Angkor Wat
Woke up at 5am, out the door by 5:30, headed to Angkor Wat for sunrise. Got there with just enough time to soak in the cool sky before the sun changed its darks to vibrant. My eyes magnified and my camera lens ready. The silhouette of the temple only tightened as the burning orange orb rose from behind it. You could feel so much more than heat as the shade fell away. You could feel the power of the temple, the sound of the silence, and the appreciation of those who also came to witness the beauty and check this monument off their bucket list. I feel as if this was one of the slowest sunrises I've ever seen, such an interesting thing how perception of time can vary so drastically. I was able to capture the photos I had imagined and still have more than enough time to soak in the experience, such a rarity.
I continued on, into the temple where the walls were covered in detailed carvings of the gods and past stories of war and sacrifice.
Our guide Sunny explained the temple took 37 years to build, over 300,000 workers and 40,000 elephants. Another fun fact is no building in Siem Reap is allowed to be over 5 stories tall, which is the height of Angkor Wat. The temple was grand with no question, but being so large I felt it was almost over bearing and it was 100x more crowded than the temples we had seen the day before.
Our next stop was Banteay Srei , the woman temple. It's been named this because it holds the most intricate carvings. The most detailed of all the temples in Siem Reap, and in my opinion along with most others, the most beautiful. It also is the only one made of a pink sand stone. It was a 40min drive from the main cluster of temples, but well worth it. I was fascinated how well it had lasted after all these years, being completed in 967AD. There were barricades blocking off people from walking to closely to the heart of the temple so spectators only got to enjoy the carvings on the outer walls and pillars up close.
After absorbing this temple and mixing heat in as a factor it was hard to soak in any more monuments, or anything really. My brain was fried from information overload and my eyes visually over stimulated. I can confidently say that having 2 full days to explore Angkor is enough. I also heavily advise hiring a guide, truly makes all the difference in the world being told exactly what you’re looking at. What this carving means, or who that god was, or the significance of that statue. So many details slip through the cracks if you don’t have someone helping point them out. I could try to go on and on of the complexity of this city, of its beauty and the hardship its gone through, but it’s simply something that you have to go and see for yourself because it’s an incredibly powerful place.
