MB and I have just returned from six weeks in Cambodia where we visited my son Julian's family - we were excited to see his new son Giovanni (Gio). We came for his July 1 birth and returned to spend more time with the growing boy.
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| Walking Gio with mom Lai |
We spent a couple weeks in Phnom Penh (capital city) before moving on to Angkor Wat near Siem Reap. That is the video at the top.
Phnom Penh (PP) is a huge city with massive traffic and air pollution. Each of the three times I've come to PP there are more bigger expensive cars and trucks in the city. Someone here has lots of money while the vast majority of people appear to be the working poor riding scooters. We understand that many workers earn around $250 a month.
Siem Reap is much less crowded with less traffic and pollution. It's really an international tourist city due to its proximity to the amazing temples at Angkor Wat.
The mastermind behind Angkor Wat was King Suryavarman II, a ruler known for consolidating the empire’s territory and power. His reign (c. 1113–1150 CE) saw a surge in monumental architecture, with Angkor Wat serving as his personal state temple and eventual mausoleum.
The vast religious complex comprises more than a thousand structures, and it is one of the great cultural wonders of the world. Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious shrine, covering some 400 acres (160 hectares), and marks the high point of Khmer architecture. All of the original religious motifs derived from Hinduism, and the temple was dedicated to the god Vishnu.
By the 14th century, the Khmer Empire was in decline, and a major religious transformation was underway. As TheravÄda Buddhism spread across Southeast Asia, it gradually replaced Hinduism and MahÄyÄna Buddhism as the dominant faith in Cambodia. Angkor Wat, though originally built as a Hindu shrine, was not abandoned instead, it was repurposed and absorbed into the new Buddhist religious landscape.
Over the centuries, Buddhist monks took residence in the temple, caring for the grounds and incorporating their own rituals. Hindu deities and bas-reliefs were retained, but Buddhist statues, stupas, and murals were added, reflecting a gentle yet profound religious evolution. Today, Angkor Wat functions primarily as a Buddhist pilgrimage site, visited by both monks and laypeople who offer prayers and perform ceremonies within its ancient corridors.
See much more on this rich history here
We moved on from Siem Reap to an inland farm which is Lai's home town. There we spent time with her extended family for a couple days. Their farm has fields of sugarcane, coconut and fruit trees. Gio was the star as everyone got in line to hold and play with him.
Gio goes home to the farm
Over the course of our trip we had lots of opportunities to eat local foods and experience more of the culture. Everyone was so friendly and we learned that even when going out to a restaurant it was common for the staff to want to hold or even play with Gio.
At this Mexican restaurant in PP a waitress took charge of Gio while we ate.
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| Gio was emptying the napkin container |
Before we arrived in Cambodia Julian's mom had also come over from the US. They visited Hanoi in Vietnam and there they also experienced people wanting to hold Gio. It's really a beautiful thing to witness - such loving cultures.
It's tragic the way the US has long demonized other nations around the world. Sadly so many Americans never get to witness for themselves the other side of the story.
I did my best to keep up with posting on this blog during the trip. It has been frightening to see the development of the insane war threats from US-Israel against Iran on a daily basis. We had no idea if things would explode into a major disaster before we got home.
But yesterday (the day after we got home) we witnessed Trump vainly declaring war on Iran fulfilling the predictions that he would do so because Israel had the goods on him after years of his sexually molesting young girls. There must be some real bad stuff of Trump on Epstein's tapes for the so-called 'president' to take us into WW3.
I became an activist largely in order to protect the future generations. Now I see that Trump's 'war department' bombed three girls schools in Iran killing over 160 and likely more.
Trump must be forced to resign immediately but most Democrats in Congress actually support this war. Our government is a war government. The American people must speak up in outrage.
It was a great visit to Cambodia. We saw and learned so much. It reminded us how important family is to all of us.
Great spirit help us all.
Bruce
