Travelling to Cambodia is like going back through time and space to an epoch and a kingdom when Hindu deities reigned supreme, at least through their earthly incarnations in the medieval Khmer kings. These supreme leaders built the huge sprawling complex of Angkor Wat and its surrounding temples. The immense faces of the Bayon temple, which are believed to represent the various faces of the 13th century king who constructed them, inspire a sense of both benevolence and mystery in those who observe them. But most of all, they inspire a sense of terrifying serenity, if it were possible to experience such a paradoxical sensation. Tourists were aplenty, mainly from other Asian countries such as South Korea and China. Most of these tourists were shuttled from one site to another in very predictable waves. One would hear a crescendo of human voices as the tours came and went, to be replaced by the eerie silence of the surrounding jungles once the tourists were gone. When one visits such a unique place, it is best to be absorbed in the surroundings around you. As for the renowned Angkor Wat complex, the most familiar depiction is the full frontal view of the temples' facade. However, one finds nifty perspectives that capture the temple from unfamiliar angles, such as a side view of the temple complex framed on one side by the ubiquitous Cambodian sugar palm (Borassus flabellifer), bestowing justice to both the iconic symbol of Cambodia and the humble tree that nourishes so many of its inhabitants. 
