Phnom Penh : Surviving and Healing

bracelets that people have left behind, 
probably to tell those who lay in the fields that people were there
and that they will always remember

My first trip in Cambodia was back in 2010 with a group of friends exploring the temples of Angkor Wat. I remember meeting Mr. Sam, our tour guide who was a survivor of the Khmer Rouge Occupation. He told us his stories of the Occupation and of the loved ones he’s lost. I remember trying to stop, or at least hide, my tears as he told us his tragic and inspiring story. On our last day in Siem Reap, he took us to a Buddhist monastery where skulls and bones of the victims were put into a memorial. I told myself that someday I would have to visit Phnom Penh and maybe have the courage to visit the other memorials.

Temples of Cambodia : Trees and Carvings

Ta Prohm

Another thing I loved most about the Khmer temples, more than their beauty and grandness, were the tall trees. How they seem to thrive with the old temples, and the magic they seem to add to the whole experience.

The Temples of Cambodia

Bayon Temple (my favorite temple)

I fell in love with traveling by accident in 2008, when I got spontaneously invited by my aunt to Thailand. After that trip, I promised myself that I will buy my own camera, Sundays (Nikon D40); and that I'll visit more UNESCO World Heritage Sites, I'll travel more. Angkor Wat seemed to be the most famous complex of temples in Southeast Asia, the most feasible during that time. It took me two years. But I made it happen. I guess this was when my love for travel started to become a big priority in my life. :)

And I pursued that plan, that dream. And it was more than I could have ever imagined.

Laid-back Siem Reap

beautiful photo by my good friend Marvin

We arrived in Siem Reap early in the afternoon and I had no idea what the place looks like. A few meters from the airport, I was more than surprised to see the beautiful and grand hotels that line up the streets of Siem Reap. Just imagine the number of tourists that visit the temples in order for the hotels to maintain their operations.

Mr. Sam

Mr. Sam, our tour guide, is around 5'6" tall, light brown, lean, and speaks good English. He's already in his 50's but he doesn't look it. He looks younger, which for me, is amazing.

He was a survivor of the civil war and Khmer Rouge occupation.