Angkor Wat & Angkor Tom

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February 26, 2011 – Friday
Weather – Overcast & humid

By 5:45 am we were on the Causeway heading for Angkor Wat. This was our opportunity to view the single largest religious monument at sun rise.

Still dark we carefully travelled over uneven ground, up and down stairs to our special viewing point. We sat on the board walk patiently testing our cameras to ensure that we would get that perfect picture.

At 6:15 am the silence was broken as the crickets began their morning serenade. At 6:45 am it was obvious that we would not see the sun rise due to the humidity and overcast sky.

Oh well, I guess we’ll just have to pick up a few post cards from the children as we return to our van . Back to the hotel for breakfast and a rest before heading back to Angkor Wat and Angkor Tom.

Okay its late Saturday night and I feel like I am failing my grade of Blogging 101. It is so difficult to be up at the crack of dawn and back late in the evening, so I'll give you the highlights and if you are interested in more information you'll either have to google it or drop over for a glass of wine once we get home.

Angkor Wat is the largest temple in the world, build in the 12th century and took approximately 30 years to build. Angkor Tom also built in the 12th century is called The Great City and contains the Bayon temple and a 300 meter terrace of elephants. Dedicated n 987 it is one of the oldest temples in the area. The Bayon temple ha 216 large smiling faces carved on the 54 towers, making this monument very majestic.

Angkor Wat and Angkor Tom is everything we expected it to be and more. Fortunately there aren't a lot of tourists so there were very few line ups.

We are loving Siem Reap.....its an extremely busy little city due to the tourist industry. Food is excellent and dirt cheap, like dinner for four is 12$US, so we tend to be big tippers and left 20 bucks. Market shopping is also value and using the motor taxi (tuc tuc) within the downtown area is 2$US.

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Photos

Baynon Temple, Siem Reap
Smiling Face

Baynon Temple, Siem Reap
Anneli