Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat - English translation, the City of Temples. This is truly an ancient world wonder hidden in the jungle just North of Siem Reap, Northern Cambodia.

I among many temple goers alike entered through the massive entrance gates in the dark, it must have been 5.30 in the morning. Even in the dark one could see the outline of a giant structure (carrying a similar shape of a Hindu temple) far in the distance. There I sat in silence, watching the site that is coming to light from the rising Sun behind Angkor Wat.

Angkor Tomb is the main attraction which rise over 200m from the ground, completely made out of stones and not a wall left untouched with some sort of a stone carving. German traveller I had met who works for a museum would spend days on studying the stories told by those stone carvings. I however decided to wonder around the temples, as some would call "temple hopping" with no specific direction - I mean where do you really start in a place like this, every temple has something unique to offer.

During it's glory days it would have been such an impressive civilization. I could however comment on the present, and I almost felt like the jungle is reclaiming it back to the nature. There are giant trees growing within the temples with their roots wrapped around the stone structures. As much as the trees are destroying the temples, they are also holding the stone walls together. There is a profound peace and quietness dwell within those walls, and I wonder may be now it is finally at harmony.




~People gathered to see the Angkor Tomb at Sun Rise~



~Angkor Wat East Gate entrance~



~Swallowed by the jungle~



~Refreshments on the side of the road~