Vanna was my tuk tuk driver in Siem Reap. Some days he was also my guide. I met him at the hotel where I was staying which employs him to stand by and be available for the hotel’s guests for a minimum wage. He speaks some English. I thought we understood each other well. He drove me all over Siem Reap and all the way to the port at Chong Kneas. There had been heavy flooding in the villages and rice paddies near Tonlé Sap Lake and the roads were washed out in many places. Our tuk tuk was jumping up and down as it crossed potholes along the way. At one point we got stuck in the red mud. Vanna had to wade in the mud to free the tuk tuk. On our way back to town it rained heavily. The driver’s seat is up front and it has no overhead cover so Vanna was drenched but for the raincoat he had thoughtfully bought from one of the stalls at the foot of Phnom Krohm. Vanna and his tuk tuk One day I asked him to come and pick me up before dawn so I could see the famous sunrise at Angkor Wat. W
“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” - James Michener