Angkor Temples - Angkor Wat

After lunch we went to Angkor Wat, the main attraction. I wish we had seen it first because at that point I was tired and grumpy and didn't really want to be there anymore. I couldn't even tell you why I was grumpy.. I think from all the rushing around we've been doing, I prefer a more relaxed itinerary I think. I hope the rest of the trip isn't going to be this fast paced and busy. I'm sure it won't!

But anyway, I understand why we went to the other Temples first, because after seeing Angkor Wat the other ones aren't as awe inspiring. Still incredible and worth visiting but not as big or grand. All were equally busy though, which was probably contributing to my grumpiness, I really don't like crowds that leave no room for personal space.

There are only two gates giving access to the Temple, one at the east and one at the west. The temple is lined up perfectly too which is impressive, we used a compass to check! The east west orientation is partly to do with Chinese Fung Shui (how the heck do you spell that?) and also to do with the sun rising and setting. I guess on June 21 the sun is aligned perfectly with the top of the tower. We entered through the smaller, secondary gate and approached the temple from the back. There was a long walk to the temple and it offered some good views! The temple is definitely massive and showing signs of wear and tear. There are multiple courtyards inside and vast, tall walls. Pretty cool place! I really wanted to stay longer and just sit and soak in the peaceful feeling I was getting from being there. Surprisingly the temple seemed quiet even though there were TONS of tourists there. There were also a few monks scattered throughout doing their thing independent of the tourists wandering around. Was pretty cool :) We didn't wait in the two hour line to climb the steps to go to the upper, most holy portion of the temple though. Speaking of steps, the thing that amazed me the most about Angkor Wat was the incredibly steep stairs! Imagining people climbing those every day is crazy. My knees would not like that one little bit. I also really enjoyed all the little carvings scattered throughout the temple, and the wide variation in colouring of the stone. I know that the lighter coloured stones are more recent and come from restoration work, but the dark greys, blacks, and oranges are pretty cool! Definitely glad to have seen it.Read more