The Angkor temples are monumental reminders of what old civilisations were capable of,and no matter how impressive their achievements that they can fade away. Over 1,000 temples ranging from non-descript piles of rubble to the majestic Angkor Wat, monumental stone gateways, substantial moats and terraces and once home to a population estimated at over 1 million.
The largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia that sustained the ancient Khmer civilisation; it quadruples in size in the wet season to 16,000 square kilometres as the river reverses its flow from the backed-up Mekong. Home to 3 million people, many living in 170 floating villages, who mostly make a living from fishing and agriculture.
The spectre of the Khmer Rouge haunts Cambodia - nowhere more so than in Phnom Penh, site of the infamous Tuol Sleng torture centre and Choeung Ek Killing Fields. Modernised in part, French colonial in others, the ostentatious Royal Palace, with parks and trees, hustle and bustle and the inevitable mountains of trash discarded willy-nilly across vacant blocks, creeks, drains and back-streets.
As a borderline misanthrope I am not a huge fan of humanity - particularly massed humanity. The idea of participating in large travel groups gives me the shudders. Fortunately on this, the only shared part of the trip, our new companions were limited in number and personable by nature.
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