CAMBODIA

Cambodia: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, 5 days, 3 orphanages, Angkor Wat, French Colonial buildings, rice paddies, flooding, face paint, bubbles, orphans, laughter, tranquility, poverty, happiness

tangerine robes

Offering food is one of the oldest and most common rituals of Buddhism. At 5 am this morning, my sister and I made a visit to our local outdoor market and offered food to the monks. 

As I knelt to show deference to the monk, I placed flowers, incense sticks and an assortment of Thai delicacies into the monk's bowl. Once the coconut dumplings, curry, rice and bananas were safely inside his bowl, he closed his eyes and began to chant. Although he was fairly ancient, the monk's sonorous voice deafened the bustle of the market. Draped in tangerine colored robes, he raised his antiquated, frail fingers to his creased forehead in a praying position. It seemed that it was because of this absurdity - a foreigner offering food to him - that the monk let the wrinkles around his cheeks gather, exposing a smile full of mustard shaded teeth. 

What a perfect way to start my day :)

railway tracks

slum- dwellers, shanty houses, stray cats, laughing children, antiquated couples, tattooed bodies; they all seemed to find my presence bewildering.

"Here in the slums of Bangkok, children sleep on sidewalks. Denied the opportunity to experience the joys of growing up, they beg for money, hide from sexual predators, and pray for comfort."

jasmine

Humming the King's anthem, with a jasmine garland tucked behind her ear, she smiled subtly....

Take my hand and hold it as you would a flower

Temporary

TIBET

Tibet: A land of ever-evolving landscapes with mosques whose minarets pierce the azure skies, bright green pastures filled with horses and prayer flags, soaring snowcapped mountains, golden Buddhist temples, wandering nomads, yak butter tea, sandalwood incense, chanting monks, spinning prayer wheels and ethnic Tibetans whose cheeks have been permanently stained an intense red from years of tending to their yaks under the sun. This is where I spent 10 magical days.