Day 43: Sunday 29 November 2009 – Wedding Season in Cambodia.

With the dry season comes a flood of weddings.  From my experience, these are most definitely not the exuberant and luxurious celebrations as seen in India, and even Pakistan, rather a bizarre ritual represented by ugly marquees usually situated roadside, heat, mountains of dust, and much commotion (moaning monks and doof doof music in the wee hours of the morning!).

Today and Monday is the wedding of Rathner (sp?) from New Hope who is finally tying the knot with his sweetheart – finally because it took them ages to find an auspicious day that worked for everyone. 

Graciously all the volunteers were invited (mainly because Sherry, the only full-time volunteer couldn’t face it alone).  Ungraciously each of us pulled out one by one, put off by the need to dress up and wear lots of make-up as was regularly communicated to us by all the staff at New Hope.  (Clearly we look like a very motley crew!). 

The thought of a three and a half hour drive to Battambang in a truck, leaving at 07:00 on Sunday, followed by at least six hours of sitting in the sun under a stinking marquee eating very local food, drinking hot soft drink and beer for two days and staying in a dodgy guest house was just too much, for me, at least.  Instead I set out on my bike to check out the three other weddings held in Siem Reap town this weekend.  

You’ll get the picture from these …