Barangs on Tour

I’ve finally cooled down after a reasonably long bike ride to Phnom Proh this morning. ‘Barangs on Tour’ (barang meaning foreigner/long nose) set off around 8 am attracting a lot of attention and laughs from Khmers who don’t understand why white people are cycling off along the main road to Phnom Penh when they could most likely afford a motorbike. Nevertheless, everyone greeted us warmly and children can’t resist waving and shouting hello. Riding a bike here is also far less daunting than in Phnom Penh. The roads have a little more space on them and while motorbikes and lorries still rush past at a startling speed, it’s more relaxed.

Phnom Proh is beautiful. It’s several centuries old and although it’s smaller than Wat Nakor which I visited a few days ago, the architecture is more elaborate and the paintings more refined. Although, my impressions are undoubtedly tainted by the bustling community atmosphere at Phnom Proh this week during the lead up to the water festival, P’chum Benh which is held at the end of September.

Most people in the temple are dressed in traditional clothes, their ‘Sunday Best’ I presume and several women were keen to press bowls of rice into our hands so we could join in the ceremony. This involved spooning some of the rice into each of 13 larger pots on your way out of the temple (although you then have to sneak back in to go out of the door you first came in at in order to retrieve discarded shoes).

The significance of the rice-sharing was entirely lost on a bunch of uneducated and naïve Barangs although when I find out I’ll pass the message on. Nevertheless, the amusement it gave Khmers to see us join in was undeniable and it even gave some of the younger generation cause to reach for their mobile phones to take pictures of us on, a paradox I’m not used to.