Dream Trip 2008: April

Great Travel Moment

Even with an umbrella, I could feel the scorching heat of the sun on my skin. Along the way, I noticed these 6 very young Buddhist monks (children,actually) huddled under the palm tree to escape the extreme heat. I felt lucky since I had my umbrella with me. The heat was almost unbearable. The Angkor Wat is in the background but it was still a long way. I started to walk slower but seeing the 12th century magnificent temple was a good incentive for me to keep on going. The Angkor Wat was used as a mausoleum for King Suryavaram II and later as a Buddhist Temple. This picture is very memorable and meaningful. It was the fulfillment of a life long dream. It was 2 weeks after my birthday in May 2007. I saw many extremely young Buddhist monks on a pilgrimage. I spoke with an older one (age 20) who wanted to practice his English with me and he expressed a desire to study in the U.S., if he could get a sponsor.