In 1982 National Geographic published an issue spotlighting the survival of the temples of Angor Wat. Inside was an editorial spread on these incredible structures in the jungles outside of Siem Reap, Cambodia. At the time I could never imagine going to wherever Cambodia was, I recall hearing something about it in the news, something about landmines, and military occupation. But the images were so powerful that I pulled out my plate finish bristol pad, pencils and rapid-o-graphs and did my best to capture why this place was so intriguing to me. If I can find the illustration I’ll post it here. (In the meanwhile see the original image at the very bottom by Wilbur E. Garrett) This was the first time I had a true desire to travel somewhere. To adventure and be surrounded by something so completely foriegn from what I grew up around. It set my life on a course. On December 25th 2016 I finally traveled alone to the temples to fulfill a lifelong dream. It did not disappoint. I took a taxi at 4:00 AM to the entrance, waited for just before sunrise when the caretakers open the temples. I watched the silhouettes of the spires take shape against a brightening sky. I was permitted to enter, I rushed deep into the center of the temple to feel this space alone, quietly, without footsteps or murmurs. My boyhood adventure achieved at last.

Ankor Wat is set deep in the jungle. about twice the size of Manhattan. The temples were built by the Khmer empire. It is representation of the Hindu model of the universe. It was abandon in 1430, driven out by the Siamese. Budhist continued to pilgrimage to Ankor and replaced many of the Hindu reliefs with Buddhists symbology. It was rediscovered by the French naturalist and explorer Henri Mouhot in 1860. When civil war broke out in Cambodia in 1970 the temples were closed to the outside world.

Thanks largely to Mr Garret, and Unesco, they pressured the then Kuhmer Rouge government who would be overthrown in 1979 into putting up an exhibition in the United Nations and publishing the issue that would find it’s way onto my drafting table.

Just a few skulls of the 1.7 to 2.5 million victims killed by the Khmer Rouge genocide policies against the Cambodian people in 1975.

The distinctive banyan strangler trees of Ankor Wat.