Angkor temples pt.1

Today was the first day we went to see the famous, UNESCO world heritage site, Angkor. Note, Ankgor Wat refers to one of the temples specifically (which we are seeing at sunrise tomorrow!)

Day started with a nice breakfast of eggs benedict, the delicious fruit  was extra!

Our tuk-tuk driver took us around 6 temples today. Roads often do not have any markings, but people drive sensibly, so the ride is quite enjoyable. Essentially a carriage attached to a motorcycle.

It is technically incorrect to refer to every site in Angkor as a temple, since some of them were also universities (but admittedly the term is convenient, hence we will also use it).

We saw 6 temples today, of different historical background and style. Most of them were from late 12th century, and, in many cases, started out as Hindu temples but later converted to Buddhist shrines.

The intricacy of detail (eg carvings) is amazing, especially when considered against the sheer scale and size of the buildings. The work required to build these in the jungle must have been staggering!

We’ll let photos speak for themselves.

One of the security guards was kind enough to take photos of us and suggested lots of great spots. His mastery of iPhone panorama feature was quite impressive! I wish we took his name. Actually, people have been really friendly and welcoming. Amazing experience so far.