asia, siem reap

Angkor Wat

The early wakeup call at 4:30AM wasn't all that pleasant, but with only a few hours left in Cambodia, we wanted to make sure we saw as much as possible.  We were scheduled to join Brenda and Bill on a guided trip to Angkor Wat for sunrise. Clouds prevented a dramatic sunrise, but also keep the very warm temperatures at bay for another hour or so.  After walking through much of Angkor Wat we also visited Ta Prohm (the Jungle Temple) and revisited Angkor Thom and the Elephant Terrace before returning to the hotel around 10AM.

Angkor Wat is the largest and best preserved temple at the Angkor site.  It is also the only one which has been converted from Hindu to Buddhist religious orientation.  It is also the only temple to face West instead of East which has caused some scholars to believe it was intended to serve as a funeral temple.

Ta Prohm also know as the Jungle Temple, is one of the largest sites at Angkor. Having been left untouched by archaeologists, it is one "which had best merged with the jungle, but not yet to the point of becoming a part of it"

Back at the hotel, we quickly cleaned up, repacked and had breakfast before departing to the airport.  The Bangkok Airways flight, operated on turboprop equipment, was comfortable and a short 45 minutes to Bangkok.  We were met outside of customs by a driver from the Four Seasons Hotel.