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All posts for the month March, 2012
One of the most emotional places I have ever been in, the Tol Sleung Genocide Prison was the prison sight of some of the worst tortures under the Khmer Rouge Regime. Led by Comrade Duch, an estimated 17,000 people were tortured and executed in many of these wooden holding cells.
Named after beloved king of Cambodia, King Sihanouk, Sihanoukville has become a beach destination, but be warned, the garbage and amount of humanity is actually mind boggling. While a beautiful destination, be on your guard about child sex tourism.
In the city of Batambang, the capital of one of the most heavily mined regions of Cambodia, a statue commemorates those who were lost during both the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese occupation in a strange way. Based around an ancient Khmer statue seen on many of the temples, this statue was built using parts of guns, bullets and casings.
Built in the early 12th century by King Suryavarman, Ankor Wat was not just a state temple, but also the capital of the mighty Khmer empire. In its heyday, over a million people lived in and around the temples. Today, Ankor Wat is the symbol of Cambodia and remains to this day a striking example of ancient architecture and beauty.
One of the gates to the mighty Khmer Empire. Still to this day, the gate inspires as much awe as it would have in the late 12th century when much of the Ankor Wat temple complexes were created.
Built in the late 12th or early 13th century, the Bayon Temple complex is one of the most striking of the Khmer Ankor temples. The temple is extremely busy during the day, so late afternoon or early morning is easily the best time to visit.
While Ankor Wat complex was built in the late 12th century and early 13th, the carvings upon nearly every surface are some of the most incredible sights when visiting the jewel of Cambodia.
Typically, a Siem Reap adventure starts with watching the sun set over the temple complexes of Ankor Wat. However beautiful the sunset maybe, turning the camera back on the people photographing the sun is almost more interesting.
Throughout the 1970s, nearly 1.4 to 2.2 million people died at the hands of the communist Khmer Rouge regime. The regime, based on trying to rewind the clock back to year zero, targeted hundreds of thousands of people and forced children against their parents.
One of the most gripping and emotional movies, The Killing Fields, is still one of the best depictions of life under the Khmer Rouge. Still to this day, travelers pay their respects at the Tol Sleung genocide prison and the killing fields themselves.
