Angkor Wat and Siem Reap, Cambodia

Steven and I left on August 3 to see one of the Wonders of the World, Angkor Wat Archaeological Park near Siem Reap, Cambodia. Angkor Watr is one of a hundred or so monuments that remain scattered over an area of about 400 square kilometres or 250 miles in northern Cambodia - the religious remains of a series of cities, built by a succession of kings from around the 7th to the 13th centuries. All civic and domestic buildings were built in timber and have long since disappeared, so not much is known about the lives of the civilians - though some 1,200 inscriptions found throughout the region and the remains of a vast irrigation system indicate the scale and complexity of the civilisation.

You can view some more of our Cambodia pictures at: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=9IcsmjVy1Z6I&notag=1, no need to sign in.

Apart from spending the entire day at Angkor Wat Park, we went to a traditional puppet and dance show, shopped, saw a floating village and ate wonderful food.

Cambodia is the most disabled country in the world. One out of every 236 people has stepped on a landmine.There are 4-6 million landmines still in the ground and everyday a civilian steps on one. Many of the victims are women and children who step on the mine while gathering firewood, farming or tending cows. Half of the victims die, due to lack of medical facilities in Cambodia. The survivors are faced with the difficulty of starting a new life. Most victims are farmers and it is virtually impossible for an amputee to farm.