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Cambodia is a country that has suffered a lot with wars and
politics. Portuguese, Spanish, French and then Americans have been
in war with the country.
As if it wasn’t enough, The Red
Khmer lead by Pol Pot, killed over 2 million people (with emphasis
on the intellectuals and the literate) in a space of four years from
1975 to 1979 and attempted to transform the country into
agricultural cooperatives.
Money was abolished and the country closed itself to the world.
After that, Vietnam invaded the country and started a guerrilla that
continued through the 80`s.
Now a country rebuilt after so
many catastrophes, the ruins of Angkor (from the IX century) are
little by little bringing the country into the world’s tourism map.
As 95% of the population is Buddhist, the Angkor temples are the
main attraction and also the most prepared place to receive
tourists. It can be very complicated to adventure yourself through
other cities of this country...But its temples alone are already
worth the trip to Southeast Asia. Even visiting Angkor during four
entire days, it’s not possible to visit all Angkor temples.
The idea is to dedicate an entire week to the temples, so that you
can fully enjoy the site. |
Siem Reap, the nearest city from
the temples has an airport and is 8 hours from Bangkok (Thailand)
and only 7 kilometers from Angkor, which makes the bicycle
the most pleasant way when visiting the ruins. From luxury hotels to
hostels from 3 to 5 dollars a night and a great variety of
restaurants, Siem Reap is a place of contrasts: all kinds of
tourists from the most famous of Hollywood to the most adventurous
exposed to the ancient culture of the population.
Because of
the great quantity of landmines that can still explode at any time,
it’s not safe to walk on unmarked trails, even in the ruins
of Angkor.
Considered the most beautiful and impressive of
Asia, the Angkor temples have transformed Cambodia in a country with
a great religious and artistic power, symbolizing the glories of the
past and the hopes for the future. |
Pictures by
Cecilia dos Guimaraes
Bastos
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