Catching up: Cambodia

Hello from Sorrento, Italy, where I’ve been enjoying beautiful views of the sea with my dad and brother. We met up in London, rented a car in Paris, and will be driving around Italy for the next few weeks. But an update on our travels together must wait. I have some catching up to do.

After a 1.5 month hiatus, it’s time for me to follow up on my last post, made from Vietnam just as I was about to depart for China. That post (from April 21st) has a general update on my time in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, and may be good to read again before looking at the pictures I'm adding in this post. Since a lot has happened since my last post, I'll make several posts following this one, each a (probably poor) attempt to fill you all in on what has been a fascinating experience. I apologize in advance if the updates are superficial or watered down—-it’s hard to summarize such a long, eventful period, and I welcome any additional questions if there’s something you’d like me to describe further.

This post will focus on Cambodia. As my previous post described, I arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia, via train and “taxi” from Bangkok. I spent three days in Siem Reap, which is blessed with the temples of Angkor just a few miles away. Each day was packed—-I made friends with a motorcycle taxi driver who helped me make the most of each day by taking me to many, many sites.

A few photos from the Angkor temples:

Angkor Wat at sunrise, my introduction to the temples at Angkor:



Inside Angkor Wat:



A monkey lounging around Angkor Wat:



The ancient soldiers guarding the entrance to Angkor Thom:



A view of the pillars and ceiling inside the temples:



I’ve included this next photo for a couple reasons. First, this temple (Bayon, in Angkor Thom) is famous for the hundreds of enormous faces carved into it, making wandering around it a surreal--but definitely not lonely--experience. Second, you can see pieces of the temple laid out in front of it, on either side of the pathway. This is a common sight around many of the temples. Prior to the rise of the Khmer Rouge, many Cambodian and French archaeologists were busy preserving the temples, which frequently required them to partially dismantle them. The rise of the Khmer Rouge forced the foreign archaeologists to flee Cambodia, and resulted in the massacre of almost all Cambodian specialists on the temples. The effects of the reign of the Khmer Rouge are still very apparent: there are many amputees who are victims of the landmines that still cover the country today. In addition, according to statistics listed at the temples, 40% of Cambodia’s current population is under the age of 14.



Stunningly well-preserved statues in Angkor Thom:





Very steep climbs and their accompanying warning signs are a common sight:



Arriving at a temple:



The temples’ struggle against nature:



Riding in the area outside Siem Reap-—the view from the back of my driver, Vebol’s, motorcycle:



Angkor Wat at sunrise was my first view of the temples, and sunset at Angkor Wat was my last. Here, some young locals admire the view:



On my last day I had a chance to visit a floating village outside Siem Reap, a community located in the middle of a large, shallow lake. Most of the residents here are immigrants, the majority from Vietnam. A home in the floating village:



A water taxi cruising near the floating village:



Composed mainly of immigrants and refugees, it is not surprising that the floating village suffers from poverty. Here, some cheerful children float around the lake begging for money. The girl second from the right floats around in a small blue bucket, pushing herself around with a paddle:



The lake’s water, although muddy, blends in with the sky:



As soon as I have some free time and a reliable internet connection I'll post some pictures from Laos and Vietnam, so please check back soon!