Amazingly Angkor

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My watch started beeping at 4:30am. I let it go for awhile, letting it sink in that today we would get to see Angkor Wat at sunrise, a somewhat prized right of passage for any visitor to Cambodia. After being here a week volunteering, learning, understanding a small piece of cambodia's history, seeing the same people over and over again, gaining a routine...bike....icecream...shower....nap, it felt time to be the true tourist. Even the day before, Jacinta and i biked to the temples, which was the opposite of tourist, who all used tuk-tuks, small carriage driven by a motorbike. Today we we going to herd in with the rest.....and enjoy the scenery.

We all hoped, surrounded by darkness, into the tuk-tuk, Jadinta, eli, jaime and myself. i found myself cold for the first time since arriving in cambodia. the heat of the day you remember, but the evenings are always so pleasant that you forget how much cooler it does get. 20 minutes in, we were nearing Angkor Wat - one of the most beautiful temples of the Angkor Empire which was at its height in the 1200's. But you could only see darkness, which had it been my first time there would have been pretty amazing. But my first time seeing it was the day before around 8am, which was what the tour guide book said should never be the time of yourfirst visit to Angkor, oh well.

we fumbled into the temple, not being with a tour group or thinking enough to bring our own flashlight. We found a seat among the ruins and waited for about 30 minutes before the blues and purples started emerging beyond the temples. my camera didn't do the sights justice.

it was pretty amazing. we all played for awhile...then headed back to town for breakfast and a big name.

The Trailblazers Foundation.....please read below! .
i have mentioned much about the water filters (which costs only $45) i helped to make, but never added the website with all the information about the amazing people who are the brains and hearts behind this organzation. They do much more than just fresh water, which is alot in itself.....

if you have a moment...

TrailBlazers

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Photos

The doors to Angkor Wat.
just after sunset, and more importantly after the mass crowds who were there to photograph the sunset dispersed. these were the straggling remainders

The sun also rises
....here in cambodia.

Overlooking the kindgom
Eli and Jaime in the shadows overlooking a tiny portion of the vast empire of Angkor

The beginning
AFter about a half hour of stumbling around in the darkness....angkor wat began to appear.

Temple climbers
Jaime, Eli and jacinda (in the blue in the background) had the whole angkor wat as our playground. most people were still outside taking pictures of the sunrise.