Those gigantic trees...

Scattered amid the temple ruins in Cambodia were immense trees that had somehow found their way as seeds in the niches of the temple structures, eventually growing to gigantic proportions. Many of these trees ended up being larger than the very temples that no doubt nursed them in their infancy, providing a foothold on which they could secure themselves. Trees with authoritative sounding names like Lagerstroemia calyculata, Dipterocarpus alata, Tetrameles nudiflora, Irvingia malayana. In the Khmer vernacular, these trees were more humbly, but also fondly, recognized by simple melodic names like chtheul and sralao. However one chose to call them, their majestic presence in the landscape was simply awe inspiring. They provided shade for the temples, as if expressing gratitude for allowing them to share sacred space. They also provided shade for the innumerable orchestras of land mine victims who played traditional melodies for tourists, as if compassionately acknowledging their plight with a protective embrace. Gentle giants with a heart of gold.