It was a dream I had nurtured for a long time: Cambodia, a land of mysteries and temples lost in the jungle. Finally, the dream became reality.
As soon as I landed in Phnom Penh, the capital, I was overwhelmed by a wave of colors, scents and sounds. Tuk-tuks whizzed by like mad shrapnel, street vendors offered culinary oddities, and the din of traffic was deafening. It was chaos, but a chaos that I liked, that gave me energy.
The first stop was the Tuol Sleng neighborhood, home to the S-21 prison, a place of torture and injustice during the Khmer Rouge regime. A touching experience that made me reflect on human cruelty but also on the power of rebirth from the ashes.
Then, off to Angkor Wat, the temple that had made me dream since childhood. Its majestic ruins towered out of the jungle like a sleeping giant. I lost myself among its intricate carvings, delicate bas-reliefs, and its atmosphere of infinite peace.
Not just temples-Cambodia is also rice paddies as far as the eye can see, floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake, and the infectious smiles of children. I sailed on colorful little boats, tasted exotic food and learned to cook Khmer curry.
A trip that enriched me inside and out. An experience I will never forget.
Have you ever visited Cambodia? Tell me about your experience in the comments!