The Kingdom of Cambodia is a tiny country, nestled between Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand. 
It is home to approximately 10 million people in its 181,000 square kilometers. It is green during the wet season with lakes spanning into the distance. Rice is the staple crop and much of it is planted and harvested by hand.
During the dry season the lakes disappear. Flat pasture spreads out as far as the eye can see, dotted here and there by palm trees and stilt houses. Traveling into the countryside is like going back in time, farmers use water buffalo when plowing their fields and fishermen fish with hand nets.
My first trip to Cambodia the roads were crowded with motor cycles, bicycles and tuk tuks. Cars were few in number.
It was amazing how many people could fit on a motorcycle, crowd into a van or ride on top of a loaded truck.
Five riders, a young boy in front, the driver, another man and a woman holding her infant at the rear. Only the driver required a helmet.
Cambodia is an old country. Pre-historic stone tools found near Battambang suggests this area was inhabited 6,000 years ago. Angkor Wat, depicted on the Cambodian flag, was built in the 12th century. It is an incredible site. The construction is mind boggling, considering there were no cranes to lift the heavy blocks of stone. Carvings on the walls depict scenes of daily life in Cambodia, battles and movement of people. My favorite temple, Bayon, displays many of these carvings and the huge smiling heads which are thought to be Buddha or Prohm, the Hindu god of creation.
Scenes in the movie “Tomb Raider” were filmed in Ta Prohm and Angkor Wat .
So why go to Cambodia in the first place? It all started with a birthday invitation. See Part 2. (coming soon)
More information about Cambodia travel : https://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia
