Day 4: Farewell to Angkor

Our short visit to Siem Reap was indeed a memorable one. I managed to reduce the level of my ignorance about the history of the Indo-China region. It is also sobering to think that of the great Khmer empire, little remains today except these ancient monuments, which had been lost in the jungle not so long ago.


It is difficult to judge from Siem Reap the overall progress of modern Cambodia. After all, Siem Reap is very much the showpiece for tourists coming to Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge also continue to cast a shadow of Cambodia's history. Just before our visit, the announcement was made that the Khmer Rouge former head of state Khieu Samphan had been arrested for his part in the genocide of so many Cambodians.

But for a country which had been ripped apart by war, and which was known primarily for its killing fields, the towers of Angkor Wat enable Cambodia to present a new face to the world. This is a country making a new beginning.