sunrise at Angkor Wat’s Lotus towers: Get up early! Pick up is at 4.00 – 4.30 a.m.
say /ˌæŋkɔːr ˈwɒt/; it started in 1150 CE as a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Vishnu; 1,626,000 m2 (can’t figure out how many soccer fields that would be) For more information see the internet and wiki, buy books. There is so much to know about what you see over ground, what there is under ground, about its history, about the ancient Khmer people: their highly sophisticated culture, and their advanced architectural and technical know how.
- Walking towards the Lotus towers turn around for a look back to see the moon descend; 2. ask someone to take your picture during sunrise, otherwise you won’t even believe you were there; 3. see how nature reclaims its rights; 4. envy the apsaras for their otherworldly beauty.
Angkor Wat means … guess what! Tick up to 5 options:
- Heaven on Earth?
- City of Temples?
- Wildest Dream?
- See Angkor and live?
- 8th Wonder of the World
I’ve been trying to think of a catchy title like “see Angkor and die” or “Angkor is the new Florence”, “modern day Grand Tour or ultimate pilgrimage?” whatever, but no … I am lost for words. Three months after my return from Southeast Asia I am still overwhelmed by my pictures which are not of exceptional quality (I know) but still: my heart starts racing, I gasp for air, tears come to my eyes, am I fainting? hallucinating? oh my God, I got it … the syndrome of … of… of Angkor.
Hinduism – Buddhism – Tourism
“First, we had Hinduism, …
… then Buddhism came (pic 3: Buddha’s footprint, Shaquille O’Neal would be flabbergasted)
… and now we have Tourism,”
… a joke that the guide probably makes to all his groups and there’s no shorter summary to Angkor’s history.
“Bicycle, bicycle, bycicle… I want to ride my bike… I want to ride it where I like”: all over the Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom area, literally a breathtaking experience. The heat is tropical, and the distances are farther than they seem when rattling around in a tuk-tuk. I start at 5:30 in the morning, take my time, get away from the crowd, get lost, and enjoy serendipitous encounters. You can hire the most modern bicycles in Siem Reap, but I opted for an old-fashioned ladies’ bike – not electric, not even with gears – with a small basket at the front for the indispensable water bottle.
I love cycle tracks, they give me the feeling to be in a place where people care. In the most enjoyable solitude … I take my time and
… explore deserted temples without anyone standing in my picture emitting silly noises, I meet and talk to most adorable people, or sit down, close my eyes, and look back a few hundred years.
My tour: “deeply spiritual, breathtakingly adventurous, absolutely mind-boggling, awe-inspiring, …”, noooo, just joking, it was simply wonderful, every minute of it – even when, all of a sudden, my bicycle had disappeared from where I had parked and locked! it in order to explore the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King with their adjacent temples. I was really shocked when I came back and didn’t see my bike. I started talking to everybody around, two very nice Swiss chaps felt so sorry for me … and then their personal guide, who had never believed that it could have been stolen, saw it: someone, maybe another conscientious tourist guide had moved my bike out of the boiling noon heat into the shade (and probably prevented my tires from blowing up, thank you, my unknown guard).
There are still hundreds of pictures left. Come and see them all! I know there are nicer photos everywhere on the internet but I’ll tell you a little anecdote that goes with each picture.
Now, dear friends, I need to check my old suitcase and my backpack to get them ready before the wanderlust irresistibly takes hold of me again. (“Fernweh” is the nicer word, it tells of the pain of staying at home for too long).
Greetings to you all and thank you for following me.
Cheers Gerburg
gerburgkamm 