Home » Cambodia » Angkor What? Angkor Wat!

At last! Jeff and I had reached the apex of our journey, Siem Reap, home to the famous Angkor Wat. Among all the places to go in Southeast Asia, visiting Angkor Wat was at the top of my to-see list. Angkor Wat lived up to all my expectations with its beauty and grandeur. Others may disagree with my opinion, in fact I am sure many do, due to the influx of tourists and expectations too high. I guess Jeff and I timed it right, meeting little crowds and felt as if we were the few lucky people to wander in and around these temples. Angkor Wat was spectacular. Definitely ranks up there, if not surpassing the temples of Ayutthaya, the Vatican, and the temples of Kyoto.

Angkor What? Angkor Wat!

Casey Lary
2007-04-21 23:36:46

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mesmerized by the intricate carvings in the wall. Not a single wall, floor, nor column went without some design etched into it. Lots of people go along with guides to explain the stories of the carvings. In hindsight this would have been a smart idea- instead I wandered and listened to the others. I also enjoy guessing what the etchings mean and make up my own stories! Next I ventured into the main complex and climbed the steep stairs. I felt like Spiderman using all fours to get to the top. It was worth the scale because at the top were incredible views and more ruins. The trip down was a
little scary- the same steepness as the way up, fortunately accompanied by a rail for us to hold onto. By this time of the morning Angkor was deserted. We learned that going to these temples is all about timing. Angkor is a zoo in the early morning for sunrise, yet from late morning until sunset it is basically empty. While wandering the temple I ran across some Japanese kanji. It took me by surprise! It turns out they were from a Japanese explorer 60 years ago who examined Angkor excessively. The Kanji was his name, marking his appearance and at the temple. I don't think they would like it so much if I wanted to tag my name. I bothered not to ask ;-).

Next Jeff and I headed into Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom is a a large walled complex containing some of the most famous temples, including the Bayon. This is the area of Angkor Wat most densely filled with all sorts of temples. I could give you a laundry list of names from a book, yet better to just see my photos. Scattered throughout the temples are vendors, especially kids trying to sell you anything, possibly even
their younger sibling if you so desired. We found out that the kids go to school in the morning, and spend their afternoons selling goods to tourists- rather sad. When talking to us these kids had an incredible ability to list off countries and their capitols, yet one set of kids was determined ...