Photographs & Memories
Images of Contentment-
by Dr. Eduardo Go–
Siem Reap, which means “Defeat of Siam,” is a proud city of Cambodia – the land where “Khmers” or Cambodians fought hard to defeat and drive away Thai invaders centuries ago. The Angkor Wat (Capital of Pagodas) is a major tourist attraction here, a reminder of the country’s great heritage and the gallantry of its people carved on the walls, pillars, and roofs of these pagodas.
One could easily view the vastness of Angkor Wat while on top the Bakheng Hill, as if one is using a wide-angle lens of the camera. One amazing thing that I discovered was how the ancient Cambodians meticulously constructed the main north gate – directing exactly at 0° north. As I confirmed it with my portable cell phone compass and as we moved closer to the complex, this grand structure was painstakingly laid out to its precise distances and angles revealing the extensive architectural flair of the people during that era.
As history books and museums literally impart to us the normal lives, religious rituals, political dominions, wars, and social norms of the locals, Sengy Chea (our kind interpreter and guide) shared to us those important facts just like chapters in a novella. He walked us through and took us to the best spots where we could capture those perfect images according to lighting, reflections, color matches. Also, it was a wonder to photograph the sunset on one side and hot air balloon on the other with superb backdrop of the magnificent Angkor Wat. It was well worth the walk and the long wait.
We then proceeded to the Kuk Trung nook where one could just tap lightly on the chest and the echo would reverb back to you, as though they were answers to your prayers from heaven. In Angkor Thom, the four-faced Buddha statue is one of the remarkable attractions symbolizing the universal understanding of patience, conscience, forgiveness, and Buddhist principles.
The next day, we toured the rural areas where locals live and exist closest to the dictates of nature. But through their sheer innovation and strong desire, ingenuity is strengthened as they live in harmony with nature.
While we were trekking, an ox-pulled cart caught my attention – a diorama of exhausted human lives unreeled before my eyes. I then realized that it was more than a trip or an out-of-town photo shoot. It was a humble experience which opened my eyes that this was more than what we aimed to captivate. Upon reviewing my images, it dawned on me to veritably define what “contentment” really means.
