The morning started off with a 9 am start. The extra hour of sleep was needed because we had a very busy day ahead of us. After the classic breakfast of rice and assorted noodles, meats, etc at the hotel, we hopped on our bus and headed off for the enormous temple complex that made up the political and spiritual center of the ancient Angkor kingdom. The first site we visited was the huge gate into Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom was like a city with a collection of huge temples strewn inside its massive walls, surrounded by a protective 30-meter wide moat covered in lily pads. The walls were covered with bas reliefs, which is when the carvings look like they are embossed on the stone, and told stories of ancient battles and Hindu epics . We walked through the West entrance on foot and headed to our first temple of the day, Bayon.
We got to go up onto the third level of the temple, after touring around the gallery on the outside wall. The stairs were incredibly steep and narrow, and we were all out of breath after going up just once. The third level was filled with giant, intricately carved faces that were designed to blend the king's face with that of the Hindu god, Vishnu, and looked like they were following you everywhere you walked. After that we drove to four different temples, each more beautiful than the last. Some of these temples were less crowded, so we had to opportunity to find a peaceful spot to sit and take in the undisturbed scenery. The third temple, Ta Prohm, was nearly everyone's favorite, with its walls wrapped by huge sponge trees, and their roots draping over us almost creating a roof. Our guide said that government scientists had figured out that some of the trees were almost 350 years old, but that paled in comparison to the temples' 1200 years. After our event-filled morning we stopped at a restaurant called the Blue Pumpkin to grab lunch before going to the day's main attraction, Angkor Wat.
Just walking across the huge bridge into Angkor Wat was impressive. Its massive moat had been dug completely by humans and it looked more like a river than anything man-made, and the monkeys who clustered around it kept us all pretty entertained and alert, since the monkeys like to chase anyone they think might be carrying food. As we approached the temple behind our guide, Por Heng, we all thought about the sweat and tears that must have gone into building of not just Angkor Wat, but all of the temples in the Siem Reap area. The temple was filled with beautiful carvings on the walls and a multitude of tunnels, with endless opportunities to explore the architecture and history. During our hour and a half break, we were able to climb up to the top level of Angkor Wat. Despite waiting in the long line for the top level, the scenery and architecture were unbelievable. We were able to see a clear view of the crumbling stone walls and passageways, as well as the rolling green hills and trees surrounding us. After a quiet bus ride back into town, we enjoyed a nice Khmer dinner and went back to the hotel very tired from a full day.
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The faces of Bayon
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Bas relief at Bayon
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From the top of Angkor Wat
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In front of Angkor Wat
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