When my traveling partner, Ed, and I decided to go to Cambodia, we were not exactly sure what to expect. Cambodia is a country with beautiful landscapes and much natural beauty. We had some sense, however, that these inviting landscapes were situated within in the context of environments that would be a bit more dangerous that we were used to. Our traveling spirit, however, encouraged us not to let fear of the unknown stop us from entering into uncharted territory.
Cambodia is by far the most dangerous feeling environment I've encountered, not only on this trip, but also ever. As we've traveled to many different cities, each has a distinct energy and vibe that is easily felt within a few hours of being inside its borders. Very quickly inside Phnom Penh, I felt an uneasy feeling as if something might go wrong at any minute.
This was only compounded as we drove out through the jungle landscape to visit The Killing Fields, an area where the ultra-military, ultra-scary, Khmer Rouge, conducted mass genocide of nearly 3 million people in often hideous fashion during its reign of terror in the late 1970s. The area consists of the mass graves that were dug up after the genocide ended and a stupa (memorial) of the victims. It was one of the more intense memorials I've ever seen, a large erect structure housing over 8000 skulls of the slain victims, categorized by race, gender, and age. The visit was haunting and emotional and left me wondering how in such a beautiful place such horrific occurrences had taken place. A few moments of silence were required to gather ourselves and take in the true depth of where we were.
We next went up to Siem Reap, a short plane ride up north, and saw the incredible Angkor temples, and the most famous, Angkor Wat. These ancient jungle temples are something straight out of an Indiana Jones movie, with passageways and big statues and huge vines and trees encompassing the entryways.
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