A Theravada Buddhist monk, Cambodia’s dominant religious tradition. A Yellow umbrella protects him from Phnom Penh’s intense sun and sudden rain. Yellow also complements the saffron robes and is closely associated with Buddhism. He is walking in simple sandals, reflecting his commitment to modest living.
The dedication of Grab drivers. Through rain or shine…
Tuk Tuk driver on a break by the Royal Palace.
Nightly weather warnings informing us that “tomorrow will feel like 107 degrees Fahrenheit.” They’re not wrong.
Imagine having to pack that thing up…It’s difficult enough to have to maneuver it around the cityin traffic.
Moving across town in a Tuk Tuk.
Murals are often half-hidden by motorbikes.
KRUD Pilsner was launched nationwide in late 2021. It was promoted as a proudly Cambodian product with the slogan “Good Time for a KRUD.”It is a light, crisp pilsner made for Cambodia’s hot climate and typically served extremely cold.
A dilapidated mural on the wall of an Elementary School.
Red
Wat KohI think this is a memorial statue of Venerable Stamsaeng Snguon—Khmer: ស្តាំសើង ស្ងួន—a former chief monk / abbot of Wat Koh Keo Serei.
This series of murals follows the Buddha’s transformation from solitary meditator to spiritual teacher.
Celestial beings gather around him, symbolizing the heavens witnessing his enlightenment. In one important scene, the deities Brahma and Indra respectfully urge him to share what he has discovered with the world. Another shows the Buddha teaching five monks in the Deer Park at Sarnath—his first sermon and the beginning of the Buddhist sangha, or monastic community.
Offerings of food and flowers represent generosity, devotion and the connection between ordinary people and monastic life. Read together, the paintings move from enlightenment to teaching: wisdom is achieved in silence, but its value lies in being shared.
Another series of murals at Wat Koh, this time illustrating episodes from the Buddha’s life and the miracles and acts of compassion associated with him.
At the center, the Buddha meditates on the coils of the nāga king Mucalinda, who sheltered him during a violent storm after his enlightenment. Another panel recalls his retreat in the forest at Pārileyyaka, where an elephant and a monkey cared for him. Elsewhere, monks, rulers, devotees and celestial beings approach him to receive teachings, make offerings or pay respect.
Together, the paintings present the Buddha as teacher, healer and peaceful presence—honored by humans, animals and beings of the heavenly realms alike.
These murals at Wat Koh depict the Vessantara Jataka, the story of Prince Vessantara, a previous incarnation of the Buddha celebrated for his extraordinary generosity.
The scenes follow the prince as he gives away his royal elephant, leaves the palace with his wife Maddi and their children, and lives in exile in the forest. He ultimately surrenders everything most precious to him as a test of selflessness. After his virtue is proven, his family is reunited and he returns home.
Beautifully painted in the Khmer tradition, the murals unfold like a visual storybook. Their central lesson is dāna—the Buddhist virtue of giving without attachment—although, to modern eyes, the story also raises difficult questions about sacrifice, family and the limits of generosity.
A very well-known Cambodian breakfast dish, Bai Sach Chrouk, grilled pork over rice, often served with pickled vegetables and a fried or boiled egg on the side. Delicious. A memorial stupa (chedi) at Wat Botum Vatey, just south of the Royal Palace.
Wat Botum Vatey, founded in 1442, is one of Phnom Penh’s oldest and most significant Buddhist temples, with longstanding royal connections.
“Botum” means “lotus.” The temple was named after the lotus pond that once surrounded it. Its full name, Wat Botum Vatey, is commonly translated as “Temple of the Lotus Blossoms.”Tonlé Sap River It has a healthy ecosystem and the water is brown because of a high sediment load, which is completely natural.
As I’ve been making my own bullet journals since 2018, journalling all of my life, hundreds of journals since being a global traveler…and friends always saying, “Make me one!” 😂 But, they really need to be your own. So, I’ve finally published my first travel journal, The “On the Road” Edition and it is 200 pages of “do your own thing and be messy about it!” You don’t even have to travel to use it. Just write. Take notes. Make lists. Be Free!
Leaving Saigon “Decho Meas Decho Yat” statue on Sisowath Quay, along Phnom Penh’s riverfront.
Decho Meas and Decho Yat were Khmer military commanders (the title “Decho” is a traditional Cambodian military rank, roughly equivalent to “General” or “Field Marshal”).
“Symbolically, birds at windows are often associated with messages, transition, freedom, protection, or someone/something asking you to pay attention.”
My life is under construction at the moment. I don’t know what it will become yet. And in the middle of all that change, something small and alive has stopped by to remind me to look.
Graffiti and a clean high-rise under a powdery blue sky in BKK.The sky went full orange over Phnom Penh tonight. Just Khmer daily life on a regular street, motorbikes, food stands. I felt like I was the only one who noticed. The only one who was looking up. A singular conversation, just me and that orange sky.Imagine maneuvering this thing on the road. Impressive skills and talent. I love to see the “coconut man” riding around. $1 for one of the purest, healthiest drinks in the world. 🥥 I try to have one every day.
