INDOCHINA: CAMBODIA
February 12, 2013
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| Cambodia's 9th to 12th century temples and traditional dress... a magical combination |
The Kingdom of Cambodia, west of Vietnam, has had a pretty bad run of luck for the last half-millennium or so:
from the fall of Angkor in the 1400's through the horrors of civil war starting in 1970, suffering the incredibly brutal reign of terror of the Khmer Rouge's leader, Pol Pot..."the killing fields..." ending finally with the United Nations-sponsored elections in 1993, encouraging the country to totter back onto it's feet.
from the fall of Angkor in the 1400's through the horrors of civil war starting in 1970, suffering the incredibly brutal reign of terror of the Khmer Rouge's leader, Pol Pot..."the killing fields..." ending finally with the United Nations-sponsored elections in 1993, encouraging the country to totter back onto it's feet.
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| A commemorative stupa filled with the skulls of victims of the Killing Field of Choeung Ek, Cambodia |
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| Mass graves at Killing Field |
Today, Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world, relying heavily on foreign aid. It's burdened with unexploded munitions...thought to number in the millions...that continue to kill and maim civilians despite an ongoing de-mining program.
Finally, there's widespread corruption! It seems difficult for this country to grow...
That said, the Cambodian people have an unbreakable spirit, infectious optimism and have survived with their smiles unimpaired!
When I think of Cambodia...the real Cambodia...I don't think of the cities...
I think of the farms, rice paddies and swaying sugar palm trees. I think of the busy markets where the farmers take their fresh food products each day. 70% of the country's workforce is employed in subsistence farming. You can feel the pulse of Cambodia in its countryside.
Cambodia has floating fishing villages as did Vietnam. They add their daily catches to the variety of fresh foods in the markets.
But, the imposing temple complex at Angkor, built between the 9th and 13th centuries by Khmer kings, (now the 8th Wonder of the World,) is the main attraction in this country...Angkor Wat! Hard to describe in words, the place is reverent, mysterious, otherworldly and enchanted. Just a tuk-tuk ride away from one another, there are numerous temples...each one a little different from the others...each one, unique. Abandoned more than 4 centuries ago, some are in ruins...
some have been taken over by nature with kapok trees growing over the ancient walls...these were my favorite...
and some have the most amazing faces among their other intricate carvings...
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| Click on this one to see how many faces you can find. |
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| Two not-so-ancient faces... |
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| Because the walk to the temple was up a HUGE hill, we opted for the help of a sweet female ellie! |
and some create an amazing sense of peace as the resident birds, crickets and monkeys join in a natural symphony for visitors. The carvings are all meaningfully narrative as well as exceptionally impressive. Hard to imagine all the time spent planning these temples and their contents... never mind the execution of the intricate carvings. Extraordinary!!
It was tough going...the walking and climbing was difficult for me, but well worth the effort! The food was not one of my highlights, but my husband really enjoyed the spices in Cambodian cuisine. Interesting to note that the country's choice of currency is the American dollar...made it easy for us!!
Chaotic yet charismatic...beautiful and friendly... Cambodia!
Thanks for joining me on this trip through Indonesia's Cambodia. Hope to see you next posting for my "normal" blog... art challenges and comments.
Hugs for now,
abbyj
Incredible photos (actually, I've come to expect great photos from you). On an interesting side note, I've been reading the blog of an Australian lady who took a medical volunteer trip to Cambodia and she made some of the same observations you did. It must be quite an experience to go there.
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