Cambodia - ស្វាគមន៍ (Svakom)!

We recently saw the new Disney film, “Raya and the Last Dragon,” which is set in a fictional fantasy land called Kumandra, based on Southeast Asian cultures from countries such as Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. In the film, Raya is on a quest to search for the last dragon of the land. She gets around by riding atop her animal sidekick named “Tuk Tuk,” which shares its name with Cambodia’s iconic motorbike-powered carriages. Raya also visits the land of Fang, which has a geometric, monumental design, inspired by Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. The temples of Angkor Wat are the largest religious monuments in the world. The photos of Angkor Wat seem magical, with the beauty of the temples deep in the jungle and the forests, the ancient stone carvings, reliefs, and statues, and the tree roots even having reclaimed some of the temples.

In addition to looking at pictures of the temples of Angkor Wat, we also watched a video of the Bahá’í House of Worship in Battambang. This Bahá’í temple was designed by Cambodian architect Sochet Vitou Tang, and has a distinct Cambodian architectural design.

We also read a children’s book called “The Cambodian Dancer: Sophany’s Gift of Hope,” which is inspired by a true story. Sophany learned how to perform the traditional dance of Cambodia from her elders, a special dance with certain hand and arm movements. When the Khmer Rouge took over, the dance was forbidden, and Sophany had to flee her home. Years later, Sophany began to rediscover the joy of the dance, helping teach it to the children of other Cambodians had fled their home.

We ended our travels in Cambodia by eating homemade Cambodian grilled eggs and watching videos of traditional Cambodian dancing, including the apsara dance performed by the Royal Ballet of Cambodia.

សូមអរគុណ (Saun Arkoun), Cambodia! Dominican Republic is next!