| Water Festival Crowds |
 Phnom Penh's population more than doubles during the Water Festival as a million and a hlaf people stream into the capital from all over the country. Here people walking to the river rest in the shade on the steps of the Independence Monument. The traffic these days is totally chaotic.
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 The roads leading to the river are blocked off. This policeman is in trouble because the car has a military card on the dashboard, and the officer is wondering whether it's actually somebody important or just one of the arrogant military people who can't imagine that such mundane retrictions should apply to them.
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 Coming to Phnom Penh for the Water Festival is like an earlier time in the United States when people from the rural counties went to the annual state fair. Here some young people get their picture taken in front of a portrait of the king to show the people back home.
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 To lessen the horrendous traffic, the government blocked all buses and trucks from entering the city. People like these have walked sometimes for miles from the outskirts of the city. But there are tens of thousands of others just like them, all taking in the sights of the big city.
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 As they get closer to the river, the streams of walkers converge and the crowds get denser and denser. These people just have a couple blocks to go.
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 Finally the vistas open up and they are at the river, just behind the row of flags. This is late morning. In the evening these streets are literally blocked with people.
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 Kids here are like kids everywhere and a trip to the Water Festival isn't complete without a special hat or headband.
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 Wat Phnom is the spiritual center of the nation, and its location near the river draws thousands of people to its slopes. "Phnom" means "hill."
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