13 April 2012
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It's the biggest holiday period of the Khmer year, but in a country where almost no one has a refrigerator, the wet markets need to be open every day, and this one at 5:30 AM blocks two out of three lanes of a major street. | |
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I left home at 5:25 AM to get to the Salesian Sisters' school in Tuol Kork, on the other side of town for mass for these sisters. My regular motorcycle taxi man had gone home to the provinces, as had most other motordupe drivers, so I was allowing plenty of time to find a motorcycle taxi on the street. | |
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The new year is also an auspicious day in the Buddhist calendar so these flowers were on sale, especially for Buddhist devotional ceremonies. | |
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Garbage is not placed in bins in Cambodia but just dumped on the streets in plastic bags, and when a day or two of collection is missed for a holiday, loose garbage like this is everywhere. | |
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Everyone who is from the provinces and could get away, went away, leaving blocks of closed shops and covered cars. | |
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I had to visit one of our DDP staff in the Russian Hospital. He was sad not to be at home for the New Year. These are clothes from one of the patients, washed by the family and hung on the hospital fence to dry because the hospital has no laundry service. | |