Four years can undo what nine centuries symbolized. The bas-reliefs adorning Angkor Wat, in their timeless splendor, stand as monuments to humanity's artistry, engineering, and spiritual devotion. Yet the land surrounding these three hundred complexes, deep in the fields, places without electrical lines, bears witness to our hubris and sorrow. To live life is to experience dichotomies; the peak of achievements stands next to the nadir of existence. Nevertheless, time moves us forward, sometimes bringing hope and renewal. Once sacred altars to Vishnu and the Buddha, these sites now welcome pilgrims and visitors alike. Whether traveling for reverence or in curiosity, once here, light an incense and let its essence ignite the complex emotions stirred by these living artifacts—celebrating the splendor, acknowledging the sorrow, hoping for progress beyond the symbolic.

Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm complexes, Kulen Elephant Sanctuary, Siem Reap's main street