosity of others to help.

Caroline Dueger, MD, FAAP, MPH, DTM&H: "How will you integrate or coexist with government clinics, which we were once told float up and down the river with the seasons. Do they still exist? I'm sure there is no dental care but do they object to you giving immunizations? Maybe vitamin A and zinc would be useful and you could do Hbs screening, and give iron if needed."

**The plan now is that TLC will be serving a given area from Monday morning until Friday afternoon, and during that period a staff person from the Health Center that is supposed to be providing coverage will be aboard--providing the immunizations; updating the famous “yellow card”; and just being a member of the staff for that time period. Of course that person will receive a per-diem for their involvement. There is only one “floating health center” and it is permanently based at the Port of Siem Reap. For many of the floating villages, the nearest Health Center is 40-50km away by both boat and motorcycle. Involving a staff member from THAT Health Center will keep the Ministry of Health involved as a partner.

Caroline: "Will you have medications? Keep records? Do you plan to have regular staff with you most of the time (dental hygienist? maternal/child nurse? MD?)? Eventually you will probably have a motorized dinghy to use as an ambulance!"

**That’s a lot of questions! I am confident that the Ministry of Health will supply TLC with “essential drugs”; the same drugs that are available at any government health center I want the basic drugs that can be administered by IMCI trained nurses, as that level of nurse will be permanent members of the clinic staff.

**Records will be both paper and on computer. The Ministry of Health has been trying to create a basic DB for their hospitals and if that does get developed then that will be used.

**Staff, as opposed to crew, will be comprised of three dental nurses, 2 IMCI trained nurses, and a “clerk”. Everyone will have to multi-task as much as possible; meaning even the volunteer dentist will have to help scrub and sterilize instruments and nurses will all need to be involved in housekeeping and maintaining the clinic area. These positions will all be permanent with a “competitive salary” (they will be required to live aboard for 4 nights each week); they will be well fed--the cook is the most essential member of the crew--and hopefully feel very satisfied with the work and the adventure of it.

**Staterooms will be reserved for paying volunteers or guests, such as ornithologists, biologists, sociologists, anthropologists who want to use the Lake Clinic as a base.

**My mailing list is rather heavily loaded these days with dentists.

**The budget is actually calling for a couple of fast, Boston Whaler-type boats; shallow draft and high speed. In addition, there is an Australian project that is bringing hovercraft into the region. These boats fly--literally, and have the potential to also provide ambulance and rescue service as well.

Caroline: "Will the gardens float up and down the river with the house boats? We saw these in Myanmar and were hugely impressed but I think they were anchored."

**The gardens that Osmose and others are promoting are anchored and tied off alongside each houseboat. We will not be setting up such gardens, but encouraging the local community to take interest in, and to take part in these projects. As you know, approximately two-thirds of Cambodian children are clinically mal-nourished. Home-gardening, even on the lake, is one intervention that we know can work.

Caroline: "Are there families who live on the banks of the river (not necessarily on the boats) who are also accessible? How far will you range?"

**The Tonle Sap increases 4 times its dry season size at the height of the rainy season. There are numerous communities that live along the banks of the lake at some point in the season as the lake rises and falls. They all share the same problem of “access to health care” as the families living on the lake.

**I’m envisioning that the range will be determined not only by water levels but by Ministry of Health priorities, and want to negotiate with them perhaps 12 locations; one per week, and then repeat the cycle so that each area is visited 4 times in one year—roughly. That provides some follow-up as well as some measurement of our effectiveness. The LAKE CLINIC will be moved from one area to the next over the weekend when the clinic staff is on-shore.

Caroline: "Will you be able to operate year round?"

On the lake for 11 months. Probably the month of April--Khmer New Year--we will bring the boat down to Phnom Penh for overall maintenance. During that time the staff will have their New Year holiday, and be available for additional training either in Siem Reap or elsewhere.

Caroline: "How often do you expect to resupply in Siem Reap (and pick up/drop off the paying guests/ volunteers)?"

**Hopefully, just once a week for resupply. Each time the staff and volunteers go out to the LAKE CLINIC the needed supplies will come along with them. This is particularly feasible if I can contract with the hovercraft people.

**Paying guests will be brought out and in whenever they want--they’ll be paying for that service.

**Another scenario is that the resupply logistics could happen over the weekends.

Caroline: "Will you have telephone or radio communication?"

**The Country Manager for Cambodia’s biggest ISP, "Online", has promised to provide the LAKE CLINIC and the land based office with FREE internet access, thus internet phone access as well. He is also a… "gas engineer" and has agreed to design a "small, 2000 degree waste incinerator". This (medical waste) was actually one of my biggest headaches.

Caroline: "How soon do you expect to be operational?"

**We're planning to start operating the land-based clinic and a limited ship-board (on a small houseboat) service early in 2008. We hope to build our ship during the course of the next year, and launch it in 2009.

Caroline: "How much money do you need?????"

**It’s going to take approximately $500K to build the craft from the hull up. Another $250K per annum to operate.

Caroline: "As you know many NGOs charge volunteers and in this situation I think you will want to do that. After all it's a boat tour. We did this once on the Amazon with a group that kept medical records on patients in all the different little villages - stored them on land until they were headed to that area. Every doc who volunteered wanted to go on the boat trips."

**The idea of paying guests and paying volunteers was to create at least partial sustainability, even if it’s only to maintain and improve the boat from year to year. If the staterooms can be kept occupied, then we can even talk about paying additional overhead.

Caroline: "Times like this I wish we were richer."

**Times like this I wish I had been more motivated by earning money in my youth as well. Thus in my middle years I find that the price of service and adventure is to be forever holding your hand out.

Which leads me neatly onto the last question:

"HOW DO I GIVE MONEY TO TLC?"

SPENDEN: Helfen Sie TLC mit Ihrer Spende über Angkors Kinder e.V.*

Angkors Kinder Spendenkonto:
Sparkasse Hanauerland Kehl
BLZ: 66451862
Kontonummer: 104224
Empfänger: Angkors Kinder e.V.
Verwendungszweck: TLC

Fotoalbum

2017-12-23T05:58:00.000+07:00

Photo credits to: Daniel C. Rothenberg

(http://www.photoasia.org) unless otherwise noted.

Children of the Tonle Sap Lake (click image to enlarge)

I've often been asked, "What is the greatest health problem in Cambodia?" Expecting to hear about diseases, many are surprised to hear me say; "Ignorance and poverty."

Children die in large numbers from respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia and from diarrhea; both either preventable or easily treated in their early stages.

Photo: Dr. Paul Richards

The "foundation" of The Lake Clinic; a shallow draft hull and a two year old Mitsubishi 310HP diesel engine. Few boats are designed to navigate the Tonle Sap Lake during the dry season. This one was.

Photo: Kaoru Sato

Photo: Nheam Sakhem

A performance/drama group dedicated to health education and promotion.

Danke

2017-12-22T06:00:00.005+07:00

Vielen Dank an:

Angkors Kinder e.V.: Andreas Krauss, Christoph Stehle, Alex Strecker, Corinna Strecker und das Angkors Kinder Team, deren unschätzbare finanzielle Unterstützung uns hilft die Eröffnung unseres ersten Kliniks zu beschleunigen.

Andrea und Max Bergmann, die in Zusammenarbeit die deutsche Übersetzung unserer Website gestaltet haben.

George Cooper, Esq., Rechtsberater, Ratgeber und guter Freund.

Martin Dishman, owner of the One Hotel Collection, for his support of the Lake Clinic thru his Good Karma program.

Die Ärzte Dueger, durch deren finanzielle Hilfe Riki's Unterrichtung möglich wurde und Zeit und Kreativität einbrachte und Befürchtungen abbaute.

Doctor Hal Kussick, for cycling across Australia!

Uta Mühleis und RESET, deren Unterstützung bei unseren Awareness und Fundraising in Deutschland unschätzbar ist.

Chris Owen und Premier Model Management, für das Londoner Büro von TLC.

Ralf Regitz, von ewerk, für das Berliner Büro von TLC und für die Übernahme der Patenschaft für den Motor für unser erstes kleines Boot.

Dr. Paul Richards, Kieferchirurg, dessen technische Beratung und seine Bereitschaft stets dann nach Kambodscha zu kommen wenn wir ihn brauchen ist wirklich unschätzbar.

Tobias Rose-Stockwell, Executive Direktor von Human Translation für seine intellektuelle und gefühlvolle Hilfe ebenso wie für seine finanzielle Hilfe für dieses Projekt durch Human Translation. Ein lebendes Beispiel für die "Umsetzung von Bewusstsein in die Tat".

Daniel C. Rothenberg, Fotograf und wahrer Freund unseres Projekts. Seine Aufnahmen werden Zeugnis ablegen für die Notwendigkeit, die Hoffnung und die lebende Wirklichkeit dieses Projekts.

"Ruthie", deren finanzielle Grosszügigkeit es erst ermöglichte die Lake Clinic als lokale NGO zu gründen und ihr ein Zuhause zu geben. Sie wird allerdings so lange unbekannt bleiben bis sie von sich aus darauf verzichtet.

Dr. Sriram Shankar, for providing the financial boost that gave us the confidence to start construction.

...and last, but by no means least, our sponsors and the many financial donors who have given so generously, only some of whom are listed in our halls of fame:

Sponsors |Donors

Wir sagen auch Ihnen "Herzlichen Dank", für Ihre Spende, die Sie über Angkors Kinder e.V. machen können.*

Angkors Kinder Spendenkonto:
Sparkasse Hanauerland Kehl
BLZ: 66451862
Kontonummer: 104224
Empfänger: Angkors Kinder e.V.
Verwendungszweck: TLC

Kontakt

2017-12-21T06:01:00.003+07:00

Sie können uns per Email oder per Telefon in Deutschland und in Kambodscha erreichen:

Email

Deutschland: info@lakeclinic.de
Kambodscha: info@lakeclinic.org

Telefon

Deutschland: +49 176 48 56 00 66

Kambodscha: +855 11 79 90 23

SPENDEN: Helfen Sie TLC mit Ihrer Spende über Angkors Kinder e.V.*

Angkors Kinder Spendenkonto:
Sparkasse Hanauerland Kehl
BLZ: 66451862
Kontonummer: 104224
Empfänger: Angkors Kinder e.V.
Verwendungszweck: TLC

*Spenden über Angkors Kinder sind für Staatsangehörige und Ansässige der Bundesrepublik Deutschland steuerlich absetzbar. Ihr Kontoauszug genügt als Bescheinigung beim Finanzamt für Spenden bis zu 200,-€. Eine Spendenquittung sendet Ihnen Angkors Kinder e.V. ab einem Spendenbetrag von 200,-€ gerne zu. Bitte übermitteln Sie uns in diesem Fall Ihre postalische Adresse an: spenden@lakeclinic.de

TLC Sponsor Werden

2008-06-23T21:20:00.005+07:00

TLC-1 ist seit September 2008 im Einsatz auf dem Tonle Sap. Wir haben mit drei Dörfern angefangen und, im November 2009, sind noch vier Dörfer dazu gekommen. Im Kalenderjahr 2009, wurden 8.050 Patienten behandelt.

Durchschnittliche Kosten pro Patient: $16,26
- umgerechnet: 13,- €.

Mit einer monatlichen Spende im Höhe von 15,- €, könnten Sie die medizinische Grundversorgung von drei Famillien für einen ganzen Jahr sponsern.

Einfach per Dauerauftrag oder Lastschrift an Angkors Kinder e.V.*:

...und Mitglied von unserem Sponsor Hall of Fame werden.

*Spenden über Angkors Kinder sind für Staatsangehörige und Ansässige der Bundesrepublik Deutschland steuerlich absetzbar. Ihr Kontoauszug genügt als Bescheinigung beim Finanzamt für Spenden bis zu 200,- €. Eine Spendenquittung sendet Ihnen Angkors Kinder e.V. ab einem Spendenbetrag von 200,- € gerne zu. Bitte übermitteln Sie uns in diesem Fall Ihre postalische Adresse an: spenden@lakeclinic.de

Sponsor Hall of Fame

2008-06-23T21:04:00.005+07:00

Our deepest gratitude goes to the following, for their generous sponsorship of TLC projects:

Angkors Kinder e.V., Karlsruhe, Deutschland
Baystrategy, LLC., Los Angeles, CA, USA
Christian, Düsseldorf, Deutschland
ewerk GmbH, Berlin, Deutschland
Jungle Journeys, Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia
Adrienne & Rick Lennert, Canada
Steve Maller, London, UK
Premier Model Management, London, UK
Ralf Regitz, Berlin, Deutschland
RESET | for a better world, Berlin, Deutschland
Ravi Ruparel, London, UK
Dr Sriram Shankar MD, Singapore
simyo GmbH, Düsseldorf, Deutschland
Riten Singh, Hong Kong
Ruthie

...we'd like to add your name to this list - please become a sponsor today.

Donor Hall of Fame

2008-06-23T21:00:00.008+07:00

Many, many thanks to the following for their generous financial support:

Robert Allen III, Singapore
Trip Allen, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Win Allen
Yvonne Allen, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Ali Anderson, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Andreas, Düsseldorf, Germany
Angela, München, Germany
Angkors Kinder e.V., Karlsruhe, Germany
Antje, München, Germany
Daniel Appelquist, London, UK
Laetitia C Ayers, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Daniel Aylward, Kirkland, WA, USA
Baystrategy, LLC., Los Angeles, CA, USA
Lama Bazzi, Beirut, Lebanon
Andrea Bergmann, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Better Way Foundation, Minnetonka, MN, USA
Brent Bishop, Seattle, WA, USA
Kim Bishop, Seattle, WA, USA
Bonnie
Ada Boué, Hamburg, Germany
Evelyna Boué, Hamburg, Germany
Mark Brady, Providence, RI, USA
Mary Sue Brenner, Seattle, WA, USA
Britt, Berlin, Germany
Stimson Bullitt, Seattle, WA, USA
Vicky Butler, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Bruce Campbell, Seattle, WA, USA
Nerou Neil Cheng CPA, New York City, USA
Peter Cherry
Christian, Düsseldorf, Germany
Clara Chua
Grant Chyz
Claus, Hamburg, Germany
Laetitia Coollidge Ayars
Angela Cooney
Dr Marcus Cooney, BDS, FICCDE, Singapore
Chris Croft, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Dr Grant Chyz DDS, Seattle, WA, USA
Jane De Bevoise, Hong Kong
Felix De N'Yeurt, New York City, USA
Heather Dow
Beth Drewniak
Liz Drewniak, Providence, RI, USA
Dr Caroline Dueger MD, Concord, NH, USA
Dr Walter Dueger MD, Concord, NH, USA
Damien Eames, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Adeline Ee
ewerk GmbH, Berlin Germany
Heather Faris, Cambridge, MA, USA
Jack Fee
Felix Management, New York City, USA
David Gardner, Short Hills, NJ, USA
Tierney Gearon, Santa Monica, CA, USA
Dr Brendan Gin, BDSc, Singapore
Gwen Greiner, Seattle, WA, USA
Grieg Foundation, Oslo, Norway
Trish Harper, Flossmoor, IL, USA
Gabrielle Harris, Beijing, China
Juliette Harris, Balcombe, UK
Annabel Heinemann, Redwood City, CA, USA
Lucy Hicks Wallis, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Timothy Holland
Dr Mette Horgen, Oslo, Norway
IMPACT Forum Norway, Oslo, Norway
Eric Jackson, Olympia, WA, USA
Jens, Germany
Christian Errboe Jensen, Geneva, Switzerland
Lea Johnson, Seattle, WA, USA
Dr Robert Johnson DDS PS, Seattle, WA, USA
Casey Jones, Seattle, WA, USA
Julian, Berlin, Germany
Jungle Journeys, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Dr Michael Kern DDS PS, Redmond, WA, USA
Knut, Berlin, Germany
Leslie Kok
Scott Kraenzlein, New York City, USA
Bodo Kräter, Hamburg, Germany
Abraham Kriger, Redmond, WA, USA
Leah Kriger, Redmond, WA, USA
Dr Hal Kussick, DDS, Singapore
Leon Kussick, Naples, FL, USA
Marilyn Kussick, Naples, FL, USA
Neil Kussick
Steven J. Kussick
Nelly Helena Lakkis, Oxford, UK
Bill Landers, San Francisco, CA, USA
Broh Landsman
Bonnie Lau
Patricia Lee
Robert D Lee, Oceanside, OR, USA
Adrienne Lennert, Canada
Rick Lennert, Canada
Florence Li
Kristi Linsenmayer
Claire Livingstone, New York City, USA
Ed Logan
Mae Loon
Stephanie Lung
Steve Maller, London, UK
Tanya Mallott
Jerrold Manock, Burlington, VT, USA
Mary Ellen Manock, Burlington, VT, USA
Beth Marcil
Tim Matsui, Seattle, WA, USA
McDermott Gallery, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Karen McHugh, Foxborough, MA, USA
Andy McClure, Providence, RI, USA
Scott McDonald
Katie Mickey
Anthony Moffett, Washington, DC, USA
Myra Moffett, Washington, DC, USA
Katie Morrison, Seattle, WA, USA
Michael Morrison, Seattle, WA, USA
Uta Mühleis, Berlin, Germany
Jason Bremer Mulrean, Seattle, WA, USA
Jennifer Mulrean, Seattle, WA, USA
Forrest Murphy
Louise C Myers, Washington, DC, USA
Matthew Myers, Washington, DC, USA
Robert Nassau, Putney, VT, USA
Kim Nicholson
Kenneth Norwick, Sylvan Lake, MI, USA
Gerry Olson
Audrey Ottevanger
Caroline Owen, Mexico City, Mexico
Michael Owen, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Ceci Parker, Washington, DC, USA
John Parker, Washington, DC, USA
Sara Parker, Washington, DC, USA
Gareth Pearson
Karen Phan
Philipp, München, Germany
Sheila Pinkel, Los Angeles, CA, USA
David Pritchard, Lake Bluff, IL, USA
Proscenario, Berlin, Germany
Joseph Puryear,Leavenworth, WA, USA
Michelle Puryear,Leavenworth, WA, USA
Dr Martin Rabin, DMD PS, Kirkland, WA, USA
Marion Raymond, Ithaca, NY, USA
Dr Sue Reed, Charleston, SC, USA
Ralf Regitz, Berlin, Germany
Merridy Rennick
Ted Rho
Robert, Köln, Germany
Laetitia Rodde, Hamilton, MA, USA
Rolf, Düsseldorf, Germany
Ranjith Rufus, Brussels, Belgium
Ravi Ruparel, London, UK
RESET | for a better world, Berlin, Germany
Lina Saem Stoey, Denmark
Raj Sajja
Sandra, Berlin, Germany
Susanne Schantz, London, UK
Dr Alfred Scherzer MD, Hampton Bays, NY, USA
Jackie Schwartz
Bill Serantoni
Dr Sriram Shankar MD, Singapore
Lee Shapleigh, Charleston, SC, USA
Michael Shepherd
Riten Singh, Hong Kong
Leonie Skewis, Australia
simyo GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany
smilefocus, Singapore
Lindsey Sovde, Seattle, WA, USA
Annabel Spencer
Dr Basil Stamos MD, San Francisco, CA, USA
Nancy Storrow, Putney, VT, USA
Susa, Hamburg, Germany
Steve Swenson
Ros Tan
Tanya
Lynn Tchobanoglous, Seattle, WA, USA
Thomas, Kochel am See, Germany
Thomas, Meerbusch, Germany
Jeremy Thomas, Patmos, Greece
Kevin Timmons
John Tomnay
Patrick Tyberghein, London, UK
Peter Vassbotn
Kasandra Verbrugghen, Seattle, WA, USA
Rhoda Wagner, Palm Beach, FL, USA
Ted Wagner, Palm Beach, FL, USA
Chris Warren, Australia
Melissa Warren, Australia
Phyllis Waxman, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
S Wertheimer, Bethesda, MD, USA
Sarah West, Oakland, CA, USA
Ted West, Oakland, CA, USA
Jeff Weston, New York City, USA
Dr Stein Wiel, Oslo Norway
Henry Wigglesworth, Seattle, WA, USA
Ning Wong
Stephen Yalof
Yvonne, Berlin, Germany

Wir sagen auch Ihnen "Herzlichen Dank", für Ihre Spende, die Sie über Angkors Kinder e.V. machen können.*

Angkors Kinder Spendenkonto:
Sparkasse Hanauerland Kehl
BLZ: 66451862
Kontonummer: 104224
Empfänger: Angkors Kinder e.V.
Verwendungszweck: TLC

Spenden - Deutschland

2007-12-14T19:49:00.004+07:00

Helfen Sie TLC mit Ihrer Spende.

Angkors Kinder Spendenkonto:
Sparkasse Hanauerland Kehl
BLZ: 66451862
Kontonummer: 104224
Empfänger: Angkors Kinder e.V.*
Verwendungszweck: TLC

*Spenden über Angkors Kinder sind für Staatsangehörige und Ansässige der Bundesrepublik Deutschland steuerlich absetzbar. Ihr Kontoauszug genügt als Bescheinigung beim Finanzamt für Spenden bis zu 200,-€. Eine Spendenquittung sendet Ihnen Angkors Kinder e.V. ab einem Spendenbetrag von 200,-€ gerne zu. Bitte übermitteln Sie uns in diesem Fall Ihre postalische Adresse an: spenden@lakeclinic.de

Hals Reise

2007-11-15T19:57:00.001+07:00

On the 29th of September, Dr. Hal Kussick made a decision to bicycle across Australia in the hope of raising both awareness for The Lake Clinic-Cambodia and money--of course.

The Route...

The following are e-mails that he is sending to keep us up to date on his adventure thus far.

16 October, 2007

Greetings from australia,

I'm 5 days into the ride(rode 4 of them). I started in fremantle, on the indian ocean, and have gone about 600k east so far. today's a rest day, as 188k into a brutal headwind yesterday wore me out. also, I figure a few rest days early on while my conditioning builds will be helpful.

it's pretty desolate out here. a 150k or more between very small towns, or even simple roadhouses is common. it will be like this for at least the next 10-12 days. as long as the headwinds relent, all should be fine.

I'll keep you posted as internet access permits. thanks for all your encouragement,
Hal

29 October, 2007

had a good 167k today. will need to do 192k tomo to get to a roadhouse to stay. sorry about the camera. hope to sort it soon. I may be out of cell or computer range for the next 8-9 days.

my mantra: the pain is temporary; quiting stays w/ you forever. one day at a time. somehow I'll get there.

30 October, 2007

hello again,

I'm finally back in a place where there's e-mail; the first town of any kind in 7 days. Since I last checked in, I've managed to advance the things a bit further east. After 11 days of riding I'm 1960km/1225miles along. I just finished crossing the Nullarbor Plain; 1200km of unpopulated bush.

The only civilization are widely spaced roadhouses with marginal quality motels attached. Since I'm traveling very light; with only about 6-7kg of gear and clothes, I'm obliged to stay in them.

Riding conditions have improved considerably since last week. I've been averaging 180k/111miles a day. And last Saturday I logged a day for the ages. The biking stars and planets aligned perfectly; yielding smooth, straight roads, good weather, a cyclist(me) in improving condition, and a biblical tail wind.

Sensing something big could happen, I decided to stay on the bike as long as daylight and a reasonably placed stopping point permitted. 11 hrs later(9hrs 40min in the saddle) I was 351k/218miles closer to Sydney. This is a day I'm sure I will NEVER be able to repeat. This is 130k/80miles further than I've ever done in one day on a bicycle.

I'm now in the small town of Ceduna, along the south coast. Two days ago I saw the sea cliffed coast line of the Southern Ocean; the most spectacular coast I've ever seen.

Unfortunately, most of the wildlife I've seen has been road-kill. At one point there was a smashed kangaroo every 500 meters for sevral hundred km. I understand now why the locals here put 'roo bars' on their cars.
Remember; if you can smell the road-kill before you see it, you're fighting a headwind!

Physically, I'm still hanging in there. Although my neck has been a bit of trouble, and I had some knee pain. Every thing hurts about what I expected. I've lost a bit of hand strength/feeling from compressing the nerves on the handlebars; but this happened years ago as well, when I rode across the US. It recovered completely a few weeks after I finished.

Otherwise; the people are friendly, the weather's ok, and the food unhealthy.

more later, hal

7 November, 2007

The Wind Giveth and the Wind Taketh Away

hi there,

a quick update, as the tele-center in balranald, australia where I am now, closes in 15 mins.

in the 9 days since I last checked in I've covered a fair amount of ground. I'm about 3150km in. about 900km, or so, to sydney; and am in the state of new south wales

the main turn of events is the weather.

last week I spend a whole day in driving rains(their first in 10 months!) and now the wind has changed direction so that it has been directly in my face a 20-30kph for the last 4 days. I had lost a days time to it, as it has slowed me some much, but yesterday the wind relented just a bit so I decided to suck-it-up, and bring this thing to its knees.

I pedaled for 10 and 1/2 hrs. did 258k/160 miles. I managed to win back the day I lost to the winds two days before.this is my true one days record, not that 350k wind drive magic-carpet ride 10 days ago.

today the wind picked up again, and I could only manage, will everything I had, to do 21kph for 160k; and I'm thoughly cooked now. I was planning on trying top push a bit to sydney, but the wind has really taken all the fun out of it at this point(forgive my lack of enthusiasm, I've only been off the bike for 5 mins from today's ride and am still a bit frustrated by the whole thing).

we'll see what happens tomorrow.

thanks for your continuing support; especially on these sub-optimal riding days.
hal

15 November, 2007

Hi Everyone,

This past Monday I ran out of east-bound road and arrived at the end of my journey, Sydney's Bondi Beach and the Pacific Ocean.

I had set out twenty-five days, and 4026kms/2500 miles earlier from Fremantle, Western Australia and the Indian Ocean.

Due to very limited internet access I wasn't able to update you all more frequently (which you may be happy for). Remember, Australia's roughly the size of the lower 48 US states, with less than 10% of the population.

Since my last, brief update last week, here's what's happened:

The head winds ramped back up, especially as I crossed the barren 200km of the Hay Plain in New S. Wales, the day after my last update. There was a strong high pressure system locked-in off the south coast which created unusual anti-clockwise easterly winds. With nothing to block the strong easterly winds(this is a place where you see tumbleweeds), I was forced to use maximum energy to maintain a depressing 20kph/12.5mph pace.

Five straight days of this was really demoralizing, especially as I'd hoped to finish the last 1000kms strongly, with some big days, as my fitness level was getting pretty high by this point. You have to have a short memory I think, to get back on the bike everyday when it's like this. The increased, accumulated fatigue made my legs feel a bit like lead, especially when starting up again after a stop.

I figure the wind added one to two extra days to the final 1500kms. At least I finally saw some living wildlife; emus, kangaroos and wallabies, and eagles. None of them seemed to be too bothered by the wind.

The last few days before Sydney, the wind started to abate as I left the wheat fields and the plains, and entered the hills of the Great Dividing Range and then the Blue Mts. I put together a few big days here (196k/122mls followed by 225k/140mls), to set things up to be in Sydney on Monday, the 12th.

When I booked my return flight some time back, I, somewhat optimistically, gave myself only 27 days, returning to Singapore on Nov. 14th. I also wanted at least a full day in Sydney to see the sights; so I was now pushing it a bit to make the "crime fit the sentence", so-to-speak.

I only took two rest days, on the 5th and 16th days of the trip. I may have also gotten a bit caught up in that obsession of some east-coast(U.S.) drivers of "making good time", too. In the end, I did make the flight with a day to spare, and got to fly on SIA's new double decker Airbus A380 as well.

The final day and a half were a mixture of good and bad. I was happy that the wind had fallen off, and the scenery had greatly improved over the drought plagued center of the country. I was even enjoying the hills.

Unfortunately, the traffic had really increased, and the roads were perhaps the most unsafe I've ever ridden. Very poor pavement quality and potholes(almost 3rd world-esque), coupled with large stretches of road without a shoulder of any kind, and some huge trucks made this really un-fun.

The only break from this came from the 40kms I spent on the M4 motorway (Sydney's version of I-90). On the final bit through Sydney's CBD to Bondi Beach, I stayed right on the tail of a city bus to blaze a clear path for me as there was no extra space on the side of the road for a bike. Upon reaching the Ocean, I think I mostly felt relief from just finishing these last sections of the ride safely, more than any great elation.

All-in-all, it took twenty-three riding days, and twenty-five days total to do the trip. I averaged 175k/109miles a day on the days I rode.

I got four flat tires, but otherwise had no mechanical issues. Other than the weakness in my hands right now from nerve compression against the handlebars, I feel pretty good, and am looking forward to running again now. My pre-trip issues of neck and knee pain while training, actually improved during the ride. Once your body adapts a bit, it's not as hard as you'd think to spend the whole day on a bicycle.

If you were wondering; no, I didn't have any great any epiphanies during the long hours of riding. I usually occupied my mind with time/distance calculations, listening to my Ipod, the occasional daydream, or thinking about how to adjust my positioning on the bike to relieve some ache or soreness.

Everything really went as smoothly as I could have ever hoped for, and with all of your help, we raised/are still raising quite a bit of money for a great cause. The ride will be a great, life-long memory for me. I, of course, already knew that there's still plenty of good fun to be had after forty, but it's always good to have a success to reinforce it. And, if nothing else, the north(left) side of my body got a great tan.

In the next day or so, I'll get all the needed financial details for all of you who so generously supported me and the Lake Clinic. Knowing that you were behind me DEFINITELY helped me immensely, especially during some of the lower points of the journey. I really appreciated all the messages of support as well.

Perhaps in the next few weeks I'll organize a brief presentation(in Singapore) about the trip.

Gratefully,
Hal

SPENDEN: Helfen Sie TLC mit Ihrer Spende über Angkors Kinder e.V.*

Angkors Kinder Spendenkonto:
Sparkasse Hanauerland Kehl
BLZ: 66451862
Kontonummer: 104224
Empfänger: Angkors Kinder e.V.
Verwendungszweck: TLC