Today our reflection is offered by Phoebe
Today the Geckos and the Camberwell Girls went and explored the temples of Cambodia. Walking through the gates of each temple, I personally started to feel a sense of belonging and connection, not only to the location that I was in, but also with the people around me. Having the opportunity to explore and immerse myself in a new and foreign culture had allowed me to broaden my perspective on the world and the people in it. Im so grateful and excited to be in a lifestyle where this is possible.
As noted by Phoebe, we had the opportunity today to explore the rich and centuries-old culture of the Khmer empire by visiting the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temples of the Angkor complex.
Though the most well-known temple is Angkor Wat, the Angkor complex is a large expanse with more than 1000 separate temples, constructed in various periods, by a range of rulers, and dedicated to a diversity of religious influences from Hinduism and Buddhism. The Khmer empire flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries.
We started in the Angkor Thom complex, with the Bayon temple, notable for its carved smiling buddha faces. We proceeded from there past Baphuon temple along the raised Terrace of the Elephants, overlooking an arena area which once hosted a range of entertainment for 11th Century Khmers!
From there, we delved further into the jungle-like terrain and arrived at Ta Prohm, memorable for the intricate interweaving of trees growing amidst the temple ruins and featured in the film Tomb Raider. Throughout our temple visit the weather was favourable and allowed us to enjoy meandering among the ruins and taking plenty of photos.
After lunch in a local restaurant, we set out for the big one: Angkor Wat. The students climbed to the top level to take in the breathtaking scale of the monument and afterwards appreciated the opportunity to do a short meditation with our guide Dong, inside Angkor Wat – truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
All of this temple-hopping was accompanied by our new Green Gecko friends, and everyone made warm connections and enjoyed plenty of laughter, games and of course selfies, throughout the day. Being able to visit alongside the Geckos brings a unique personal perspective to an experience which many tourists seek, but few get to experience alongside locals. whose culture and history is steeped in this breathtaking place.
The afternoon was made up of a visit to the artisan Made in Cambodia Market, and I am pleased to report some of you may be receiving some lovely thoughtful gifts from here…
We also started today with the first of our morning walks, which allows us to experience local life at ground level, exploring some of the streets and sights near our hotel.
Tomorrow promises more adventures, and we will send another update soon.
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