Being a Tourist

Hello, friends!

We were in Cambodia for about a month, which meant that while we had plenty to do, there were still plenty of ways to be a tourist. While we were in Cambodia, we visited a number of culturally and significantly historical places.

The Royal Palace – Up until relatively recently, Cambodia was a kingdom ruled by a king who lived in a palace. The king (actually, now it is a prince) is more of a cultural figurehead than anything else at this point but he is still beloved by the people. The Palace grounds were really cool. I was expecting to see something more like Versailles or Buckingham Palace; giant, self contained buildings. While many of the buildings were pretty big, it definitely had more of an outdoor feel. I guess that’s a product of not having to worry about the cold or snow?

Tuol Sleng – This space was a former high school but during the Khmer Rouge it was converted to a prison where non-Khmer Rouge folk were tortured and killed by their countrymen. We saw classrooms that had been converted into prison cells, stacks of skulls that were recovered from victims of the genocide, and photo after photo of men, women, and children who came through, and eventually died, in Tuol Sleng. Located within the city limits of Phnom Penh, it was a sober reminder that the country has been through a lot in its history.

Night Market – Along the riverfront in Phnom Penh on Saturday nights is a night market where dozens of merchants set up shop to sell clothing, food, and souvenirs. The night market definitely had a “family outing” kind of feel to me. There was a big stage where local acts performed. You could go shopping to try to find a good deal on clothing (the prices were WAY cheap) or souvenirs (ditto), or pig out on all the delicious street food being sold.

Angkor Wat – Angkor Wat and the surrounding buildings were built as early as the mid-12^th century all through the different regimes who came to power. Many of the buildings were originally built as a Hindu temples and structures, only to be converted to Buddhist temples as that religion took over the region. These were some of the grandest and most awe inspiring buildings I have ever seen in my life. What made it even more amazing was that each of these stone structures was built by hand, without any modern machinery. There’s a reason it’s one of the wonders of the ancient world.

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

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