Current Projects
I am currently working on a project called “Cambodia: Faces of Legend and Features of Beauty. It is a photo book of pictures from my various
trips to Cambodia.
I have seen poverty and the beauty of friendship. I have seen the sunrise and sunset over Angkor. I'll tell you how I felt. I'll show you what I saw.
Sunrise and Sunset at Angkor
Early morning, we set out on a journey to view the sunrise. We arrived at the temple of Angkor at 5:30 a.m. There was magic in the silence and the darkness as the light slowly broke over the compound. As my eyes adjusted to the early morning light, I was stunned to see a crowd lined up against the wall. The sunrise at Angkor is an event that draws hundreds of people. We walked further away from the crowd only to discover a bigger crowd in front of the pond. We sat with the crowd anxiously waiting for the sun god to ride his chariot across the ancient temple of Angkor. We watched the light pierce into the morning. As I stared at the color of the sky and the reflection of Angkor in the pond, the crowd began to disappear. After a few minutes, we walked into Angkor away from the shuffling crowd to enjoy the silence of the early morning.
The sunset at the temple of Phnom Bakheng lured an even bigger crowd than the sunrise at Angkor, if possible. There was congested traffic within the compound near the temple as people made their way to the sunset.
By the time we reached the top of the temple, there was no advantageous space available. We squeezed between other tourists and watched the sun set painting the sky with golden light.
The sunrise and sunset is an imperative experience for travelers, mandated by the travel guidebooks. The event draws a crowd at an alarmingly comical rate. The beauty of the sunset and sunrise especially at Angkor is meant to be enjoyed in solitude or with minimal company. But the crowd offered an interesting experience in itself, creating a living, breathing city of diversity atop the temple of Cambodia.
Faces of Legend
The children of Cambodia have intense eyes and wide smiles, if you can capture it or incite it, you'll remember, forever.
