(Part 2) The Heat and Holiness of Cambodia: Angkor Wat and the Little Circuit Temples

- April 16, 2019, Tuesday.

- Talking about tourism in Cambodia will never be complete without its famed structure, the Angkor Wat (it also appears on the flag of Cambodia.) Other temples that have gained worldwide recognition such as the Bayon Temple and the Ta Prohm (also known as the "Tomb Raider Temple,) are also frequently mentioned after the Angkor Wat. All these temples and more belong to the group of temples called the "Little Circuit."

- On my second day in Cambodia, I woke up around 4am, had a quick breakfast, and got ready for the private Angkor Wat sunrise tour that I booked through my hostel. I think the tour was worth around 20 USD since it also included a trip to the major temples of the Little Circuit. The sunrise tour is done to see the sunrise at the Angkor Wat. Hindu temples, especially ancient ones, have been known for their particular attention to the four cardinal directions. However, as most Hindu temples were built to face east to face he sunrise, the Angkor Wat is rather unusual as it was built facing west. However, this peculiarity has made the Angkor Wat the perfect temple to go to to see the majestic sunrise (photo below!!)

- Riding a tuktuk in Siem Reap at dawn made me realize how "dark" Siem Reap was especially as we approached the Angkor Archaeological Park, where the temples are swallowed by the endless jungle. The only light source we had was from my tuktuk's motorcycle, and vehicles of other early travelers. I was also scared that maybe denizens of the forest - animal or supernatural - might appear out of nowhere (thankfully nothing appeared and I had a safe early morning journey.) I also noticed that even without the sun, Siem Reap was still hot. Although it was a lot more tolerable as the sun was still out, there was no early-morning breeze whatsoever, and I still felt hot. By the way, just a tip. For bigger temples, ALWAYS ASK YOUR DRIVER WHICH EXIT TO MEET YOU. Some temples have more than one entrance/exit, and it can be confusing. I know that many blogs and travel sites/books will

- I arrived quite early so I as able to secure a spot near the front of the big pond in front of the temple. This is the best spot to take photos as arriving late will mean getting a spot behind around 300 tourists, some of whom may unintentionally prevent you from taking that postcard-worthy shot. As the sun rose, I understood why there was much fuss about seeing the temple at this time - it was jaw-dropping, like a painting before my eyes. Perhaps this was the second best tourist moment I've experience, the first being standing in front of India's Taj Mahal no matter what time of the day (see my so-far latest trip to the Taj Mahal here)

No edits.

Like a painting.

- When the sun was completely up, I decided to explore the temple. Built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman, it initially served as a Vaishnavite temple (i.e. a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu,) before later rulers repurposed it to be a Buddhist temple. Today, it stands proudly not only as the most important monument of Cambodia, but also the largest religious monument in the world. The temple, known for its distinct Khmer-style corn-shaped stupas (mounds), is supposed to represent Mount Meru, a mythological mountain where the Hindu gods live.

Inside the Angkor Wat.

This is the very center of the whole temple.

With my apsara friends.

The Hindu epic Ramayana, carved on the walls of the Angkor Wat.

High sun. See those corn-shaped spires??

The lighting in the morning was bad for a photoshoot; I had to edit the lighting of the original photo to look like this.

Pathway to the temple.

Nagas/divine snakes.

- After having one last look at the Angkor Wat, my driver drove me off to Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Khmer Empire. Angkor Thom is home to many temples, and you'll know that you have entered Angkor Thom once you enter gates that have stone faces on them, with the path to the gates lined with mythological beings pulling snakes. These mythological beings, specifically gods and demons, are depicting the "Churning of the Ocean," one of the famous Hindu tales. It is a story about Vishnu, who turned into a giant turtle. A mountain was placed on his shell, and the gods and demons used the giant snake of Vishnu to wrap around the mountain, and played some kind of tug-of-war. By pulling the snake back and forth, the mountain would rotate, churning the ocean, and finally producing some of the treasures of the world like the elixir of life, Lakshmi who became the wife of Vishnu, and other gods and magical animals.

Churning of the ocean.

Gates with rock/stone faces.

 - Among the many temples though I only visited the most prominent one: the Bayon Temple. However, I did visit some of the other temples in Angkor Thom when I first visited Cambodia in 2012 (click here). The 12th/13th-century Bayon Temple originally served as a Buddhist temple. It is known for having giant heads of gods in the temple. Supposedly representing the god of compassion Avalokiteshvara, there are rumors stating that the faces of the gods that resembled King Jayavarman VII were not a coincidence as ancient Cambodian kings normally see themselves as incarnations or blessed by the Hindu gods or by Buddha. The Bayon Temple became either Hindu or Buddhist after Jayavarman's time, depending again on the religion of the king of a particular era.

Bayon.

See those faces?

Closer.

A Shiva linga.

Took a while to take this photo as there were plenty of tourists.

This is said to be the best-preserved head among all the heads in the temple.

Battle against the Chams carved at the facade of the temple.

- Not far away from Angkor Thom is a temple called Ta Prohm. Similar to the Bayon Temple, it was built by King Jayavarman VII, and was used as a Buddhist monastery and school. It is mostly known for the trees that grow on and around the temples. Many people may also refer to this temple as the "Tomb Raider Temple," since the a part of the 2001 film "Tomb Raider" starring Angelina Jolie was filmed in this temple.

Rustic look.

See that giant tree!!

What did I tell you!!

The Angelina Jolie shot.

- Although I had another temple left before finishing my Little Circuit tour, the sun was once again blazing enthusiastically in the sky, draining my life force as it did the previous day. I told my tuktuk driver to drive me back to the hostel instead, since I was getting dizzy once again despite hydrating myself constantly (I'd buy 1.5 Liter water bottles at almost every temple that I go to; this is how much I hydrated myself in Cambodia.)

- I had lunch and rested in the afternoon; had a long cold bath and caught up on some sleep as a reward for waking up early to see the magnificent Angkor Wat sunrise. That early evening, I went out and explore more of the night market area, and found out that there were around 4 night markets near me. Apart from the two night markets a few steps from my hostel (click here to see,) there were two other markets a few minutes away - Psar Chas, and the Siem Reap Art Center Market. However, as it was the last day of the Cambodian new year, the streets were filled with people who wanted to savor the last few hours of partying and squirting each other with water. It was chaotic, but fun. I didn't have my weapon of choice and did not wish to participate in the squirting and splashing, but I was definitely amazed with the whole thing.

My dinner for the night - fried squid and Cambodian fried noodles from a no-frills restaurant in the middle of the street. Cheap, clean, and good!

I'm not sure I want to know what those things are. HAHA.

Siem Reap Art Center Market.

SQUIRT AND SPLASH!!

The water-gun warzone.

I'm so happy that I was able to approach some people and take close-enough photos of the water war, and not get squirted (too much)!!

Blessings and more blessings.

Had a jackfruit ice cream. It tasted fantastic!!

- I went back to my hostel earlier that night so I could simple lay down and cool myself off. It was unusual for me to not spend the whole day out as what I normally do whenever I travel, but I guess it was a good arrangement for me to start the day earlier than the usual, come back around noon right just a bit after noon, and hide from the harsh afternoon heat of mid-summer Cambodia. Even though I hated the heat, I knew that Cambodia has more in store for the cultural adventurer like me, and I was more than ready to see what else Cambodia had in store for me!! (Click for Part 1 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, Part 5 here, and Part 6 here!!)