While exploring the temples at Angkor you will interact with a countless number of beautiful and playful young girls who will befriend you – in a somehow not at all bothersome way – in hopes that you will give them some money in exchange for simple crafts that they are carrying around. The girls are full of smiles and are very fun to play little games with (like how many languages can you say hello in – warning: you have no chance at winning). Strangely, people who at first you think would be a distraction from the sites, turn out to be a highlight by the end of your trip.
Several days after I left Siem Reap I came across this picture on my memory card. The girl’s serious faces were very different than I remembered. They carried a depth to them that led me to think about what it must be like to grow up one generation removed from a horrific genocide that ripped their country apart. That is a life that I can not even imagine.
The young children of Angkor serve as a constant reminder to me that no matter how tough your situation might be, you can always put a smile on your face and enjoy every minute of wherever you find yourself.
