Festival traffic

Every morning I enjoy strong dark coffee sweetened by condensed milk with my breakfast. I have grown so used to this ‘sweet’ morning habit that I knowI will not be able to shake it off on my return  UK. The traffic and commotion on our quiet part of the riverside has picked up in preparation of the Water festival. There are Khmer people camping under the trees, sleeping in hammocks and guarding their skilfully decorated boats. Today is a bright day and I am quietly contemplating a wander, just a walk to take it all in.

In the past few days the restaurant of my hostel has become busier and has welcomed a multinational clientele passing by as they walk along the riverside admiring the increasing numbers of boats which seem to be increasing by the hour. A token of various nationalities stop for dinner, lunch, a drink.  Dutch, American, German. A French couple stops by for breakfast every morning. They only want to talk to each other and have a routine of finishing their breakfast and taking off on bicycles they rent from the hostel. I meet Lucien the Belgian (volunteer) communications officer of Krousar Thmey a charity set up to help Cambodian deprived children. The charity currently has an exhibition on the water and it significance in Cambodian culture. There was also a memorable and loud group of fifteen or so Italians enjoyed dinner here a couple of nights or so ago. They talked about food throughout the whole meal, comparing the Khmer to their regional delicacies and planning what they will eat next. This is oddly familiar to me and Mr Green who never seizes to be amazed at my ability to talk about food, recipes and creative flavours for hours particularly during meals. It is clear that the approaching water festival has attracted more visitors to Siem Reap or perhaps if they have already been here it has definitely brought them to this side of town.  Siem Reap together with the rest of Cambodia is getting ready for the water festival. There seems to a sloe climax to the celebrations and I am getting excited in anticipation.