Photos of Cambodia

Cambodia is a land of contrasts and contradictions. This is the land where the thousand-year old Hindu (and then later - Buddhist) Temples of Angkor beautifully signify peace and harmony still stand. And yet, it is also the land where one of history's most horrific mass murders and torture took place. Now, with the Khmer Rouge still a recent memory, the country lives mostly in a peace. But the tension here, to me, seemed palpable. Larger version of these photos of Cambodia can be viewed by using a mouse rollover, clicking an image, or using the Slideshow below. You can use this link to add this page to your favorites

These photos were taken with a Minolta X-700 film camera. The film, unfortunately, was processed in Cambodia and essentially ruined. The decision to process there was made to avoid many passes through airport x-ray machines during an extended multi-country trip. It's these ruined negatives that have been scanned and restored from the dead with Photoshop to provide you with some idea of what the temples of Angkor look like.

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Phnom Penh
Although it is Cambodia's largest city, I found it to also be very pleasant. The riverfront area along the Tonle Sap River has a beautiful promenade and many great outdoor cafes and bars where it's possible to relax and have a nice meal or a cold drink.

photo of skulls from the Cambodian killing fields

The Killing Fields of Cambodia
It is estimated that three million Cambodians died under the horrific reign of the Khmer Rouge. Now, there are shrines to the dead near these fields where the remains of the dead were found.

photo of an apsara carved in stone at Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat Apsara
The Apsara is a Hindu spiritual woman of beauty - sometimes nymph-like, sometimes like a siren. They are recurrent images on the walls of temples throughout the Angkor complex.

Land Mine Victims
Cambodia still has many people daily injured by landmines scattered throughout the countryside during the years of warfare the country has experienced. (The USA is still one of the last countries that have still NOT signed an international ban on the use of such devastating weapons of warfare which have killed and maimed more civilians - children and adults alike - than soldiers).

photo of an uncleared minefield in Cambodia

Uncleared Minefield in Cambodia
International organizations still attempt to clear areas of landmines in Cambodia.

photo of Tuol Sleng prison, the site of tortures and murders by the Khmer Rouge

Tuol Sleng
Tuol Sleng was a prison in Phnom Penh where tens of thousands of Cambodians were tortured and killed during the reign of the Khmer Rouge. It was converted from an elementary school for this purpose.

statue portraying a gun with a knotted barrel in Phnom Penh

Knotted Gun
This statue in Phnom Penh stands to remind people of their violent past in the hope that it is past.

photo of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The Royal Palace #3
The beautiful Royal Palace of Cambodia stands on beautifully manicured grounds just off the waterfront.

Royal Palace #4

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Robert Stephens
TheWorldinLight Photographic Gallery

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