SteemitPhotoChallenge Entry 'Desolation' (Original Photographs)

Enjoy and imagine what this place must have been like years back... on top of Bokor Mountain in southern Cambodia not so far from Kampot. Ruins from Bokor Hill Station where Matt Damon and James Caan filmed 'City of Ghosts'. If you have not seen that movie, I recommend it as it is super eerie - in real life, it's no less eerie with the clouds rolling up the face of the cliff turning to a dense fog that you wouldn't expect midday in Cambodia.

'colors of Bokor' - (Bokor Hill Station ruins)

Cambodia first called out to me from a page in an encyclopedia (some of you have likely only heard of such things) - skull and cross bones is what I recall (likely warning signs for mines) and I was stunned by what I read. Little did I know that I would begin visiting and become connected to Cambodia.

'suite no more' (view from the hotel in the background you see a church that sits in ruins as well)

I have other images which show two monks dressed in orange novice robes walking the trails between structures on this foggy day. Those images did not lend themselves to HDR type captures and I'm not one to add in details that didn't exist in this type of photography.

A place of utter hopelessness and desolation even to this day, Tuol Sleng. An eerie feeling comes over you when viewing the last photographs of hundreds on display in this genocide museum. Walking through the structure, you see leg irons piled up in corners and as well as on bed frames. Rusted out ammo cans that were used as toilets in old classrooms that were subdivided into small holding cells. All windows and open veranda areas were fortified with barbed wire as they did not want anyone to be able to take their own life before being interrogated in an effort to root out those against Angka (Khmer Rouge). Tuol Sleng is synonymous with S-21.

Why this gutted telephone receiver was lying there I do not know, perhaps it was to magnify the despondent feeling one would already have being shackled to that metal bed frame during interrogation/torture.

'S-21 desolation chamber' (from Tuol Sleng)

These images are making their debut here as I've I feel safer sharing them here than on my own website which I've hosted them on. Thank you Steemit for giving me inspiration to share my work.
be well, Conrad (@timelapse)

(I've placed a referral link on my site: http://conradolivier.com - see the steemit link)
#photography #steemitphotochallenge #desolation #cambodia