Except for the town of Siem Reap, the Angkor region is generally rural, especially in the archaeological park near the wats. The geography is nearly flat, not far from the Siem Reap River (perhaps even in its floodplain), a good place for farming. Rice farming in particular.

But not just rice. There are also, for example, cashew trees.

We were not here during the tourist season, and although there were a lot more tourists than in Myanmar, the roads through the archaelogical park were not busy.

A few small shops offered their wares.

Home from school, children offered friendly greetings.

Houses were basically rectangular and built on stilts to keep them dry during the rainy season. This season had just begun when we were there, and so people were still able to use the “extra” room beneath the house, keeping cool in its shade.

There were also a few tourist-oriented shops along the road. Given the region’s increasing economic reliance on tourism (and the fact that vendors are not allowed inside the archaeological sites), I was surprised not to see more. And the few there were had a certain homey attractiveness.