More temples

Today I hired a tuk tuk driver to take another half day tour ($6). This time I went to some of the lesser known sites - Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, and Pre Rup. The temples were so much less crowded. It could also have been because I took my tour during the hottest part of the day, from 10.30am-1.30pm. I am so much more willing to put up with the heat than to get up early!

I took along my copy of Ancient Angkor and was able to read either in the tuk tuk on our way between sites or in a shaded area at each temple. It wasn't as easy as having a guide along, but it was nice to have a day to myself and time to just let my thoughts wander in these ancient architectural marvels. It truly amazes me that the works of man can last thousands of years.

It is also quite shocking to me how desensitized I have become to the touts that line the parking lots and even doorways of Angkor's temples. I haven't yet mentioned them probably because I wish they didn't exist...that they needn't exist. There is the mother that offers passers cut pineapple over the whines of the toddler perched on her lap. There, of course, are the tuk tuk driver's clapping their hands and shouting, "Lady! Tuk Tuk?!" "Lady! Where you going?!" There are also the teen aged boys that stand at temple entrances and offer to tell the temples 'story' for $2 or want to sell you a copied book.

Worse are the small children with their little baskets of bracelets or postcards. Two girls (age seven or so) walked with me for several minutes, one on either side, trying to sell me identical bracelets. They bargained between each other, alternating between English and Khmer. They were down to seven bracelets for $1 without my saying a word. When I kept walking, one changed her tactic and asked if I had any gum or candy or a pen for her. It caught me off guard and I looked her in the eyes and smiled at her wittiness and told her that no, I didn't have anything to give her. Immediately she started saying, "Why won't you give me your candy," as if I were holding out one her. "Since you won't give me candy, you should buy my bracelets." Such tactics! I just went back to ignoring them and walked to my waiting tuk tuk.

The worst of all are the landmine bands. I don't know if that is their official name. They are a group of four or five men playing handmade wind and string instruments. In front of their rug or wooden platform, they display a sign stating they've all lost limbs to landmines. The sign really isn't necessary since they oftentimes line their prosthesis (horrible plastic ones, at that) along the stage. They typically line one of the shaded walkways up to a temple. I am a horrible person. I have not stopped once to give them money. I will look at them and smile as I walk by, but I just can't bring myself to stop.