If you ask anyone about Cambodian
temples they will probably only be able to name
Angkor Wat. Even if
they did realise there were other temples they would generally have
lumped them all under the one title. I know I did before this holiday.
Our tour guide had recommended that we
aim to get to the temple to see the sunrise. And, he said, we'd get
there before the crowds of Chinese tourists who flood the place from
about 8:30am. So it was up at 4am for a 4:45am pickup. It was still
dark by the time we got to the temple at around 5:15. We had a good
spot the the sunrise was a little disappointing. Some yellows and
grays but not a lot else. Still, you can't dial up a sunrise to
specification so there was no point in complaining about it. It's all
just the luck of the draw.
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| Angkor Wat silhouette showing the five towers |
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| The crowds build |
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| The sun puts in an appearance |
A quick bite from our breakfast packs
supplied by the hotel and it was off exploring the complex before
7am. It's big. Really big.
There are restoration projects underway
which are aimed at replacing some of the collapsed towers. Most of
the funds are coming from international organisations under the
direction of UNESCO. I hope the work continues and it isn't rushed.
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| Main temple causeway |
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| Looking down from the main tower entrance |
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| Main tower |
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| Wall carvings featuring apsara |
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| Wide view of the inner complex |
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| Bas-reliefs |
By the time we exited the temple at
around 8:45am, hot and sweaty, the crowds were really starting to
build up. Large numbers of buses were already sitting in the parking
station and we were glad to move on to
Bayon temple which is part of
the nearby
Angkor Thom complex. This temple is probably the second
most popular due to the numerous small towers, each with four massive
stone faces. Added to this are two impressive bas-reliefs which
depict everyday life, as well as historical and mythological scenes.
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| External view of Bayon |
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| Bas-reliefs |
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| Tower face |
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| Bayon small tower |
If the crowds at Bayon were anything
to go by Angkor Wat must have been absolutely packed. There were people everyone, most of whom seemed to be wanting to take selfies in various poses highlighted against the temple faces. I don't understand this need to have your photo taken in front of every statue,monument or painting you come across. And they take so long about it. I was hot and tired and my basic grumpy nature was coming to the fore. It doesn't take a lot to bring that on.
By 11am we were
done, totally. A quick stop at a silk shop and we were back at the
hotel by noon.
A good day but a very tiring one.
The afternoon consisted of naps, some
swimming in the hotel pool, a beer and a bit of food, before a wander
through an artisan market in the evening. We were asleep by 9pm.
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