Angkor Wat…Round 3

Hello Again, I hope this finds everyone well and in good spirits from the holidays! I wanted to share one last post from Cambodia before moving on. I was feeling hesitant to go to Angkor Wat since I had visited a couple of times before, but it is breathtaking and amazing. I had to buy an Angkor ticket to visit Beng Mealea, the Lady Temple, which I shared in an earlier post, so we stopped by just to catch sunrise on the way out of town.

The ticket was good for two days, within a 5 day period, so after talking with Chalky and a few others, I decided to see the rest of the complex in different way. The past two visits were in the much hotter, dry season when everything was brown. I had done marathon runs through all of the temples starting at sunrise and finishing at sundown. Although beautiful and exciting, it was also very exhausting. This time, Chalky promised just to take me to the more interesting temples for a few hours, and to show them to me from a bit different angle. Okay, okay!! 🙂

We started out in the afternoon at Ta Prohm, or the temple better known as the “Tomb Raider” temple from the movies. For those of you that know me, I’m not at all a movie watcher, so I never saw these, but I think for many, they are the first and only exposure to this amazing area.

Later, we were able to stop at the East Gate, or Victory Gate, which I have always wanted a picture of, but never been able to stop and really get one. This time, Chalky pulled off the road and we climbed up the side and even got a great view of the gate from the top. Later, we did a little photo shoot with his tuk-tuk for his marketing materials! It was so cool!

When we needed a break, we stopped for some fresh pineapple and a gentle walk…until suddenly I had a monkey on my head! Of course, armed with my camera in one hand and the sweet, delicious pineapple in the other, I was not willing to part with either. I just let it happen and waited until a nearby local came to my rescue and removed my new friend. He was very gentle, just a bit hungry. It is very sad, however, that there is so much plastic waste around the park and the monkeys often see it and try to get sugary drinks from the empty bottles.

As the afternoon grew later and the sun began to go down, we visited Bayon Temple, Preah Khan, and ended at Baphuon Temple for the sunset. When Chalky mentioned he had never climbed the stairs, the challenge was on! I think he really enjoyed the climbs! In the end, it was a beautiful day and very relaxing compared to the last two marathon runs! I’m so glad I took the time to do this!