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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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Fuji. Ridiculous crowds! Jeff and I were able to stake out our little area right in front of the lake, with a great view for that sun to rise behind Angkor. It was beautiful. Jeff and I managed to each take 100 photos of the same exact thing- Angkor Wat. After sunrise and breakfast, we ventured further a field to the temple our Aussie friend Lois recommended. Getting there took about 45 minutes. The ride out there was an added bonus to the adventure. We got to ride through the countryside and see the villages and people living there. Their houses were stilted and made of reeds. It was such a contrast to bustling Siem Reap. Unlike the countryside of Vietnam, industrialization and modernism has not touched the Cambodia countryside. They still very much live a simple lifestyle. Looking out into the barren countryside all I could think about was landmines and how many were still hidden below the surface. Cambodia's history is very tragic, still very prevalent today.

Banteay Srei differed from any of the other temples we visited because of the red pigment of the stones used to make it. The etching inside of the temple were phenomenal, probably the best of any of the temples. After that we headed to Preah Khanand Ta Prom, my favorite temples in all of Angkor. We somehow timed these temples right and avoided all the Korean and Japanese tour groups. It amazed me how freely we were allowed to wander in and around the temples. Entering the temples was an experience in itself because we had to walk down long pathways with the Cambodian jungle creeping in. At the temple large trees have grown over parts, making it even more breathtaking. Sitting her typing, I don't know how to describe it- it was that incredible to me. With so few visitors in the area and our ability to roam freely I felt like we were explorers and the very few and lucky to be there. Like Angkor Wat, not a wall nor column was left un-etched. My advice is to go see the temples now. In all honesty, ...