Today we’re sharing a few photos from one of Jay’s pre-Alex trips, back in 2005, with what at that point was a pretty advanced digital camera, the Olympus C-740 UltraZoom (3.2 megapixels with a “huge” 512 MB memory card hahaha). These Cambodia photos are from the city of Siem Reap, the access point to Angkor Wat, which is the largest religious shrine in the world, dating back to the 12th Century Khmer empire. Maybe you’ve seen pictures of its temples overgrown by jungle vegetation. True of many developing nations, Cambodia’s poverty and beauty are equally noticeable and you’ll have to be able to stomach one to appreciate the other.
This first photo is of a couple of monks inside the Angkor Wat complex. Buddhist monks occupy a special place in Cambodian culture.
Next, we have some of the many child touts roving the UNESCO site selling cheap souvenirs. Aggressively. It’s a destitute city that is particularly hostile to children due to its crushing poverty, dengue fever, and numerous child brothels. So when you go, maybe buy a Chinese finger trap. Most don’t even accept their own currency, the nearly valueless riel.
Now we have one of the many jungle roads leading around the city of Angkor Thom, the capital of the Khmer empire, where tourists can explore the ruins of the impressively intact Hindu and Buddhist architectural remains of the early Khmer people. Still a disturbing number of signs about UXO (unexploded ordnance), so stick to marked trails.
And this last photo is at the South Gate to the Angkor Thom complex. The heads are typical of the Hindu architecture you’ll see when you visit.
Cambodia | Siem Riep | Angkor Wat
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