Cambodian National Holidays

Water Festival

20-22 November 2010

Getting to the River

Walking beside the palace Water Festival Pages
Getting near the river People approaching an intersection near the river.  Many, many of the people who flock to Phnom Penh for the Water Festival are poor and some of them walk miles to the river because they have no money.  And because there is no public transportation.
Giving to a beggar One beggar staked out a position alongside the palace, where crowds of people would walk, and this lady and her friend gave him something.
Traveling in a tuk-tuk Others pile into a tuk-tuk for the trip to the riverfront.  Tuk-tuks are a recent introduction to the traffic of Phnom Penh but they are a really convenient form of transportation for families, groups of tourists, or people with goods they cannot get onto a motorcycle.
Traveling in a pick-up truck There are no safety rules in Cambodia and so children riding in the back of a pickup truck is not an uncommon sight.
Jammed intersection near the river The roads near the river are blocked to vehicular traffic (unless you're a VIP!) and this is an intersection at the last accessible street parallel to the river.  It is complete chaos, even with several policemen in the intersection to help things move along.
A major street backed up The traffic will be backed up along this major thoroughfare for hours.  The policemen don't know how to direct traffic, and even if they did, no one obeys them.  Drivers basically do what they want to do, go where they want to go, anytime they want to do it.
Inconsiderate teenagers riding through the crowds Some teenagers in Cambodia, like some teenagers in every culture, have more money and vehicles than common sense and think it is fun to race through the crowds of pedestrians.


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