Trusting the universe to guide me...: Temple Raiders

Sunrise over Angkor Wat

During my time living in Phuket I had always longed to travel to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city of Siem Reap has numerous temples worth visiting, including the one where the Hollywood file Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie was filmed. Numerous times I attempted to make the trip and for various reasons I never made it up there, so I knew this time around that it was a must. As the end of the trip was looming, Jess and I decided that during our long stint in Thailand we would take the short trip up to Cambodia for a couple nights to make this happen. We had too much we wanted to do after Thailand and that stop would cut into valuable time we wanted to spend in Laos and Vietnam. I did not have a great desire to spend a lot of time in Cambodia, as long as I could see the temples I would be happy. So we booked our ticket for the jaunt and headed up to make this long awaited dream a reality.

Tuk-tuk rides were a highlight!

Our flight was quite early so we woke up around 4:30am and quickly made our way to the airport. Our hotel had arranged an airport transfer for us, so we had a lovely tuk-tuk driver waiting for us at the airport. From traveling to India, Thailand and Indonesia I have become acquainted with the tuk-tuk as a common mode of transportation. The fun part is that all these places have their own take on the tuk-tuk, and in Cambodia their version was basically a motorbike with a carriage attached. It was Jess's first tuk-tuk ride so that was super fun, it is a great way to check out the scenery and enjoy a nice breeze. Our first impression of Siem Reap was nice, not as trafficky as many of the other Asian cities we had visited and the people all were quite warm and friendly. The Mekong river runs through the city so there are many little bridges that light up in the evening.

Pub Street

Bridge across the Mekong

Another lit up bridge

Our hotel was situated near Pub Street which is the happening spot filled with restaurants, bars and food stalls and the night market close by. We enjoyed strolling around this area and stopped at this cute little spot to enjoy some 50 cent draft beers. We encountered a few groups of traveling ladies from the states, and two girls that even used to take Jess's old bus route to work which was funny. Overall we felt there was a large American presence here, as well as a substantial expat community in the city. Cambodia has a French colonial influence so there are also many little cafes and some French looking architecture. We felt safe and comfortable walking around and both agreed we would come back to this place to explore more if we had the chance down the line.

Sunrise is a popular event at Angkor Wat

Hangin' with our tuk-tuk driver/guide KD - he was awesome!

The next day was temple day, and the best way to see the temple is at sunrise. For the second day in a row we got up bright and early at 4:30am and met our tuk-tuk guide, KD, for the tour. Special thank you to my step-sister Emily's mom Carol who recommended the hotel and the tuk-tuk driver, she has spent a lot of time in Cambodia and was a wealth of knowledge. KD was awesome, he seemed to know all the short cuts and was even passing other tuk-tuks as we made our way to the ticket office, we felt as if we were in an exciting race like that old game show Legends of the Hidden Temple. We got our tickets and made it to Angkor Wat for sunrise, it was incredible to see how many people were there for the event (definitely in the 100s). We spent the next eight hours or so (easy to do when you get up that early) exploring Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm (the tomb raider temple) and multiple other small temples along the way. They were all incredible, my favorite was Ta Prohm which is overgrown with trees and has a very magical feel to it. Angkor Thom was also really cool as it has 216 carved faces in the structure. It was a long day and super hot, I think Jess recorded that we walked over five miles and that included a lot of stairs so we were definitely tired by the end of the afternoon. The next morning we headed back to Phuket, pleased we had the chance to experience some of the famous temples of Cambodia. Hard to really describe how it feels to explore these amazing temple grounds and pictures never really do a place like this justice, but I have included some shots to give you an idea.

Magic hour

Angkor Wat Information:
Angkor Wat (Khmer:"Capital Temple") is a temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world, with the site measuring 162.6 hectares (1,626,000 m²; 402 acres). It was originally constructed as a Hindu temple of god Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, gradually transforming into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura (Khmer: present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Breaking from the Shaiva tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia,appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

Just after sunrise - time to explore!

Angkor Wat with some rock stacks from previous visitors

Can you spot the moon?

Walking the grounds

Many doorways to pass through

Paying respects

One of the alters inside

Corridors seem to go on forever

Looking out

Monkeys on the rooftop

Enjoying the early morning light in a sacred place

Beautiful architecture

Bas relief carvings cover the walls and tell many stories

Dancing ladies bas relief

Monk blessings for good luck

Angkor Thom (Bayon) Information:
The Bayon is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom. Following Jayavarman's death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences.
The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and smiling stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak.The temple is known also for two impressive sets of bas-reliefs, which present an unusual combination of mythological, historical, and mundane scenes. The current main conservatory body, the Japanese Government Team for the Safeguarding of Angkor (the JSA) has described the temple as "the most striking expression of the baroque style" of Khmer architecture, as contrasted with the classical style of Angkor Wat.

Elephant rides into Angkor Thom as seen from our tuk-tuk

Gateway to Angkor Thom

Jess and I at the front of Angkor Thom temple

A few of the many faces of Angkor Thom

Beautiful carvings

Oh hey there

Monks all around

Monk temple tour - this was a smaller temple nearby Angkor Thom

Beautiful setting

Messing around trying to beat the heat

Obligatory yoga in a sacred place shot

Ta Prohm Information:
Ta Prohm is the modern name of the temple built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara. Located approximately one kilometre east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray, it was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm is in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors. UNESCO inscribed Ta Prohm on the World Heritage List in 1992. Today, it is one of the most visited complexes in Cambodia’s Angkor region. The conservation and restoration of Ta Prohm is a partnership project of the Archaeological Survey of India and the APSARA (Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap).