cambodia's temples

sunrise at angkor wat

angkor wat- the worlds largest religious building 

angkor wat- built early 12th century

one of these things is not like the others

laurel says:

  the khmer's were once the leading civilization in south east asia and the grandiose scale, meticulous detail and sheer beauty of the temples at angkor are a testament to their artistic reign.  they have rightfully been named the 8th wonder of the world and are not something to be missed.  but for me, the true highlight of my time in cambodia was meeting and interacting with the children.  the kids here are simply adorable.  (i was tempted to pull a brangelina and adopt a little girl)  you cannot go down the street without them waving, yelling "hello" in their best english or giving you an ear to ear smile.  they exude joy.  this is especially remarkable considering cambodia is one of the poorest countries in asia- and in fact the world- the living conditions are extremely tough.  it is common to see kids as young as 4 years old, forced to sell souvenirs on the street or work in their parents restaurant.  the garbage collectors are boys no older than 12.  it breaks your heart.  the lucky kids are the ones who get the opportunity to stay in school.  and the sight of them riding their bikes (most of which are way too large for their tiny bodies) in their white and blue school uniforms gives you hope that cambodia will have a brighter future.                

gate to angkor thom

buddhist faces at angkor thom

peace

family ties 

floating village of kampong phluk

cambodian mini van

countryside

deactivated land mines

ferocious salespeople

emil gets suckered in to buying angry birds hats for all

streets of siem reap

mr. phoung our trusty tuk tuk driver

donating school supplies at lo lei school

emil says:

war is a nasty beast. but the duration that war sets back a society seems equally as atrocious. cambodia was nearly wiped off the map entirely at the hands of the thais and vietnamese, then colonized by the french, then used as a launching point for viet cong offensives against south vietnam, oh and after the vietnam war the freak of freaks pol pot and the khmer rouge enter the scene (1.7 million people die over 3 years, recall "killing fields"). it doesn't stop there. vietnam invades in 1979 to combat the khmer rouge and not until 1991 are the paris peace accords signed. 1991! only 21 years ago!!  i babble about the history because it's remarkable how kind hearted and welcoming these people are despite these atrocities. landmine victims approach you for handouts, poor children consistently try to sell you post cards and bracelets, there is plenty of gut-wrenching sadness. that said, the people don't harbor ill-will and instead of being battle weary and hardened these folks just want to do what most folks want... start a family, own a small business, live peacefully.  and it smells to me they are very well on their way (6%+ annual growth since 2000, oil/natgas discoveries in '05 with extraction beginning in '13). siem reap, home of the mesmerizing angkor wat temples and numerous others, is ground zero for tourism in cambodia. there are no shortage of spectacular hindu and buddhist temples and they are a tremendous revenue source for a country that sorely needs a jump start economically. but forget about sitting cross-legged in silent meditation at the likes of angkor wat, instead bring sharp elbows and a comfort with sharing your personal space. the more famous of the temples can get truly crowded, even at sunrise, and only by hiring a tuk-tuk driver and escaping to some off the beaten path temples did we find some serenity. i enjoyed tremendously the genuineness of the people, the beauty of the countryside, and the spectacular architectural feats.  thank you to my fabulous wife for being a trooper and enduring multiple 4:30am wake-ups, chasing around the countryside in humidity that felt like the inside of one's mouth, and going along with my quest to visit all 16 main temples. 

dusk at angkor wat