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.