Cambodia

When I told people I was going to Cambodia to see the Angor wat, the most common reaction was "the angor what? " or " but why". Apparently the world didn't share my fascination for the country. Dwarfed by its more glamorous neighbors, Cambodia is sort of like the wallflower at a high school party. Not many people pay attention , but if you did you will find a quaint little charm.

Our first stop was the capital city Phnom Pehn. We did a quick tour of the killing fields of the Khmer rouge. The entire place was was a morbid reminder of the horror this country had lived through. Our next stop the grand palace couldn't have been more different. The palace was quite exquisite and would provide tough competition to its Thai and Indonesian peers.

We moved on to our next destination Siam Reap by rather fancy bus which would put our Indian ones to shame. Siam Reap houses hundreds of beautiful ruins including the world famous Angor Wat -which with its super steep steps ensure all your mountaineering skills are put to test. Surprisingly most temples have the Ramayana or Mahabarata as their key theme.


But my favorite was the Ta Prohm temple. Made famous by the tomb raider movies , pictures don't do justice to beauty of this place. The temple which has been swallowed by the monster sized silk cotton trees was an eerie testament that nobody messes with nature.


A second favorite was the Bayon temple filled with massive faces of King Jayavarman. He must have really loved himself. You see his face all over the place. Sort of like a super sized stalker.

For a country that is poverty ridden and seen the worst horrors of our time, the people are a cheery lot who seem to be doing their best to get back on track. Cambodia is truly proof that the human spirit is always a winner.