Looking at Babel

Looking at Babel
Angkor Wat, Cambodia – December, 2012

The temples at Angkor Wat are the pride of Cambodia and justifiably so.  They embody all that a people might ever want in a heritage: unity, lasting glory and a vision of heaven built upon the earth.  Until you've been there nothing can really prepare you.  But beyond the temples themselves are the people.  People and the relationships they make with each other and their surroundings are the most important bits of journeys abroad and stays at home.  This is true even at Angkor Wat

The tourists are a thing to behold and it makes for excellent people watching.  At the top of the tower you can witness people gazing in awe in your direction as they ponder how it could have been made, what the spiritual significance of a place like that might be and how on earth it could ever be so damn hot.  From the top, everyone one looks small and enveloped by the ancient history surrounding them.  You can imagine how many people have bled, sweated and wept into the stones this girl stands upon over the last 800 years.

If you've ever wondered what a Babel, a monument expressing the will of man to reach heaven looks like, come to Angkor Wat.