One striking thing about Cambodia is how many temples and pagodas there are everywhere. Along the river and in our travels on land we would see several to a dozen an hour. Perhaps it’s my inborn Protestant sensibilities, but it’s hard to see so much gold gilt and statuary in a country so poor. I understand the idea that a place of worship can uplift the even those who struggle daily , but surely some moderation in favor of food and healthcare would be better?
Still, many of these temples are beautiful and a number of them have a palpable sense of spirit and stillness. The most remarkable to me was the Vipassana Dhura Pagoda near Oudong. The video gives only a small sense of its majestic vistas. There is also a huge reclining Buddha. This one does include a school and a monastery for nuns who take vows mostly in later years after raising a family.
This Buddha’s scale can be appreciated if you know that the small portrait near his shoulder is about 24 in. across
The inside of the temple at the top of the hill
