I was in Angkor
Wat about a year ago and I have to say the place blew my mind. I knew what to expect, but still exploring the ruins
themselves and just traveling through Cambodia is a once in a lifetime experience…um, unless you go there twice. Mark
Kotting has this story about
taking his family to Angkor for a vacation, and experienced it much the way we did. That is, the country has emerged
from a period a terror and awfulness the likes of which few modern nations, and certainly not America, have ever
experienced.
And yet, with a relatively competent, non-corrupt, non-murderous, somewhat democratic government, Cambodia is
undergoing something of a Renaissance. Because Pol Pot and his Dark Side henchmen killed off so much of the population
three decades ago, Cambodia is surprisingly young. And when you mix freedom (even by Cambodian standards) with youth,
you get vibrancy, lust, entrepreneurship, and all that human stuff that makes a country interesting and fun. Anyway,
read the piece. And if you get
the chance, head to Cambodia.