Groovin'' Monk Baby.

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Yesterday was my first Angkor Wat out and about tour experience, with me and a highly talkative tuk tuk driver, who although he was out to please me, he just also happened to irritate me quite a lot. For $3 extra he urged that we went 50km away to Kbal Spean, the river of 1000 Lingas;- a linga being the dick of the Indian god Shiva. So it is kind of like Dick River in the jungle. My Australian friend who actually hires this guy as her full- time driver had assured me that he was harmless. Nonetheless he spent the next two hours ranting that he was not married because he was too poor (I think that was the gist of it). Anyway since I was not married either, he thought that I should stay in Cambodia, and since its a small place, and he is single, why not with him. I was trying to ignore all of this as we made our way 2kms into the jungle in the stinking heat, and trying to keep his hands off my hand. I cursed the fact that I did not bring a trained guide with me, who might prove to have something intelligent to say. Anyway as the day wore on he ranted to all and sundry - other tourists, police, guides, and touts alike. He was probably telling them that I was his girlfriend or wife to be, for all I knew. I lost the rag by lunch time when I was starting to feel heat exhaustion when we returned to the carpark. The touts (kids selling wares) surrounded me in the restaurant and then followed me back to the tuk tuk where I tried to take time out Mr David driver plonked himself down in the tout restaurant and ordered himself his free meal. For me to eat was $4, and as I refused to pay that (this is the 3rd world), it was negotiated down to around half of that. Then we drove back towards Siem Reap to the famous Banteay Srei, which was in quite a derelict condition but had a museum and shopping area attached. There were child beggars and touts, and making a noise like a deranged and wounded beast, was the famous beggar girl who face was severely burned and whose parents pour boiling water on her face when the scars begin to heal. By this time the heat and sun was really getting to me and I had to sit in the shade and make myself drink water. I wasn''t feeling thirsty so it was getting scary. Next Mr David drove me to a small remote temple, and I was getting more tout adverse, as my headache increased. I hung out in a remote place, and a monk appeared calm and dignified. He let me photograph him, and on the second photo grooved, much to his friends mirth. Before the day ended and I expired and succumbed to heatstroke, I begged Mr David driver to take me to Ta Prohm, the jungle temple or temple jungle. So enchanting except for the big yellow crane inside it. On the way home Mr David took me to a temple and shrine to those who died from Pol Pots excesses. A small boy came up to us begging and he was so thin and he divulged that he had HIV and how he got it - a story about his father going with a prostitute. He was nine and looked like about six years old in height and was soooooo skinny. I gave him some fruits and water. At the guest house I lay down on my bed finally, with heat stroke and my headache was so bad, I puked up my fish curry.

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[anand]

interesting