Well the alarm is set for a fresh 4.30 and I meet it with sleepy eyes and a weary body. I am guilty of the snooze button but throw myself out of the bunk and go over to wake Gemma. I think I remember her coming in at 3.30 so I'm sure she is going to be feeling great. She gets up and ready in record time, then she tries to go and wake the other people she invited. No one appears and as Mr T is here the two of us jump in, I'm not missing the sunrise. I txt Lily on the off chance that she is awake. Miraculously she is, I tell her she has 10mins then we will be there. We pull up at her hotel and she jumps in, the two of us feeling fresh, and Gemma feeling like the walking dead. Before we enter the area we have to buy our tickets, which involves a photo ticket, where they print your face on the card, presumably so that you don't give it to someone else. $20 for one day or $40 for 3, we all go for the one day pass. Even though there are hundreds of places to see, I know that after 1 day I'll be satisfied, if not I'm sure I have the option to upgrade to the 3 day pass.
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We get to Angkor Wat in good time and Mr T tells us he'll be back later. So we head across this bridge, over some water, it is so peaceful and tranquil. I can see the sky starting to change as we walk in through the main entrance. There are plenty of people here for the sunrise, luckily there is plenty of space and we move over to the right of the main complex to wait for the sun rise. The view is spectacular as the silhouette of Angkor Wat is etched across the ever changing skyline. Snap snap! It is in these low light conditions that I really start to appreciate my camera. The labour of love that has me carrying my, heavier than necessary backpack. It is in these moments that it is all worth it. As the sun start to peak over the top of the temple we move to the other side of the central walkway. This is where the majority of people were and it is clear to see why. Unlike or algae covered lake, on this side there are flowering lotus and a clean lake. Awww well, doesn't matter in the low light. As I cast my eyes towards the main temple I am horrified to see scaffolding and green sheeting! Again, lucky I could not see in the early morning. We bump in to Vicky, who was supposed to be with us this morning, so she tags along.
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We make our way in to the main complex and when you get up close you can really see the detail. Every pillar, every wall and every ceiling. An incredible amount of detail, etched out of the stone. I have decided not to get a guide because much of the history has been lost after the events of 1975, I am of the feeling that no one really knows about this place and only now are the starting to piece it together. We spend hours in Angkor Wat exploring all that it has to offer. Unique architecture and the size of this one temple is colossal. In many areas you come across Buddha statues and places of worship. The early morning that we are here is a pleasant temperature, it's a real pleasure to walk around.
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As the day moves on, Mr T takes us to various other temples and waits until we have explores before moving on. The is relatively little information to read at most of the sights, but we entertain ourselves by taking it in turns to act like a tour guide and talk utter rubbish about each temple. All of the temples have depictions of Buddha, ranging from small statues to the careful placing of stones at the rear of a temple, emulating a reclining Buddha. The sun is relentless in it's bombardment an the girls are running from shade to shade, not that there is much to be had. The most impressive part of the day is the sheer scale of the temples, they are epic and I can see why people would spend 3 days here. It is busy here, with people filling the temples and the shaded spots. We are doing the short tour which involves about 6 temples. It is supposed to take half a day but we don't end up getting back until close to 4pm. The last temple that we go to has got gargantuan trees growing through the temple. There has been no conservation here and the trees roots have extended above ground, and in places, wrapped themselves around parts of the temple. Quite the sight!
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After our long day of temple exploration we are all feeling pretty tired and so Mr T takes us back to the hostel, first dropping Lily at her hotel. When we get back I make the mistake of lying down on my bed, this is quickly followed by passing out for a number of hours. When I wake up I pack my swimming gear and head to Lily's new hotel. After a long time of searching I eventually find it, my reward? Another nice swim after a long and tiring day.
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We head to the night market after swimming. I'm looking to get some knock off Dr Dre Beats. Even though they are fake, the sound quality of them is outstanding, and that's the main thing. There is no shortage of places selling them so it really is a buyers market. I check out a number of places, just looking today, see the price range. After an hour or two I decide to call it a night and head back home. I have to avoid getting assaulted at a lady bar on my way down the street as well as the barrage of tuk tuk drivers offering me everything under the sun.