Angkor’s Away

Sorry about that but I couldn’t resist. I have 2 hours left in Cambodia before the Tour ends and I think I’m getting De-Mob happy – as the Vietnam troops used to say, I’m on short time.

Yesterday, and this morning we visited the Temples at the Angkor Wat complex. A mixture of Hindu & Buddhist temples mostly built between 800 and 1,200 years ago. I could write loads about the site, but I’ll let the pictures do the talking instead.

In the evening last night we visited a restaurant to watch traditional Apsara Dancers and today for our final GRJ lunch, a lovely French colonial style restaurant.

Shortly we’ll be leaving this lovely, desperately poor and tragic country. The people are courteous, smiling and charming but the terror of the Khmer Rouge genocide casts a long shadow across the generations. Life expectancy is 55; the older generation did not get the vaccinations, nourishment and medical support needed when younger and the price is being paid in full today. Doctors are in short supply and traditional herbal medicines the norm outside of the city. The entire country has one oncologist. Diabetes is usually lethal.

I could easily grow to love these people. In the face of every challenge, they are calm and cheerful.

Musical groups like this are found at many Tourist sites. They play in the hope of a compassionate dollar. Draw closer and you’ll see that they are all multiple amputees, victims of the minefields.

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