Angkor Wat - Second Day

My Angkor Pass......

The alarm rang at 4.00am, Cambodian time ( 5.30pm Malaysian time ) signalling a new and exciting day to my dream place, Angkor Wat. Earlier, my colleague Teo and his GF, Daly had arranged for a tuk-tuk to take us to Angkor Wat and other interesting places for the day. Yippeeeeeeeee......it is going to be an awesome day. As I got myself ready as we were to meet up at the lobby at 4.30am, I quickly showered and got dressed. Then I prayed and sought for God's protection for the day before heading downstairs to meet up my two buddies in Teo &Daly. 

Entrance of Angkor Wat....

Incidentally, it was raining cats and dogs that early morning and I told myself that it was not going to damper my spirit to visit Angkor Wat. The plan was to catch the sunrise of the day but in this pouring rain, it would be fat hopes. Anyway, we hopped onto the tuk-tuk driven by this really humble and great smiley young fella and off we went to Angkor Wat site. It was quite a ride in the early morning rain and I was told that it was good that it was raining as hot sun would have given us a hard time. As always, I was excited about the prospect of seeing the majesty of Angkor Wat.

The surrounding area of Angkor Wat....lush greenery....

The tuk tuk ride took us through the town. I could see more hotels and further developments to garner in the income for the Cambodian people. By this time in the morning at about 4.45am, there was already a huge crowd at the Ticketing Counter at the Angkor site entrance. In spite of the rain and thorough wetness, I lined up to buy the tickets and with a ticket costing USD$20.00 ( approximately RM 80.00 ) per person - this better be a great place or my heart will bleed no end......hahahhahahahahahaaa... After taking our pictures for the ticket pass to Angkor Wat and surrounding places, our tuk-tuk driver took us to Angkor Wat. It was good 15-20 minutes ride before we reached the walkway to Angkor Wat. Even in the dark hours of the morning, the outline structure of Angkor Wat was unmistakeably visible. It was a long walk to the main entrance and truly exhausting as the rain water fills your face. 

Interior...

Interior....

The rain kept pounding at the three of us but we just kept going until we reached the main entrance of Angkor Wat. As the sunlight hits the horizon, slowly but surely, the majestic  and ancient sculpture of Angkor Wat building begun to shine through. The word " WOW" escaped my mouth and I was flabbergasted for once. Speechless -I had no words for the beauty of what I have just seen. It was just how I would have imagined it. All the days of pouring and reading about Angkor Wat  paid off as I could relate to the places here. I was overwhelmed with a whole new sense of accomplishment and what a sight - the majestic and ancient Angkor Wat. 

Ornate structures...

One of the many lovely structures....

One of the lovely structures...under the pouring rain....

As we walked into the inner place of Angkor Wat, the ancient wall carvings and ceiling carvings, the stories and authenticity of ancient pictures were such beautiful sight indeed. The beautifully arranged stones and structures were a sight to behold. Definitely intriguing and definitely mysterious,man. As I sat under a small walkway to get cover from the incessant rain fall, the inner walls and walkways were awesome and impressive indeed. Maybe, to some people, it is just a blob of arranged stones but to me, the intricate design, the rich cultural history and the almost black & white nature of the structure made it all more interesting as one climb the steps up.

Front hallway walk area....

Despite the rain, I could feel the eclectic feeling of being in an ancient time. It is like time stopped for me to enjoy every bit of architecture, cravings and designs. I must confess, I could sit for hours just admiring the beautiful carvings and the intricate designs of it all. I guess, every wall and pillar tells a story of a different kind. I must admit too that to others, this is just a wall or a pillar or even a building. To me, they represented a culture of their own, They depicted the lives of the people atthat time, the adoration for the God they serve and the epic stories of Hanuman and the fight of good against evil. To me, that is a cultural lesson I could learn from or even just enjoying the simpler things of everyday life.

Just having a moment to myself....drenched wet, tired but gleefully happy.....

I remembered running up and down the cobblestone and stone staircase, posing for a shot or even getting all gushed up over some drawing, carvings or designs. Yeah, somehow, all my joint pains and what not were gone for a moment! Maybe I am a different breed of old man - one that enjoys ancient history, places, culture and buildings. Yeah, maybe I am..........