We gathered in the hotel lobby at 4:30 on a recent Sunday morning. A dozen of us shuffled through the doors and climbed
into tuk-tuks for the 20 minute ride to the most prominent ancient Buddhist temple,
and the largest religious monument, on this planet. The pre-dawn departure allowed us to reach
Angkor Wat well before sunrise and look across the reflection pond as the sun slowly revealed itself and the great temple in the process. Clouds on the horizon prevented a dramatic
sunrise, but camera shutters fluttered nonetheless.
After sunrise, several of us continued exploring the vast grounds beyond
Angkor Wat, known as Angkor Thom, enjoying more temples, terraces, and
statues. Bayon, the best preserved temple
in Angkor Thom, features carved faces on the many towers.
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| The bridge on the way to Angkor Thom |
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| Bayon |
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| Bayon - if you look closely you can see the faces on each side of the tower |
Angkor Thom once boasted a population 1,000,000 strong, and the rulers
would proudly look over its marching military forces from the elephant terrace.
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| Elephant terrace in Angkor Thom |
The unanimous favorite temple was Ta Prohm, which is quite literally
being swallowed by huge trees, which give the entire site a fanciful vibe.
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| Ta Prohm and its ambitious trees |
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