Ceremonial Monks?

As the 7 days of mourning after the King Father's death came to an end, nearly 100,000 people gathered outside the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, including 10,000 monks.

Berry and I wobbled our moto through solid and crazy traffic for some time before abandoning it and continuing on foot. Eventually we arrived at the palace, with the teeming crowds of Cambodians, young and old alike.

Feeling rather clever that I had found a spot on the road that was free from people pressing in on me on all sides, I quickly found out why as I was roughly shoved aside by a policeman to make way for the departing monk throng.

Berry and I kneeled in the row designated on one side of the monk procession and watched as these monks flooded through, clouds of incense stinging our eyes.

However, far from the reverent, ceremonious atmosphere I was expecting, the monks seemed to be treating the whole thing as a big joke, gathering as many cans of fizzy drinks as they could, joking, pushing, taking photos of us with their SLRs and iPADs...it was all rather strange.

Moments later the heavens opened and withing seconds, Berry and I (and thousands of others) were soaked through to the skin.

Oh, Cambodia...