Travels with Tricia

Category: Cambodia

  • Tourists walk toward Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

    An Afternoon at Angkor Wat

    During my maiden (and solo) visit to Angkor Wat, I glimpsed the majestic Cambodian structure at sunrise. Seeing the inky sky gradually awaken over the site and then illuminate it with a shrimp-colored hue was a magical experience. But in the years since, I’d read that the sunrise experience had lost some of its luster,…

  • Two pairs of devatas (goddesses) are shown carved into Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

    The Devatas and Apsaras of Angkor Wat in Black & White

    The 1,796 female figures rendered in sandstone on Angkor Wat’s pillars and walls have weathered war and a harsh tropical environment for more than 800 years. During my first visit to Angkor Wat in 2009, I was struck by the beauty and individuality of these devatas, which decorate the largest religious building in the world. When…

  • Six adults, dressed in traditional Cambodian costumes, stand near Angkor Wat.

    Angkorian Dress-Up in Cambodia

    The silken costumes with gold embellishments transform these Angkor Wat models into winged creatures, apsaras, and other mythological beings from Angkorian times. They position themselves in a prime location within Cambodia’s famed Angkor Wat complex.

  • Bobbins of orange, cream, and fuchsia silk inside a drawer at a silk farm near Siem Reap, Cambodia

    Learning the Fine Art of Sericulture & Weaving on a Cambodian Silk Farm

    Throughout Cambodia, marketplace stalls overflow with mounds of beautiful shimmering silk. There’s everything from scarves and chic purses to fabric designed for tailor-made shirts, dresses, and jackets.

  • Green and white silk thread is guided onto a roll on a silk farm near Siem Reap, Cambodia.

    Photo du Jour: Smooth as Cambodian Silk

    For centuries, Cambodians have been making silk and creating woven masterpieces with it. Once the silk has been carefully extracted from the silk worm’s cocoon, it is washed, twirled on to bobbins, and boil-dyed either via a natural or artificial coloring technique. I’m not sure if the silk samples featured here were colored naturally or…

  • A father gazes at a landmine awareness exhibition in downtown Phnom Penh while his son curiously watches onlookers.

    A Landmine Awareness Photography Exhibition in Phnom Penh

    While walking along Phnom Penh’s riverside, we happened upon a landmine awareness photography exhibition. This child’s lively eyes and curious gaze caught my attention. His peaceful spirit contrasted sharply with the cruel creations depicted in the images at which his father was intently gazing.