Rest Day Siem Reap: Angkor Wat

December 26, 2006

After the long day yesterday, we start out slowly today.

First, we head for breakfast of croissants with butter and French cup of espresso coffee. Patrick is not feeling well this morning, like a starting of a cold since Bangkok. Possibly because of the dusty roads. He relaxes while Rachel checks out the neighboring hotel. We were supposed to move to a different room today, (Same same but different) but it turns out that room does not have hot water and is only available for one night. Rachel finds a nice room in the Bequest Hotel next door. Satellite TV, AC and hot water for $13. We relocate. Then we have lunch and arrange a tuk tuk to the temples.

Our first stop is the main temple of Angkor Wat with a brief stop to buy our week pass to the temples. We plan to stay in Siem Reap for a week, until after the New Year, so we buy a 7 day pass for $60USD each. Our tuk tuk driver drops us off at the Western Causeway to Angkor Wat. The ancient city and temple are first surrounded by a 190 meter wide moat, 1300 x 1500 meter long! The causeway crosses the moat on the east and west sides, we can see the Western entrance portico with the 5 spires of the main temple barely visible over the wall.

After crossing the moat, we enter through the outer wall and have our first view of the temple. Another causeway leads towards the huge building, it is packed with tourists. We are fortunate to have plenty of time, so there is no need to rush. We look at the outside of the temple from across the northern reflection pool and then enter into the temple and walk around the second level. We will save the bas-reliefs of the first level and the steep climb up to the third level for some other time.

We walk around and soak up the atmosphere, while Patrick snaps lots of pictures. No need now to count and conserve pictures as in the past, digital has changed that. Our next temple today is Bayon, a beautiful building in the midst of Angkor Thom, a walled city surrounded by an 8 meter high, 12km long wall. It is estimated over a million Khmers lived here in the day London was just a village. All the wooden houses, palaces and other buildings have long since disappeared, all that is left now are the stone monuments surrounded by thick jungle.

Bayon is known for its 54 stone towers with 216 faces, one on each side of each tower looking in all directions. We wander around the impressive ruins and find ourselves on the top platform with a couple hundred other tourists, just before sunset. when the light turns really nice. More pictures. A tuk tuk takes us back to town, just before sunset, we decide to do the sunset on Phnom Bakheng, a steep hill where hordes of tourists gather for the sunset, for another day.

We have shepherd's pie at the local Irish pub and enjoy our satellite TV channels until late.

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	2
Comment on this entry	Comment	0