THE CREATURES NEARBY

Dateline:
Siem Reap Town - Thurs, June 30, 2011, 10:32 p.m.
Pat E Lyon

The smallest creature is the nearest. It is a tiny gecko about 1-1/2 inches long. He has tried to get into my room for days. I shoo him away from the door because he would sing at night like a cricket. And I once had a terrible experience of stepping on one with my bare foot and do not want to repeat it, especially without Deanna to calm me down. They have put something like weather stripping under my door to keep geckos out. My room is the closest to the rug shaking balcony, and I think geckos use it as a point of entry. But last night I saw that he or his friend had made it in. He scooted across the wall, just above my suitcase. I vowed to keep my suitcase zipped, because it would not be good for him to attempt the flight home. Outside my window is a large lizard...a duk doh that is the sound he makes at night: "duk doh, duk doh."

On National Hwy Route 6, Mony and I sawa dog that had been struck by a car. Its pretty face looked up at me with big German shepherd eyes. Two cars had stopped, with people standing around. The road has become very busy, and has been constructed to have two boulevards. This is a far cry from the lotus ponds and burning rubbish piles of ten years ago. I just prayed and prayed that the dog would not have to suffer. I do not know how it turned out.

There are beautiful white cows along the road to Bos Kralanh Village. I noticed one was especially thin. Its shoulders were caved - its ribs were showing. I wonder why since it seemed to share the same grass as the other cows. Since the roads are very bad from rain, we have to travel slowly. Then I saw two cows tied near a house. Suddenly one sort of convulsed and fell to the ground, upside down. I asked Mony if we should go back. He said, "No, the owner will come." A boy, about the size of Barret came running down the road. When we came back, the cows were not there. I like to think it's all right. But I do not know.

At the home of the tailor, there are many cats and dogs. One dog is very old and blind, but he barks anyway and then retreats under his table. I have wondered why there is just one little kitten. The mother would not just have one, would she? And what of the others? And why was this one chosen? When I was a little girl, I remember hearing terrible stories about too many cats or dogs. I try not to wonder about it too much, but I do.

When we go to the house of Mr. Sok to have sewing class, there are dogs. At first, they barked and made quite a fuss when we arrived. Now they just look up with one eye. They expect us to come.

Not far from here there are monkeys and elephants. Other forest creatures share the same struggle as in the USA. Humans are taking over their habitat. I am told that with bribes, you can work around the rules that protect the environment, and the creatures whose habitat is not protected.