Turtle Lake

And another animal shooting: Today the second shooting was at a little lake inside the Kot Burey Pagoda. Two turtles had a special role.

For the Khmer, animals have special meanings in different ways: There are birdsellers on the road for example, where you can buy little sparrows. If you let them fly out ouf your hand they take evil spirits away and protect you from bad things that were supposed to happen in the future. And if you really want to get sure, you buy a little turtle and follow another tradition. In Cambodia it is common to scratch your wishes on a tortoise shell and then give back freedom to a turtle. It will take the wish with it and make it become true. Another positive effect of this is, that you are teached modesty: the turtles you buy are so tiny, that your wish cant't be longer than two or three words. So you have to know precisely, what you are looking for.