It seems that the best time to view any significant natural or man made wonder is at sunset or sunrise. I'm not really sunrise compatible but today it was worth getting up extra early, 4AM I think to be some of the first at the main temple of Angor Vat The temple is the main attraction for tourists and is even featured on the national flag. We entered the temple from the East gate, only accessible by small transport or foot. In the photo below this is on the right hand side.
Shelley takes in the view over the jungle as the sun slowly rises (above) The temple is full of reliefs (large wall sized carvings) depicting scenes from Hindu beliefs, our guide Tek an excellent story teller talked us through many of them whilst we walked with the huge temple walls.
Above, the Western gate and below some classic views of the temple. Our guide Tek was from a local village and remembers that even in the 1990's the temple had mounted machine guns to protect it from the Khmer Rouge who were still fighting a guerrilla war in the North of Cambodia. He told us that his farther was part of a village patrol against the KR, he remembers the AK-47 kept in the house, which when his farther was out he used to play with.
Again after a few hours of relaxation at the hotel we ventured out again, this time to visit the temple best know by Hollywood. The Tomb Raider films, starring Angelina Joline were filmed here. The temple of Ta Phrohm has left been left to nature and the roots of the sponge tress are slowly pushing the temple apart as you can see in the photos below. Many parts of the temple are unstable, if this was anywhere else in the World you probably wouldn't be allowed in. Next to the temple was this straw house, a reminder that 80% of Cambodians are farmers.
As we were finishing our tour the wind picked up, the rain started and the temple certainly looked as though it was going to fall down around us. With 200m back to the road we were going to get a shower. We were saved though by our tuk tuk driver who at the sign of rain had run from the road with some very fancy parasoles. As you can see from the photos below, when it rains here it really rains. The bottom photo is the road outside our hotel.
Highlights: Angkor Wat at sunrise and the film set feel of Ta Phromh
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