Angkor Wat Feels

Watching Discovery Channel and National Geographic documentaries with my dad while growing up is what sparked my desire to visit Cambodia. I remember that Ancient Megastructures episode that showcased the construction of Angkor Wat, leaving me in awe at how the rocks from Khulen Mountain were transported by manual labor for almost three decades. Not to mention my fascination with the ancient Cambodian customs and the grandiosity of ancient Cambodia. It was that moment that I promised myself that someday I will come to Cambodia and see the Angkor Wat for myself.

After too much drama and overthinking, the time has finally come to fulfill this nerdy childhood dream.

Joining a tour group is the most convenient and practical way to lessen the expenses. Our tour group was supervised by the awesome Mr. Chenla Mao. We were fetched by the van at 5:00am sharp so that we can get purchase our passes in order for us to watch the sunrise above the Angkor Wat. There are different kinds of passes that are good for one to seven days. I got the one day pass for US $20. When you purchase your pass, your photo will be taken and it's going to be printed on the card. Make sure to keep your pass in a safe place because you wouldn't want to lose it. Some temples require showing the guards your pass before going in.

When I saw the silhouette of the Angkor Wat gate, I had to fight the urge to scream "#%*@&$! ETO NAAAA!!!!" Hahaha. There were already many tourists so I had to look for a suitable spot and outmaneuver them so their heads won't block my view. Chenla couldn't have picked a better spot because this is a sight to behold:

Angkor Wat sunrise y'all!

FYI: I had to crawl at the edge of the muddy/swampy area to get this shot. Look Ma, no tourist heads! Haha.

I would recommend hiring a tour guide for this trip. It is nice to have someone explain something that you're looking at. And besides, the complex is huge so you wouldn't know which one to go to first unless you've extensively read on it and have built your own itinerary.

For the most part, we explored the temples within Angkor Thom City. My personal favorites are Bayon Temple and Ta Prohm, also known as the Tomb Raider Temple. When you look at it, you might say to yourself that "Duh, they all look the same" but it is fascinating to know that each temple within Angkor Thom City has different influences. 

I also applaud the efforts of restoring the temples, though I didn't get to see all of the temples because of it. The Cambodian government teamed up with teams from other countries such as Japan, India, Germany, and China to preserve the integrity of each structure.

Here are some of the photos:

Bayon Temple

This head reminds me of Olmec in the Nickelodeon game show,
Legends of the Hidden Temple 

Phimeanakas

Ta Prohm

That Banyan Tree

Another side of Ta Prohm which reminds me of Temple Run

Yours truly :P 

Angkor Wat is another story. It was initially believed that it was constructed as a burial ground for King Suryavarman II. There are Hindu and Khmer inscriptions in the wall that tells us somehing about the Churning Ocean of Milk that has something to do with the balance between the good and the bad. Like I said earlier, hiring a guide is a good thing. As of my case, Chenla explained the history and inscriptions very well; he answered my questions intelligently so I got to appreciate the traditional beliefs of the Ancient Cambodians. 

The Angkor Wat is accessible from the west gate of Angkor Thom City  

This structure is known as the Stairway to Heaven 

The view from above 

The middle of the three peaks

One day is not enough to visit all temples. I am looking forward to come back and explore other temples within the complex. The Angkor Wat Complex is truly a fascinating structure that continues to enthrall me with the wonders of the past.

This is another item off my bucket list. Oh yeah!