Today we were lucky to have a bit of a sleep in with everyone waking up excited to visit Angkor Wat, one of the major areas of interest in the Pagodas team. Even with the hottest day we’ve had so far this trip, we visited three temples that looked like a stunning movie set and one temple actually being a movie set! Most of us explored the temples in small groups, but a few of us chose to walk around on our own as we then got more of a chance to take photos and take in the ancient structures. Although a lot of us felt affected by the heat, we still managed to stay positive and focused on taking home a good experience at the Angkor Wat Temples.
First of all, we visited the more historical side of the Wats by exploring Bayon Temple. Even with the restoration projects happening, we walked through narrow areas and up steep staircases covered with moss, and we got a bit lost while walking through what seemed to be a maze. The size of the temple felt overwhelming as there was so much to see and explore, so we didn’t get the chance to cover every corner of the ancient ruins. There were so many tourist groups especially at Angkor Wat, all keen to learn about the history of the temples.
At Ta Promh, the second temple we visited, the relationship between nature and mankind was magnificent to see. From tree roots growing up against the walls of the temple, to insects crawling between rocks, the nature was definitely the highlight of the historic monument. The temple was also a set for the movie Tomb Raider which lots of people coming to the temple to see a Hollywood set instead of taking in the nature and beauty of what was happening around themselves. It was an interesting place with it being a Hindu temple in a country that mostly practices Buddhism. After walking around for two hours and taking in all the sights, we all headed to lunch being exhausted from walking around in the sun for a this time.
After a nice refreshing drink and a big meal we wandered around Angkor Wat – the biggest temple of the grounds by far. Angkor Wat was a lot larger and busier than the other two temples, where we got the chance to experience one of the great wonders of the world. While walking through the Wat, we saw monkeys on the roof and even got the chance to take some photos of them. We took some time out to stroll through the gardens and appreciate the atmosphere. After finishing up at the temples, we took a bus back to the hotel to freshen up and get ready for yet another night at the markets. With that we split off into groups and strolled around the vibrant city of Siem Reap for the last time before heading off on a long bus ride to Phnom Penh tomorrow.
Yasmin and Adrian
