Today is the holiday Victory Over Genocide Day which commemorates the day that Vietnamese soldiers entered Cambodia and began their assault on the Khmer Rouge regime who wanted to create a totally agrarian society. During the red Khmer's four years of control, two million people (over 1/4 of the population of the country) died.
I weighed my options for the day: Evict spiders from my apartment. Wander the rice paddies. Collect plastic water bottles around campus. Shave my legs... I ended up driving my moto south on Highway 5 and conducting a self-guided tour of some wats. This isn't difficult considering that there is one about every 5 kilometers. There isn't much else to do around here, especially when you are a barang travelling alone. At least I know my helmet won't get stolen at a monastery.
The monks are always kind and want to talk. When I pull up, the place starts buzzing, and they are quick to offer me a bottle of water or practice English. I met a group of older monks at Big Mountain Monastery, and after five of them scrunched over onto one cement bench and offered me the other bench (They're not supposed to sit next to or touch a female), we chatted.
Me - How many monks live here.
Monk - 18.
Me - How long have you been a monk?
Monk - About 8 years.
Monk - How old are you?
Me - As old as the rocks.
Laughter.
Monk - Do you have Facebook?
Me - Yes. Do you?!
Monk - Yes.
Well, now we're "friends" via Facebook. Go figure. They wear the same robe everyday and only eat rice, but they have online profiles.
Important scenes from Buddha's life were painted on the ceiling of the pagoda. The top, center mural shows Buddha sitting under the lotus tree where he experienced enlightenment.
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