Temple of Preah Vihear

Temple of Preah Vihear - UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cambodia

From the World Heritage inscription for the Temple of Preah Vihear. The Temple of Preah Vihear, a unique architectural complex of a series of sanctuaries linked by a system of pavements and staircases on an 800-meter long axis, is an outstanding masterpiece of Khmer architecture, in terms of plan, decoration, and relationship to the spectacular …

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Angkor, Cambodia

Angkor - UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cambodia

From the World Heritage inscription for Angkor: Angkor, in Cambodia’s northern province of Siem Reap, is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. It extends over approximately 400 square kilometers and consists of scores of temples, hydraulic structures (basins, dikes, reservoirs, canals) as well as communication routes. For several centuries Angkor was …

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Angkor WOW

I just got back from my first visit to Angkor Wat. Wow. Traveling as long as I have, I think i tend to get jaded having seen so many things. I really wasn’t too sure what to expect at Angkor, but whatever my expectations were, they were exceeded. Angkor is a really special place. What …

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…And the Grinch’s heart grew 3 sizes that day

I’m not really an emotional person. Those who know me might even agree in more stark terms than that. I’m not into causes of any sort. I’ve seen poverty on my trip (Solomon Islands) and some places which it seems that God has forgotten about (East Timor). Nothing however, has quite had the impact that …

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Traveling to Tonlé Sap, Cambodia

If you had to condense the essence of Cambodia down to one thing, it wouldn’t be the temples of Angkor. They are famous and draw the tourists, but they are nothing more than crumbling stones. The reason why those temples were built where they were, and the reason why much of the population lives where …

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Pnow in Phnom Penh

I’ve made it to Phnom Penh. I took a boat from Siem Reap down Tonle Sap, which was interesting. It was a very leisurely trip with most of the passengers on the top deck the entire time. Almost the entire length of the trip had elevated homes (shacks) on the water. Almost everyone who lives …

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Next Stop Is Vietnam

This is my last night in Cambodia. Tomorrow I’m off to Saigon at 9am. I’m not looking forward to the bus ride, but is only $12 so I think I’ll survive. Sadly, the ear buds stopped working today so no music. Phnom Penh isn’t my favorite city . I dare say it is on the …

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First Impressions of Cambodia

I walk out the doors of the airport and expect the normal rush of people trying to sell me crap and offer me rides. Something seems fishy. No one is trying to sell me anything. I get handed a flyer and a guy who looks official tells me I can save $5 by taking a …

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On To Preah Vihear!

I’ve pretty much seen all most of the temples in the Angkor complex at this point, including many of the smaller sites away from the main park which few people visit. I even went to one site located in a monestary where there were zero tourists, zero people selling stuff, and zero government officials. It …

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