• Day 314: Angkor Wat

    19 novembre 2024, Cambogia ⋅ ☁️ 91 °F

    Today was a big day. After a fierce debate on what times we thought Angkor Wat would be the best to visit to avoid crowds and optimize schedule, heat, money, health, we decided to aim for the late afternoon. Picked up breakfast sandwiches and left our hostel around 11:30.

    Siem Reap is home to many Khmer temples and shrines. Angkor Wat is the most popular and we decided to visit 4 unique locations in addition.

    Started with Ta Prohm and Ta Keo. Ta Prohm is a 12th century Buddhist temple with forest and trees growing directly through the buildings. It was amazing to see the massive trees with their root structures intertwined in the stone. This is famous for being in the movie "Tomb Raider". Next was Ta Keo, known for its steep steps and impressive view. We scrambled up the uneven steps to get to the top, and obtain any amount of breeze we could. Today was a hot day so we took a few minutes at the top to appreciate the shade and fresh air.

    Third was Bayon Temple. As we arrived, we noticed a large group of monkeys that didn't seem afraid of people. We ran over to the monkeys and got some good pictures. Our relaxed guard around them would come back and bite us in the ass later. We walked throughout Bayon Temple and appreciated the Buddhas and monkeys in the temple. When we left, we decided to get some drinks before heading to Angkor Wat. Mary had finished her iced coffee and was holding the plastic cup when one of the monkeys jumped on her, swatting the cup out of her hand. We quickly realized why they were so friendly as we watched him drink the sugary coffee off the ground.

    Last was Angkor Wat, the largest religious complex in the world; it is both a Hindu and Buddhist temple and was built in the 12th century. We arrived right around 3:30pm which turned out to be perfect. We managed to dodge the midday heat and the last surge of crowds coming for sunset. Angkor Wat is so big that it takes 10-15 minutes to walk from the entrance to the main temple. The central, tallest tower of Angkor is accessible to the public and considered a pilgrimage for Buddhist monks. Because we dressed conservatively, we were permitted to climb up and fully enjoy the temple and its surroundings.

    With our large tour of temples finished, we went back to the hostel for some rest and a beer. The pool at our hostel was a welcome treat after such a hot day. Kieran craved Mexican food and our path took us down the famous Pub Street; we got to see the street come alive with the various bars, clubs, and restaurants.

    Food:
    Morning glory

    Spots:
    Angkor Wat
    Bayon Temple
    Ta Prohm
    Ta Keo
    Leggi altro