We met our driver today, a little earlier. Scheduled time was 4:45am. We’re going to Angkor Wat today, and one of the nice picture moments is the sun rising over the iconic Angkor Wat Temple with it’s five towers. Unfortunately, it’s cloudy, and we never saw the sun. It’s actually a blessing because the day is much cooler. We waited in the prime picture spot until our guide was sure there wasn’t going to be good photo opportunity, then we headed into to tour the temple. It was 5:30 am. That’s a really early tour.
It is truly amazing walking around so much ancient history and architecture. I find it hard to believe we’re able to walk around, with free access to almost everywhere. As the site becomes more congested with tourists, and more popular, I can’t imagine people will be able to walk next to the long walls where we stood, and touch the carvings that were done 1000 years ago. Almost every wall, pillar, or supporting column is covered with intricate carvings.
We toured Angkor Wat until almost 8:30, then took a break for breakfast and caffeine. Then we headed out to visit two more sites. The first site was huge, and full of hallways and rooms. Our guide walked us in and out of lots of secluded areas, not visited by most of the tourists. If we hadn’t had a guide, there’s no way I would have veered off into some of the areas where we ended up. We were crawling over tumbled walls and collapsed ceiings.
The final site of the day was about a half hour drive away, and smaller, but the carvings and designs were more intricate. Apparently the “designer/builder” had special permission from the king of the time to build a site where future “temple builders” could train. He had to be careful that he didn’t “outbuild” the King’s temple. They’re all impressive.
We finished our touring at 1:30, which seemed early on the clock (but late on our bodies). Back at the hotel, we enjoyed relaxing in the room. We decided not to travel into the city center area of Siem Reap. What we had seen was pretty much like every other “market” area we’ve visited. Neither of us were in a mood to fight off aggressive vendors or barter for stuff we really don’t want or need. It began to rain hard around 3:00 and we were so glad we were finished for the day.