Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat Exceeds Expectation

We awoke a 4am to catch a flight out of Laos to Cambodia. The countries are very different. Cambodia, at least, Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat is located, is located in Southern Cambodia. It is incredibly hot. We arrived about 9am and it was already very sticky. I can’t tell you how much water we drank today, but it was a lot! Many bottles. To give an idea of how exhausting it is, we went directly from the plane to Angkor Wat, We could only walk through the complex until 11am because of the heat and humidity, then we went back to the hotel, checked in took a shower, and waited until 3pm to go back again for a few hours. The tropics are exhausting. This has to be one of the most unbelievable places in the world.

The ancient Khmer civilization bounced back and forth between Hindu and Buddhism – today according to our guide the Cambodians practice both. There are many, many temple complexes, some originally Buddhist, some Hindi, some switching over time. You have to drive from one complex to another. Each one has a separate character. You walk through and are amazed at what you are looking at: Angkor Wat (the largest Temple Complex) has amazing frescos and soaring towers. Angkor Thom (our favorite), was originally built directly as a Buddhist Temple with hundreds of carved giant Buddha heads. Ta Prohm looks like something out of a Stephen Spielberg horror movie. Giant trees have over the Temple and the roots of the trees are so strong that over time they can topple walls and whole buildings. There are bats flying everywhere, mosquitoes (hopefully without Malaria or Dengue Fever). When we first approached the Temple complex we thought we heard loud bells everywhere and it turned out to be the sound of the insects in the Jungle. It is very strange.

Above all, you are left with totally drenched clothing, sweaty and sticky like nothing we have ever experienced. It is exhausting to walk up and down among the ruins. On the other hand you are walking in some of the most amazing ruins we have ever seen. It is totally worth it, and worth the trip. More temples tomorrow.