day 6 - angkor, cambodia

woke up at a chirpy 5am in anticipation for my first encounter with angkor wat, the glorious temple complex that was built for king suryavarman II in the early 1100s as his state temple and capital city. our trusty tuk tuk driver sokha, whom we hired for the day, picked us up to watch sunrise at angkor wat, so it was fun making the pilgrimage in the dark with a whole host of others, all eagerly anticipating the sun's first appearance:

we actually ended up spending hours at the main temple getting lost in its breathtaking vistas and classical khmer architecture (includes intricate apsaras & pediments carved into the sandstone) before continuing on with the 'small tour' (the 'big tour' is for those w/days to explore) that takes us to a whole set of temples at the angkor complex.

next up was angkor thom, including the temple called bayon, which possibly was the most awe-inspiring of the group. angkor thom was the last capital city of the khmer regime, and its distinction lies with the many serene stone faces on the multitude of its towers. and no, i couldn't resist sneaking in a precision jump just for kicks. incoming!









below top left is baphuan, a former hindu temple in the shape of a three-tiered pyramid, and on its right the wall along the grand palace area. bottom left is the vantage point via a door frame thru a row of buildings, and lastly a girl preparing my coconut drink...




the temple/mountain ta keo was up next, and let's just say i was thrilled to make it to the top unscathed.



lastly, we hit up ta prohm, which is the only temple located in the jungle and noted for its trees growing out of the ruins. i caught a local taking a nap in one of the crumbled buildings, but his base was only a wood plank no more than four inches wide. i mean, i thought i have good balance, but i got nuthin on this homey...



leaving the grounds, an adorable 12-year-old girl named ban was peddling bracelets for a dollar (everything could be had for $1). i had no interest in one, but we got to talking and when i told her i was from california, she said that sacramento was the state capital! i was like damn girl, you the bee's knees! she took a liking to me and ended up giving me a bracelet anyway...

parting shot is a lucky one i got when i was just photographing the sun's reflection in the lake. i was actually on the other side of those 3 people, so i ran all the way around to catch angkor wat in the background. just as i snapped it, they stood up and left...