I have always had doubts about the "a picture is worth a thousand words" cliche, but now I'm not so sure. The NYT has a spread of photos of empty cities, and I was working my through, seeing whether I could figure out the city before I read the caption, when I came on one of Pub Street in Siem Reap. I swear, there is no way I would have known. I was in Siem Reap in 2002 and 2004 and there was nothing like that then. I had been reading abut the changes, but this is what it took to really bring it home.

I can't post a link to the specific photo, but it in this article: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...eat-empty.html

Siem Reap, from the link above.

Fascinating and eerie photos, thursdaysd!
If only we weren't also seeing photos of beaches packed in southern California and hearing reports of any number of people refusing to honor the restrictions that will make us safer. Or of the plights of those who have no choice -- those in prisons or refugee camps or without homes.

We were there in 2011 and do not recall the town of Siem Reap looking like that either.
kja, in the same set of photos is one of a deserted Santa Monica Beach.

I saw that, HappyTrvlr. I am far more distressed and saddened and angry at evidence that some people are continuing to gather in large crowds than I am intrigued or relieved to see that some normally crowded places are eerily deserted.