In case Hindu gods and sacred images scattered all over Angkor Wat temples are not enough to remind you of India, head to Rolous village and take a stroll around its local market. “It’s in proper Cambodian style”, warned me our tour guide Borey, style that turned out to be pretty much like the one I saw in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Rolous is the town where the first temple of the early Khmer Empire was built, and when I arrived, the old temple was indeed the first sight I stared at. From afar. Why? Because the reason behind my 13-km jaunt from Siem Reap was to meander around the on-the-ground local market selling anything from dried fish to mangoes to steamed corn on the cob.
I’m sure you know how much I love local markets, and I know you’ve read my other posts about the open-air fairs I’ve already visited, from the one in Qingdao, China, to Iran’s oldest bazaar in the capital of East Azerbaijan province, Tabriz, to the colorful markets of Bangkok, Thailand, to the gorgeous Feira Hippie, Sunday market of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, so you’ve probably guessed how excited I was to snap pictures here all morning, not without generating much giggling from the locals who didn’t quite understand my interest in the nitty-gritty of their daily routine.
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During my wanderings, I even managed to do some grocery shopping. Don’t ask me how, since apart from not speaking the language I wasn’t even familiar with the local currency which was seldom used and usually replaced with the US dollar, but I did it, I managed to buy some juicy ginger and sweet small bananas.
Without further ado, here are the photos I took at the market, I hope you’ll enjoy the ride and sense the life, the daily struggles and also the cheerful atmosphere that surrounds Cambodia’s open markets.
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Beautiful images, Angela! Roluos market is one of my favourites too. I love cycling around that village. The people are so friendly and so sweet.
True, very nice, I enjoyed it there, would have stayed even longer!