Though my previous post centered exclusively on the horrors of genocide, I’d be remiss if I did not acknowledge the life and culture after Pol Pot. Therefore, I will give a short glimpse of Cambodia as it is today, one which focuses on the history and culture of this proud nation.
SILVER PAGODA, aka TEMPLE of the EMERALD BUDDHA at the CAMBODIAN ROYAL PALACE
The country’s most famous attraction is ANGKOR WAT, a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE. The giant heads shown above are awe-inspiring.
This Angkor Wat temple below is but one example of an ancient highly complex city; It too is recognized as an UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
During the vietnam war many vietnamese civilians escaped their homeland and fled to the Tonle Sap fishing village in Cambodia where they have taken up permanent residence. The woman in the barge is herself a vietnamese refugee and has contributed much to the Cambodian culture.
Father and son wash their oxen in the Choeng Ek river; a culture common to Cambodians. There is an ironic aspect to this routine however, in that the name, Choeng Ek, is the name for both river and town, a name which would be forever rememebererd as the Killing Fields. Nonetheless, life in Cambodia goes on.
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My next blog: August 15, 2012
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