Losing Our Way Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day I can hear her breathing. --------------------------------------------------------- Arundhati Roy (Indian author, advocate, activist)

CAMBODIA: Siem Reap; Phnom Penh; Battambang; Kratie.

CAMBODIA | Tuesday, 16 February 2010 | Views [364]

– Although you'd hardly know it by its quaint, small-town feel, Battambang is Cambodia's second largest city. One if its claims to fame is some of Cambodia's best preserved French colonial architecture from the days of French rule in Indochina.

One of the shopkeepers looking on gave his best teenage girl imitation, too. But the woman selling caged birds seems pretty befuddled by the whole thing. By the way, she is wearing a “krama” on her head – a very traditional checked scarf that the people seem to have hundreds of uses for.

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We also spent some time at Battambang's wats (Buddhist temples). Here, at Wat Phiphataram, we were toured around by a 20-year-old monk who had temporarily taken robes, as is the tradition for all young males in Cambodia. It is a way to transmit to young men Buddhist concepts, to instill customary values, and to provide them with other education.

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Losing Our Way Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day I can hear her breathing. --------------------------------------------------------- Arundhati Roy (Indian author, advocate, activist)

CAMBODIA: Siem Reap; Phnom Penh; Battambang; Kratie.

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