Siem Reap ’14 pt 3: Sunrise at Angkor Wat

I’ve long since stopped trying to figure out this universal “need” to witness sunrises almost everywhere we go, considering we’re talking about THE SAME, ONE SUN merely going through its motions. I’ll settle for “Because it’s just so darn beautiful” as an answer, and be perfectly happy with it.

At the suggestion of our tuk-tuk driver, the awesome Sarat, we have to leave the Guesthouse at 5am if we want to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument.

So we did, but not after a funny episode:

I was woken up by a knock on our door, and the voice of my friend’s younger bro, Richard.

“Lyn, wake up!”

On the other bed, my friend Lorie woke up. “What is it?”

“Wake up, it’s already 5am!”

I reached for my iPod beside me, looked at the time. 4:07am. I informed her of the time.

Lorie said, “But it’s only 4 in the morning!”

A pause behind the door, followed by a snicker.

“Oh, I thought it’s 5! I forgot to adjust my watch!”

And there you have it, ladies and gents. I bet his roommates weren’t all that happy, being woken up early. (FYI, Philippine time is ahead Cambodian time by a full hour.)

So let’s get back to business.

We left the Guesthouse at 5am, and arrived at Angkor Wat, where a crowd was already going in through the gates. Sarat instructed us to go past the second gate. But you won’t really get lost; just follow where the crowd of people is headed.

So we got to the moat where the sunrise viewing is going to be. And we were welcomed by the sight on the pic below. I must say, “Sun, you are such a tease.”

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Already, there is a crowd. We looked for a spot, settled down, and waited.

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While doing that, I did what I liked to do when bored. Not read, mind you, not this time. People-watch.

Or , should I say, “child-watch”? Looks like someone else was dragged out of bed early. Cute jammies, too.

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Aaaawwww~!!

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After several minutes of waiting, it started to happen.

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Pic by Richard.

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This is certainly one of those thousands of moments that can never be fully captured on camera. Those “you-have-to-be-there” experiences that words can never truly describe. At that moment, I was just glad that I was there, witnessing this beautiful sunrise, with friends and strangers alike.

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After the sun has fully come out and the crowd thinned and dispersed, we hung out for a bit at the causeway of the W Gallery, leading to the temple itself. Here are some snaps.

Prohibitions to Angkor Wat.
Prohibitions to Angkor Wat.
The main causeway dividing the two ponds.
The causeway.
Pic by Lorie
Pic by Lorie
Pic by Lorie
Pic by Lorie

Passing through the W Gallery, check out the sculptures of lions and nagas on top, as well as carvings on the outer wall. This certainly hyped me up, knowing I’ll be seeing more of these later that day.

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Zooming in.
Zooming in.
On the outer walls.
On the outer walls.

And look, there’s a limping guard!

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Inside the gallery were also creations on the walls.

Apsaras on the walls of the W Gallery.
Apsaras on the walls of the W Gallery.

We had to head back to the Guesthouse for breakfast, then prep for the Short Circuit tour of the temples. Excited much? You bet!

Meanwhile, I leave you with photos of locals cleaning (at least I think they are) the pond off the right side of the causeway.

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Join me and my friends as we explore Angkor Thom in the next post! See ya then!

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