Rainy season epitaph
It is long into October dear readers. What that means in some kind of real time is that rainy season which always seems longer than dry season here, will end. Lately we have had these really beautiful days with cooler evenings and then days warming into the low 30’s. Lovely! Soon things shift to tourist high season here or so I am told. When I was out for beer chatting with the Khmer waitress she told me any day now but keep the rain gear at hand. I believe her more than the calendar or some historic date online.
More people are heading here to do whatever. Things get busier at the cafés and restaurants. The small shops and bigger local markets see more visitors curious about what it is like shopping in a market here. Its chaos! Not much really changes for those of us that live here. Sometimes prices edge up for some things. I don’t buy much stuff any more. The clothing I own is all made here I think. Since I got smaller, regular-size clothing fits well. Like a large-size Cambodia t-shirt does me. I rarely buy clothing for myself. My wife kinda does that these days since she fears I will spend more and it is just a thing she does and likes. So why take away some joy.
What other end-of-rainy-season things? There’s a sense in me of growing impatience to get away without rain making things seem more difficult. Travel here is mostly by car, van, bus, tuktuk and moto. I don’t do the last much. Seen too many crazy drivers to ever want any of that. Those that graduate from tuktuks to cars usually believe the same driving works so people do some strange things in cars like getting wedged in a smaller street trying to make some strange turn to go back the other way or parking right on a smaller two way street thus blocking an entire lane . Traffic laws maybe are enforced downtown. Out where we live the police respond to accidents where people stick around. Most small things are just dealt with unless someone is hurt. Rain just exacerbates all of it so maybe the change to dry season will signal a lesser number of things happening on the road. Somehow I doubt it. I watch how people drive here.
All of that being said, Siem Reap is the most walkable city still with sidewalks being the norm through a lot of the city. Even if cars use them to park on and motos believe they are some special moto lane for going wherever.
shifting to coffee gear
That is the thing this morning. I patiently await when I like to leave the house and have my time distant from the things here. Walking to a coffee shop means tasting the morning. Seeing if those white puffy things still gather in the distances. Maybe the nice Khmer woman with the freshly cooked pastries will be open Sunday. Sometimes she is and for $0.50 I get some nice stuff I like eating on the way to coffee. She knows what it is I desire and they are always still warm from her wondrous skills.
I never really know the place I care to call “the place” for coffee. I think of a place for a Sunday and I think to myself,
oh now that would be a very nice walk and I should do it
But then I change. Sometimes it is something at the coffee shop I really like. When I go to Summer Coffee it is the WiFi and comfort. Place A becomes not a thing today. Maybe tomorrow. Shifting to the coffee gear becomes the getting away thing.
Sunday morning best spent with just what it is I have. A real joy is not wanting things. Somewhere I left behind the desire for things. How do they make this life any better because I have them? Dunno.
Don’t really think any of the things out there do much more than make a person want more. On to coffee. Sunday morning. An epitaph of rainy days just perhaps.
☕️ 4 min read