66. Sunset at Angkor Wat

As I said in my earlier post, as I didn't have a guide it was a case of keep your eyes and ears open. I looked and listened and if I thought I saw a guide, I unashamedly listened in! Not knowing where the "best" spot was to witness the sunset, or indeed, nor knowing what to look for and where I should look, and what I was "supposed" to be seeing, I wandered around listening to people talk.

Realising the only way I could face was west, I set about trying to find the "best" spot.

 

Above: Peeking through
The sun was getting lower in the sky and here is the silhouette of one of libraries I think it is with the sun peeping between the posts.

Above: Orange glow
The sun just before it started sinking below the horizon. The halo around the sun had changed from yellow to a salmon pink.

Above: Balloon Sunset
The sun and the hot air balloon.

Above: South west
Moving to the other side of the causeway, the sun is surrounded by a pink sky.

Above: Fireball
The last photo I took - anything more would have been not worthy.

Above: Reflections on Water
The moat around Angkow Wat. This view is facing south west.

The trip back - Nightride
After watching the sun sink below the horizon, it was time to head back. It was strange to be driving along the road in darkness, when only a few hours earlier it was bright with the heat of the day and the glow of the sun. There were police posted along the long avenue back (the only road into and out of town to Angkor Wat) every 100 metres or so. Some were in twos, some alone. No thieves or baddies would dare make trouble with the local constabulary in attendance!

Night Stalls and Bright Lights
As we drove into the darkness, I spotted a few night stalls here and there. One place advertised "Happy Hour" - 3pm to 10 pm with Draft beer at 50 cents and Cocktails for $1.50. That's waay cheaper than back hom in Australia - you couldn't even buy a box of matches for that price. I was surprised at the number of people out and about, then again maybe I shouldn't have been. This after all is Siem Reap and it is after all a very big tourist attraction, not to metnion when the sun goes down, people come out when the air is cooler.

Night Scenes
A collection of different scenes and spots along the way on the ride through the night.

65. Return to Angkor Wat

After leaving Banteay Srei, it was time to head for home. Arriving at my accommodation, it was a quick lunch, shower then a long nap. The heat of the day had fair knocked me out. I awoke refreshed ready for my next stop - Angkor Wat to see the sunset. Below is a selection of photos taken while I walked around waiting for the sun to set.

Above: Angkor Wat in the afternoon
I arrived, showed my pass (you have to do this every time you visit a temple) and started walking through. As I didn't have a guide, it was a case of keep your eyes and ears open!

Above: South east

Above: North east

Above: Aspara
As I walked along the causeway, I could see dancers (Aspara) in beautiful coloured costumes. I asked could I please take a photo. Yes, madam, but it'll cost you! Two dollars to take photos with my own camera, but still it was very worth it - I'd have paid $10 if I had to. (I probably would have grumbled to myself about you even have to pay for that! but I'd still have paid up!)☺☺

Above: Aspara
The figure in the middle in white is the monkey god, Hanuman; the figures in green are Garuda (large mythical birds or bird-like creatures). With the female costumes, Apsara characters often wear Plumeria obtusa flowers tied along the back of their hair and this can be seen on both the dancer on the left and the figure on the far right. The female dancers are also wearing a phuŏng (a flower tassel made from Jasminum sambac and Michelia alba or Michelia champaca blossoms) on the left side of the crown.

Above: The Library
North library of the outer enclosure - Angkor Wat One of two 'libraries' situated inside the outer wall of Angkor Wat.

Above: The white horse
This white horse with its gaily coloured saddle hadn't been there when I was there earlier in the day, I took it to have something to do with the Aspara.

 

Above: Man's best friend
This was one of the few dogs I saw during my time in Cambodia. He was sitting in the shade and didn't even move away when I approached to take this photo.

 

Above: Afternoon glow
The temple and towers had this lovely golden hue with the afternoon sun in the west shining upon them - a far cry from my sunrise visit that morning.

54. Angkor Wat - 2. Scenes

Around Angkor Wat
Below is a snapshot of some of the area around Angkor Wat.

 

Above: Around Angkor Wat
a) The top two shots are of part of the area to the south of the causeway, next to them the scene is facing the entrance (west) before sunrise.

b) In the middle row the pink lotus flowers were in the pond just in front of Angkor Wat where we sat and waited for sunrise. The other two are of the moat on the northern side of the causeway facing east.

c) The third row shows people walking back to the entrance after the sun had risen. I have included both the close-up shot and the long distance shot to give you some idea of just how big this place is. If you look closely at the picture on the right which was taken before sunrise, you will notice a balloon to the right of the entrance towers - people in a hot air balloon floating in the sky to watch the sunrise.

 

Above: Silhouette in doorway
This doorway faces east and is under repair. Note the window balusters either side. You can see a figure walking down towards the entrance.

 

Above: Lions and nagas flank the steps down from the causeway

Lions and naga-balustrades border the cruciform terrace.

 

Above: Devatas
Devatas are female divinities - sort of like guardian angels and there are around 2,000 of them at Angkor Wat, where they appear in groups or individually.

53. Angkor Wat -1. Sunrise

In the middle of the night

I woke at 2.00am, went back to sleep, then woke at 3.00am, had coffee on the balcony. Couldn't sleep. I seemed to be wide awake. I think it was the excitement that made my brain work in over-drive - today was the day - the day I would spend at the temples starting with watching the sunrise over Angkor Wat. I was too excited to sleep, so I just mooched around doing nothing, although I did go through countless cups of tea and coffee.

Numerous teas later and enough ciggies to start a fire, it was time (finally) to get ready and set off. I'm sure my stomach was sloshing around like the Pacific Ocean, I'd drunk so much!

A new driver
Going downstairs I looked around for my driver but didn't see him. A fellow came and introduced himself to me, telling me his name was Zola and he would be my driver today. I asked why, where was Pookeah. His answer? "Mr. Pookeah busy at home today." I thought this cryptic answer rather strange and felt some trepidation getting into a tuk tuk with an unknown fellow. I questioned him further but he didn't elicit any more information other than "Mr. Pookeah is busy at home today and cannot come." (I did wonder if Pookeah was annoyed with me for staying so long at the Silk Farm yesterday and changed drivers because of it.)

5.30 and all's well
So used to call the time keepers of the 18th century - we left at half past five, the morning air was lovely and cool - well warm actually but very pleasant and coolish with the wind fanning my face. We made our way along that long avenue where I'd been driven the night before, and turned left. The moat on the right was hazy with early morning - that time between night and dawn.

Zola pulled over and said he'd be waiting "Over there" to pick me up. I made my way slowly along the long causeway.

Above: Angkor Wat before dawn
This was my first visit to Angkor Wat and I was struck with the wonder of it all. I was here - here at Angkor Wat where so many other thousands of visitors had stood and walked. It was one of the most amazing feelings in my life. In the middle (well almost) of the night - hundreds and hundreds of other souls just like me here to see the sun as it comes up over Angkor Wat.


Where's the best place to see the sunrise?
I didn't have a guide (I didn't want to fork out US$25 for some bloke to walk around with me saying see this, see that) - I preferred to do it at my own pace. Walking and mingling among the people, I noticed a few guides with their quarry and tried to listen in. Eventually I asked a man where's the best place to see the sunrise? He pointed to my left and said, "Over there, in front of the water."

I slowly made my way down and saw many chairs all placed in a semi-circle on the left hand side - the front row almost touching the water's edge. People had breakfast and drink bottles, people were sitting on the ground, so I found a spot, sat down and waited.

 

Above: The sun shyly peeps over the horizon
In the interval between sitting down and the first glow of a new dawn, the colours of the sky changed - blue, pink, mauve and as the sun shyly peeped over the tower it was awesome. Everybody stood entranced to the exclamations of "Oohs" and "Aahs".

You could hear a pin drop, so quiet was it. Faces focused to the east, all with the one intent - to witness the dawning of a new day. The glorious colours and hues of the sun, the sky and the shimmering reflection in the water.

Above: Changing sky colour
There were many shades of pinks but this was only time the sky was filled with a golden glow.

Above: The sun between the towers
The sun's reflection in the water was like a fiery beacon amid a sea of pinks - pink sky, pink water.

Above: Sun between the second and middle tower
The sun gradually moved and appeared between the towers of Angkor Wat.

Above: Sun behind the middle tower
You can see the sun just peeping around the middle tower.

Above: Sun between the middle and the fourth tower
As the sun rose higher, the sky colour deepens and the brilliant rays emit a vivid orange/red.

Above: Sunrise
The sun has risen - let us rejoice. A new day has begun.