Phare Circus

We went to the Phare Circus which has several different shows. We chose the heaviest which covered the Khmer Rouge period till now and it was amazing. It would bring you to an emotional edge and then pull you away with some acrobatics. 

In the background you can see the American bombs falling. Later the Rouge erases the Buddha with a giant black X and then just paints it black to paint a happier scene. 

The Phare also supports a school that teaches children the arts. We saw a Aspara Dance before the show performed by some of the students. 

Giant Circuit of Temples

We did the giant loop which is an outer loop of temples in the Anghor area. I will show a name and the a couple of pictures from each. We were more organized for this loop. 

A big thing about this temple is a two story part which wasn't done in temple building. 

A temple in the middle of a lake with four pools surrounding it. Many with lotus lilies. 

Another beautiful temple.

Elephants on each corner; Kerry staring one down.  

A little temple in the middle of the lake.

This is the bigger temple on the land that was somehow connected to the lake one. 

And our last one of the day. Two more to go on Monday. 

And now for some of the entertainment. 

Along the entry to many of the more popular temples, musicians busk for donations. They are the musicians who have lost a limb due to the unexploded ordinances left by either the Americans, Khmer Rouge, or the Vietnamese Army. The U.S. has contributed about $3 million a year to cleanup efforts. We spent over $2 million a day dropping the bombs. 

I only did the sound on the walk up so you could get a feel for the music. 

Kerry and I have been analyzing this trip extensively because of the significant role the US has played in the region. We’ve also been struck by the incredible kindness and resilience of the people we’ve met. Despite the past atrocities and questionable actions they’ve endured, they remain incredibly friendly, humorous, and simply pleasant. 

I hope that todays attacks on places across the globe come to an end soon. Nobody but those that are profiting want this.