Mirrors of Reality
A major part of traveling at Cambodia is about exploring the side of humanity that exists within one’s self. Every day that I was there, I made an effort to remind and allow myself to get as close as I could with every single living soul – the people (locals and foreigners alike), animals mammals, and even plants; just to realize that something as simple as that requires opening up many little doors behind the heart and eyes to reach a place called ‘mirrors of reality’.
As painful as it is to turn down mothers and children in rags, begging you to buy a friendship bracelet for a dollar or two; all you can afford to do is offer them the warmest smile you can quiver, or a swarm of them would appear out of no where and not let go of you anymore. (I then learned that most of these kids are forced to do this ‘business’ by ‘the boss’ who collects all the money they earn; which means indirectly, you are helping him, not the children.)
{poor but happy and extremely friendly Cambodians}
I guess you must be wondering, “What else is there to do at Angkor besides taking so many pictures like this crazy girl?” One of the answers is mentioned above: discover your side of humanity, practice to smile from the heart, learn to love the sun more, ride an elephant, get your fortune read at Bayon temple and get your wishes blessed by having a red string tied onto your right wrist. All of those you will see below:
{if you are looking for a peace of mind via a quick, fresh getaway, I say Siem Reap is definitely the place to go}
{the beginning of my journey towards exploring the Khmer Empire ruins}
{whatever that is . . .}
{spot the crown on my head?}
{a queue for praying ritual}
{rode on an elephant (and pet one this close!) for the very first time in my life}
{prayed, wished, blessed}
{my favorite picture of my entire trip in Cambodia}
