I got up to a puddle of water in my room...hum, I wonder if this is a foreshadowing to what's to come. It had rained all night and the water had flowed into my room through the door - my room was next to the exit door that was slightly open. Oh wait, I'm still in Southeast Asia and it’s August (the wet season). I decided to wait out the rain, relax in the morning and catch up on current events since I haven't had internet connection for some time.
At the hotel, I hired a Tuk Tuk with a driver to take me to the temples and around Siem Reap. Riding around town in a Tuk Tuk felt like being in the French colonial era...somewhat decadent yet felt wrong too.
By late afternoon, the rain had stopped and my Tuk Tuk driver was very anxious to start his hire; otherwise he doesn't get paid for the day. It was too late to head over to Angkor Wat and visit the temple, but I had just enough time to see the sunset from Phnom Bakeng, just past Angkor Wat. Phnom Bakeng is known for its amazing sunset view since it's on top of a steep hill; and on the eastern side of the temple, the upper terraces of Angkor Wat just peak above the tree tops. Getting up to the top of Phnom Bakeng was sort of like an evening rush-hour in midtown Manhattan...complete chaos. The stone steps were tall with very little footing and steep - did monks have really small feet and long legs back then?
Ok, the sunset was spectacular, well worth the agony of dealing with crowds...what a wonderful way to begin my Angkor exploration!
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| "Rush hour" at Phnom Bakeng for the sunset! |
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| View of Angkor Wat, looking east |
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| Sunset over Phnom Bakeng |
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