I have always been drawn to KAMPUCHEA (Cambodia in Khmer) since I was a little girl partly due to my then stamp collection which had so many stamps of Kampuchea and what I later on learned about the country's plight thanks to the books my mother used to share with me. The 3-day trip to Kampuchea with Ms. Ces right after Christmas 2008 may be too short but we had fun! :) We visited the famous Angkor Wat, Ta Phrom Temple (where Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft was partly filmed), and other temple ruins. Many countries are contributing in the effort of restoring the temples to a resemblance of their former glory and two of these are India and the Netherlands. We also had a boat ride along the Tonle Sap where we saw many floating houses along the riverbanks. I also had the chance to do reflection photography thanks to the many moats that surround the ruins of the temples that we visited. From the under-nourished children selling trinkets in a sing song voice of "One dollar, one dollar!" to the friendly tuktuk driver telling you how he has to feed his family with his daily income to the interesting respite offered by Blue Pumpkin (a very good restaurant) where tourists abound and laze around after a long day out and to the mass burial grounds of those victimized by Pol Pot's regime, one can say that Siem Reap is a beautiful and interesting place.
Here are some of the photos I took with my Olympus FE-340. More photos can be found in my Flickr account http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifeofone/sets/72157618615213824/
and even more in my Facebook photos page
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77630&id=743294883
The majestic Angkor Wat
broken slabs leading to Angkor Wat
bullet-ridden column (part of Angkor Wat)
highest level of Angkor Wat where the public can access
stairway to "heaven" ... the last level is where the king used to pray
only the king and his ministers can mount the stairway to heaven (Angkor Wat)
what used to be a library undergoing restoration
three generations of Cambodians taking a respite inside Angkor Wat
grand-dad and grandson selling souvenirs
young monks checking out what's for sale
Angkor Night Market sign welcoming everyone
inside the night market
cultural dancers at Tonle Sap Restaurant
a Cambodian tuk-tuk
yours truly in front of the East Gate of the Bayon Temple
temple ruins
part of Bayon Temple
a smiling Hindu Buddha
stone carvings of Royal dancers
a scene in the Ramayana carved on one wall of the Bayon Temple
tourists listening to guides inside the Bayon Temple
a faithful being given blessings by a monk
elephants standing guard on the steps leading to the Temple of the Leper King
Temple of the Leper King
the Leper King
Temple of the Leper King
an unfinished 12th century Hindu temple
a group of blind musicians making beautiful music
temple ruins
site of the filming of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie
humungous
head of an Apsara dancer (royal dancer) partially framed by a tree's trunk
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