Angkor Wat is famous for its sunrise scenes. And some visitors would probably think that is enough Angkor Wat dose already. But there is more to see in this famous temple, and so we went back later that afternoon to check it out.
That morning, we entered from the West side. This time, Awesome-Tuktuk-Driver Sarat dropped us off on the Eastern gate, and this is a view of the moat on that side. After a bit of walking (it was already around 4pm by this time, and it was still HELLA HOT~) we glimpsed Angkor Wat itself.
More than simply walking around the temple and checking out the ruins and the bas reliefs, the main goal of most visitors who come here (aside from witnessing the sunset) is to visit the uppermost level of the main temple. Here, they are very particular with how visitors are dressed. No bared shoulders and cleavages. No above-the-knee bottoms.
And there is the steep climb, which gives you the impression of making the final assault or ascent to the top of a great mountain. It’s just roughly 11 meters, but the angle is unforgiving. If you have vertigo, you’ve been warned.
So what will you see once you get to the top?
Well, aside from the crowd (and there WILL be a crowd; there always is), you’ll find yourself in a continuous 60m square gallery. There are also five towers, with four towers on four corners of the square, and the central tower/shrine in the middle. This makes up a ‘cruciform cloister’.
On the interior walls are carvings. Some sculptures are also situated in various parts of the gallery, along with several Buddha shrines.
Now let us take a look outside.
Wind was already picking up so we literally hurried to get down from the upper tiers. On the way down, we passed by the Preah Poan, or the “Thousand Buddhas” gallery. Here, a great number of Buddha statues made from different materials are gathered.
After getting out of the main temple, we had to walk the causeway back to the West entrance, where Awesome-Tuktuk-Driver Sarat is waiting to take us to town for dinner.
Seeing all these made me even more intrigued with their mythology. Which is going to be a problem. Don’t get me wrong. I dig mythology. I lap up Greek and Norse mythology whenever I get the chance. But just the thought of wrestling with all the names in Hindu mythology is a prospect so daunting that I… hesitate. Yes. Cower, even. Apollo, Zeus, Hera, Athena, and Olympus are much easier to remember and pronounce than Survayarman, Valin, Krishna, and Kurukshetra, don’t you think?
So this ends our Angkor short circuit tour. It also rained at around 5:30pm, so any plans of going back to Phnom Bakheng to catch a decent sunset were dashed. We decided to go back to the Guest House after dinner, turn in early, so we’ll be energized for the Grand Circuit tour the next day.
See ya then!
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