Big day, Ankgor Wat was on the menu, the biggest attraction in Cambodia. 4:30 was my wake up call, but the early bedtime last night combined with the excitement to visit the temple had me awake in no time. The morning was dark and very cold. With the temple situated in the jungle, only the half moon lit the way. Before sunrise, the main temple was filled with eager individuals all awaiting the first morning light of Christmas at Angkor Wat.
Clouds filled the sky above, and only parts of the horizon were clear enough for the sun to peek through. Despite all the wait and anticipation, within minutes the sun had disappeared into the clouds just overlooking the horizon. Angkor was built in the early 11th century, discovered in the 17th century, founded as a Archaeological Park in 1925, and finally made part of the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992. Angkor Wat is now made of up 52 Temples within the 2,500 sq/km region. So getting around by foot is out of the question. For this reason, the park offers 1-day, 3-day, and 1-week admissions. With only a 1-day admission pass, I had to choose the nicest and most popular temples.
Angkor Wat was the most famous monument of Angkor. Built by Suryarman II from 1113 to 1150 and known as Vrah Vishnuloka, the “Sacred Abode of Vishnu” was dedicated to the second deity of the Trimurti. The present name means, “Royal city [that is] a monestery,” and in the 13th century was transformed from the Vishnuite sanctuary into a Buddhist wat – a word of Thai origin that means monastery. Angkor Wat was by far my favorite Temple. Many of the etchings in stone haven’t faded and much of the architecture stood stood intact.
The heart of Angkor was the Great Capital which the Buddhists called Angkor Thom. The capital housed one million, including courts, priests, high officials, and bureaucrats, while some of the common people lived outside the fortifications. Angkor Thom is enclosed by massive literate walls that delimit a square area of 3km per side. The wall stood 8m high, boarded by a 6m deep moat.
Bayon was the second stop. Considered to be a Hindu sanctuary, only in 1925 was it recognized as Buddhist. No one knows when it was built because it was altered so many times. Many things are said about this temple, but I won’t bore you with them. How about pictures instead!
Baphuon was situated 200m away from Bayon and was built in 1060. This structure was an exceptionally large temple mountain that eventually collaped because of poor engineering that didn’t match their architectural aspirations. A long bridge leading up to the temple was placed near four pools.
It was time for lunch and some quick shopping at the market. I found two amazing Cambodian paintings I just had to have. If you’re ever in Cambodia, and you appreciate their art, I recommend purchasing some.
Banteay Srei was situated 20km away from Angkor Thom. In 967, the small and extremely elegant temple was not built by a sovereign but by two Brahmans, Yagnnavarah and his younger brother Vishnukumara, who were wealthy landowners in the area. Later rebuilt in 1931, it was one of the first Angkor monuments to be rebuilt and is one of the best preserved. I found this temple to have the best preserved stone etchings out of all the temples I’ve visited so far. The temple is small but fascinating, but if you’re visiting for only a day, I wouldn’t recommend seeing this temple.
Ta Prohm was my last stop of the day. It was also close to sunset, so I had a very limited amount of time to go through the park. The temple was first consecrated in 1186, and occupies 2.47 acres of the land on its own. What makes this temple so interesting is the abundance of trees which are choking and overrunning the structures within. “Hi, i’m Ta Prohm! You may remember me in such movies as Tomb Raider and …” (speaking like Troy McClure from the Simpsons).
The Siem Reap Night Market was the last stop of the day. I was exhausted by the end of the night, and my feet just wouldn’t listen either. The local food just outside the market was very cheap. For a dollar I was able to score some Chicken fried rice. I had already done my shopping, so for the rest of the evening I just enjoyed walking around the market during my last night in Cambodia.
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