Angkor

Cambodia's pride and joy, Angkor is an incredible site and amazing evidence of an ancient culture's sophistication and determination. Over the span of over 500 years and 25 Kings, Angkor temples were built and embellished, with excruciating detail at every point. Through the years, they have gone through wars and environmental elements, leaving behind only remnants of what used to be. Even still, when visiting, your jaw is left open to the size and beauty of these ancient relicts.

We took two days to visit the temples, and didn't see them all. Nor did we study any one of them with detail, they are just too massive to take in all at once. We started Day 1 with the Roluous Group, the oldest and most removed from the rest of the group. We first went to Lolei, and though small it was still so impressive, little did we know what we were actually getting into


Our next stop was Bakong, built in the late 9th century, it was a capital to one of the kings, Jayavarman III, son of the self proclaimed 'world emperor', Jayavarman II.


And last of the Roluous Group, Preah Ko



From here it was a whirlwind trip of temples, each filled with a new and exciting twist. Most kings worshiped the Hindu gods, and dedicated the temples to Vishnu and Shiva, though evidence of indigenous Khmer gods, and one king's feverish attempt at building temples for Buddha is evident everywhere.

So, starting with the rest of out journey, we moved to Angkor, with the South Gateof Angkor Thom



Inside Angkor Thom was my favorite temple, Bayon




With faces all over the place



Visit monks in Tep Pranam




Relish in the size of Baphuon



Climb up Phimeanakas & The Royal Palace



Bask in delight at the Elephant Terrace



Get lost around the Lepur King Terrace



Talk with monks at the Suor Prat Towers






Have a miniscule tour guide at Ta Keo






Briefly visit Thommanon...



And Chao Say Tevoda...






To catch the sunset at Phnom Bakheng






And that was just day one! We woke up early the next day to catch the infamous sunrise at Angkor



Angkor Wat is arguably the most famous of the temples. It was built in the early 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II, and was a complete city within it's walls, behind a moat. Just one of those buildings, like the Eiffle Tower or the Colosseum, that demands your attention



We then moved and did the perimeter structures around Angkor, starting with half restored ancient Buddhist university Preah Khan



To the unusual Neak Pean



And around Ta Som



Another one of my favorites, East Mebon



Partially because of the elephants guarding the outside



The colossal Pre Rup



And finishing our touring at one of the most interesting, least conserved temple, Ta Prohm






After that, we were exhausted. I can safely say though, that Angkor is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It is an amazing feat to see these structures standing in all their beauty. Even Ta Prohm, which is crumbling as crews work diligently to reconstruct, is absolutely stunning. To visit there is an honor, and it was two days I will never forget

Phnom Penh

Welcome to Cambodia, one of the most recent Southeast Asia Country to safely open it's borders to travelers. Still fresh from the horrors of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia has had fewer years then the rest of them to recover from the brutalities of war. The population is noticeably younger, & the people are just as happy as ever, giving a curious look then a smile your way



We started the Cambodian journey in Phnom Penh, the capital of the country. Noticeably less developed then other major capitals we have been too-Bangkok, Hanoi, etc-it was already apparent our journey here was going to be unlike anywhere else.

Just our first meal was a new experience on it's own. Starving after our bus journey, we settled in at a guesthouse and found a cool restaurant down the block where everyone was cooking on gas stoves in the middle of their tables



We ordered our own, and out came a huge assortment of unknowns-vegetables, mushrooms, meat of some sort in the broth. After a few questions, our patient waitress was able to explain a few things, and assured us that the meat was goat, because heaven only knows what other meat products we could have had in there. We kept what we knew and a few things that we didn't and started to cook our meal.



The broth was absolutely delicious and rich in flavor. We enjoyed it so much in fact that they came back and re-filled our clay pot twice. With the addition of noodles, morning glory, some mushrooms, some potato-like taro and this unknown...



We ended up having pretty good meal. It was slightly tarnished by the fact they overcharged us by about three times what the locals would pay (we asked our hotel desk), but it was still an experience on it's own.

We spent our day in Phnom Penh touring the sights the Khmer Rouge left after the civil war. First was the Choeung Ek Killing Fields













Set just 13 km South, outside of town, this is where over 20,000 Khmers lost their lives to the devastating effects of the Khmer Rouge. It's a small site, and though it pays homage to everyone who lost their lives, it was such a small percentage of the almost 2 million people who perished in this four year rule. Even still today, only about half of the bodies have been excavated. Everyday, especially in the rainy season when we were there, bones, clothes and other buried truths come to the surface of un-excavated graves.

The next stop was the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum.





Security Office 21, S-21, was one of the interrogation and torture centers set up by Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot in 1975. Prior to that, it was a high school, but with the fall of Phnom Penh, it was converted to the detention and torture center, for the very people who were most likely being educated there. Inside, are haunting photos of the people-young and old-who entered these doors and left, only to head out to Choeung Ek.



But even with these tragedies so recent in their past, the people in Cambodia were so friendly and so kind, and all seem to have a big sense of community. The downtown area near the river was alive and bustling on a weekday night.



It is quite common, especially it seems in Cambodia, for very small children to sell odds and ends to make some money for their family. After we didn't want to purchase some beverages three small kids were selling in front of a Wat downtown, they let their curiosity get the best of them and wanted pictures taken,


Photo taken by the boy in the blue:


Looking over the photos:


We were happy to hang around, watching them in delight as they would find someone or something new to take a photo of, even their drink bucket (and finger...)



Amid the hustle and bustle of town, and just finishing off a day of some pretty heavy sight-seeing and learning, seeing them exclaim with excitement with every shot taken was so refreshing. It makes me hope these children are going to school, and pushing their curiously to all levels. All in all, you can tell that Phnom Penh, and Cambodia is on the verge of something big

Viet Nhan, Viet Minh, Viet Vo

Meaning humanity, wisdom, and boldness, this saying is from the Chinese symbol Tam, one of five Chinese symbols Vietnamese architect, Ngo Viet Thu, used to design the Independence Palace in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.








Other symbols included Cat for good future, Khau for education and freedom, Trung for center, Vuong for king, Chu for sovereignty, and Hung for prosperity.

When they started to re-build the palace in 1962 after a coup d'etat bombing from the Saigon army, the symbols were for South Vietnam, in hopes for peaceful and successful future. However, the fight was only just beginning and by 1975, tanks were racing through the gates-ending the 30 year war for Vietnamese people, reuniting the North again with the South and ultimately changing Saigon into Ho Chi Minh City forever.




For Vietnam, this palace is not the only reminder of a war fought not long ago. Evidence is in the people, still discovering diseases related to the disastrous chemical warfare, unexploded ordinance still sadly being found in the country side, and an 86 million person economy trying to mix communism and capitalism in the 21st century.

Visiting the War Remnants Museum was a necessary stop, and reminded me how much involvement we had in the war, and I took all the evidence of war in with curiosity and respect.




It was one of the most difficult yet rewarding museums I have been too in all my traveling. Though there was a very propaganda tone to most of the information, it was the first museum I had ever been to that was aimed directly at me, an American. I did not live through the war, and will never know exactly what happened in the countryside of this beautiful country. But I couldn't help feeling remorse and helplessness for the people still effected by the damage we caused. It made me respect their determination and will to re-construct and piece together a damaged society from the North to the South.

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is a beautiful mess of people, motorcycles, and a fantastic reflection of a booming born-again city.





















We thought Hanoi was a challenge to make it across the street with all limbs in tact, but in fact, HCMC has bigger, wider roads, more motorbikes and four lane crossroads with no visible traffic signs. Glancing back over your shoulder one wonders how you're alive, but you did it, and made it. After exhausting our emotions on war material, and our physical strength from darting across inner city highways, it's nice to settle in to a plastic chair built for a toddler, and enjoy a cold beer




Luckily, HCMC had some good eats too from the ever present noodle stalls





To some unusual fare for us westerners like frog




You were expecting a whole frog there weren't ya? This dish was just a delightful dish of frog with chili sauce. Tasted just like chicken, and you wouldn't really know it was frog until the occasional frog leg with foot attached would pop up.

With time running to a quick end on the trip, I had to dash out of HCMC and Vietnam, after spending only two weeks in this diverse country. But mark my word, I'll be back to spend more time here, at some point in my future. It just deserves far more attention then I was able to give.

Location:Saigon