Photo journals: Cambodia

I was in Cambodia for the new year of 2008 for 3 weeks. We had this great idea of escaping from the crowds in Thailand but we sadly realized that we were not the only ones. Cambodia with its proximity to such a touristic country and its peacefulness in recent years is receiving more and more tourists, seemingly almost more than it can handle. We made the classical tour of entering the country from the south, sampling the beaches in Sihanoukville, Kampot, visiting the capital Phnom Penh and of course visiting the magnificent ruins of Angkor ruins near Siem Reap.

When you enter Cambodia from the southern border with Thailand there are 4 rivers on the way to Sihanoukville which don't have any bridges on yet. But when we were there they were building a good road and also bridges. So these scenes of homemade rafts with two side engines operated by two guys in harmony will soon be history. Although this makes the journey longer it was nice to have a short stop every 20-30 kilometers. Some of the jungles around look very untouched thanks to the great number of landmines.




Sihanoukville has some nice beaches but they were not this empty at all.





Phnom Penh city started developing around a hill temple sponsored by a lady Penh who is today raised to sainthood and this is a place where everyone comes to make wishes.




In capital cities there are palaces and Phnom Penh, the capital of Kingdom of Cambodia is no exception. After all the turmoil the country has been through, the palaces are restored for service to a growing tourism industry.




As a permanent student of architecture I enjoy these little beauties around. Cambodian architecture is quite similar to Thai architecture, with it's gold, glazed roof tiles, multiple roofs and intricate details.

Another interesting architectural piece is this art-deco French central market of Phnom Penh. It was amazing to see jewelers, electronic dealers, clothes merhants and butchers under the same roof.

Phnom Penh has a little swampy lake and by the lake are poorer neighborhoods and cheapest tourist accommodations. We didn't stay there but went there to enjoy the chill after a day in the busy streets.

This gamelan made me think why they didn't think about this in other countries where they have the same kind of music, such as Indonesia. But here they use much smaller gongs -along with the big ones- and perhaps that's why.




For many foreign visitor Cambodia means Angkor ruins and it's no surprise considering the magnificence of these ancient cities and comparing with the shape of the country today. The day after we arrived, as if we had no more time, we got on the bicycles and started our tour and 3-day intensive course of the Angkor ruins.




The most pictured stone faces on earth, Bayon temple, Siem Reap.




There are a few stories behind who these faces depict. It's either Lord Shiva or the King of Angkor empire at the time (which sounds like so much arrogance). However when you are dwarfed by their presence, these big compassionate smiles radiate a timeless peace.




Kids enjoying the ancient pools of Bapuon
and us tourists sweating and taking photos.




Angkor Wat temple is always as crowded as it can be so you give thanks that there are some alternative roads :)




Apsaras, dancing and singing heavenly beauties are the most common decoration in Angkor temples and they keep on enchanting visitors.




This frieze in Banteay Srey temple depict Lord Vishnu's man-lion incarnation. According to this story from the Vedas, a demon was granted immunity from being killed by a man or a beast, during day or night, in or our of his palace. So Vishnu took the form of a ma with a lion's head, took the demon to the palaces doorstep and killed him there at sunset.




Another very interesting decoration from East Mebon. Ganesh riding himself! Strangely similiar to those tattoos found on the body of the mummified Pazyryk chief.




This is an ochestra performing everyday by the temple complexes. There are many such bands and some of them make pretty good music. What makes them unique is that all the musician in these bands are disabled people. The homicidal Red Khmer regime left great many people disabled and still today people die or get disabled by remaining thousand of landmines all around the country. This is one way they found to make a living but there are far too many of them.




Sunset in Angkor Wat. I remember I was so tired after 3 days of waking up by sunrise and walking around ruins all day long, but every sunset in front of this magnificence takes some of the tiredness away.




When wars were over and the time of big empires was past, nature took it's turn in eating into the ancient Angkor cities. Today in most places these trees are cut down to protect the ruins but sometimes they shoot out from the old stones reminding us once again of the ultimate temple of nature and its beauty.


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