The Magnificent Angkor Wat
Trip Start
Unknown
1
3
11
Trip End
Ongoing
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Arrived Siem Reap at about 3 p.m by car after 6 hours ride from Phnom Penh.Checked into the Borei Angkor.Took two deluxe rooms booked through Agoda.
Rooms are good size and clean.Poor lighting in room and bathroom.Towels are old and have lost the fluffs.Internet connection erratic.Otherwise, rooms are quite comfortable if these minor irritations can be rectified.Location not close to other conveniences.About 10 minutes ride to downtown, where all the actions are.
Too tired to do anything.Retired early.
Day 2: 8th Nov
Angkor Wat
Left hotel at 5.45 a.m to catch sunrise over Angkor Wat.Arrived there and shocked to find there were hundreds if not thousand of tourists already there, frustrating my hope of taking pictures of the place without images of tourists appearing in my photographs
Sunrise at Angkor Wat
.Entry to the whole complex cost U$20 per day.If you intend to visit for a few days it is cheaper to buy the 3-day ticket which cost US$40.Buy ticket at the gate which is over 1 kilometre away from Angkor Wat proper.
This is the most magnificent spellbinding ancient piece of architecture I have seen so far.I have seen the Pyramid, the Great Wall, Borobudur and other smaller wonders of the ancient world but this is the most astounding.This amazing wonder has a moat surrounding it that makes the moats around ancient European castles looked like child's play.There were five magnificent towers and countless chambers in this very complex building.
There are thousands of tourists visiting this place each day, so be prepared to queue up if you are going through some of the narrow alleyways. There are tourists throughout the day but I was told, launch time, would be the quietest time when most tourists have gone back to their hotels for lunch.
Be prepared to do a lot of walking and look where you walk, shuffling your feet may cause you to trip.There are many obstacles to avoid on the walkways and overhead
Angkor Wat
.This is not the only building in the whole complex.There are many others,quite a distance from each other and you need either a car or hire a tuk-tuk to take you around to all the places like The Bayon,Terrace of Elephants,The Baphuon and those temples around Angkor Thom.
Phnom Bakheng is the place I made a mistake to visit late,reputedly a great place to view the rise and fall of the sun over the distant Angkor Wat.The 10 minutes walk uphill to the pyramid like building was a waste, by the time I reached there, almost all available spaces have been taken up by hundreds of tourists.I have to scrap my idea of photographing the sunset which require the use of a tripod.If you want to watch the sunset, go a bit early, early bird catches the worm.
Ta Prohm, where the jungle almost swallowed the temple, where giant ficus roots have grown over some of the ruins. This is where Angelina Jolie filmed the cinematic adventures Lara Croft.It has a series of dark galleries and pillars.
I will not elaborate my visits to the other temples, I will let the guide book do the job
Ta Prohm
.As I have only one day to spare to see everything I possibly can, it was a bit of a rush, very exhausting, but nevertheless most fulfilling.
This is the most successful single ancient masterpiece.It attracts tourists from all over the globe and brought US$1.0 billion every year in tourism dollar.There are other historical sites scattered all over the country but this is the best and more than enough for those who love history of the ancient world.
I don't mind to came back to this place,spend a few days to take more photos.
Day 3: 9th Nov
8.30 a.m;Returned to Phnom Penh by car.
