Angkor Wat

Our first morning in Siem Reap, Charlie and I woke up early to watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat - along with at least 500 other tourists. Despite the throngs and the jostling of elbows to get the best shot, it was worth it. Angkor Wat is beautiful, as are Angkor Thom and the many other ruins scattered through the area.

I am amazed at how our trip is unfolding. Each experience we have had, by happenstance, has been building on the next. Before Charlie and I left California, we saw a theatrical production of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. That brief introduction to the story served us well when we were traveling in India and visited numerous Hindu temples with art portraying scenes from the Ramayana. Our experiences in India further serves us here in Cambodia, as the Angkor temples are devoted to Buddhism and Hinduism, and therefore incorporate scenes from the Ramayana. I simply cannot believe that I have lived on this Earth for 36 years and never learned about the Ramayana when it has had such a profound impact on such a large part of the world. I look forward to learning more, as I must admit there is a lot that leaves me scratching my head quite a bit.

Charlie and I spent three days visiting the Angkor temples. One day we went by bicycle. Each day we yoyo-ed between being lost in throngs of package tourists and then suddenly finding ourselves virtually alone in hauntingly beautiful ruins. It helps to go Monday through Thursday and late afternoon after the tour buses head back to Phenom Penh or wherever else they are headed.