ANGKOR WAT WITH MY FATHER – CAMBODIA

To realize the dream of seeing Angkor Wat by myself would have been an incredibly fulfilling experience. Sharing it with my father was the condensed milk in the proverbial cup of coffee (you see, it’s how coffee is taken in Southeast Asia). In our relentless effort to see it all, we must have covered mostly all the temples in Angkor. Each day left us worn out but with enough energy to dine at a local restaurant in Siem Reap, to try out a new Amok dish  (coconut based and delicious!) and enjoy $0.50 Angkor beers. This trip was truly a realization of a dream, for the both of us, and to share the same passion and inquisitiveness for our surroundings was exciting and refreshing. I saw my father in an unfamiliar context; an adventurer unwilling to succumb to any physical barriers so that the full experience of Angkor Wat could be gained. Walking for most of the day, from site to site, in the relentless heat and climbing the tall stone steps to reach the landings of the temples was quite the feat. These challenges reached a climax at Ben Melea where we were introduced to a temple so heavily crushed by bombings and ruined by time that it truly contributed and even enhanced my Indiana Jones imaginings of what lay within. Holding on to the arm of a local guide, my father crawled, bent, twisted and performed all sorts of aerobic maneuvers to cover the interior of the ruin. It was a proud moment for me and never will I forget his smiling face as he tackled all the literal obstacles that lay in his way. Throughout the entire time we spent at Angkor, my father managed each challenge with incredible will and vigour, determined to admire every carving and pay homage to ancient Hindu aspirations that continue to influence and impress. I cherished his knowledge and passion for the living art and as we listened to the temples we heard our own heartbeats - two of the same, father and daughter, living out a dream.