Angkor Wat!
by mikka
Too lazy to wake up for sunrise: Angkor Wat silhouetted against a brooding, early morning sky.
Desperately trying to take a different photo than every other tourist at the temple: the spires of Angkor Wat reflected in a puddle.
There are monkeys ambling unconcernedly down the red dust roads leading to Angkor Wat and the surrounding temple complexes; Angkor Wat actually refers to a far vaster network of ancient temples and ruins that sprawl around the eponymous temple, so two days of early-morning exploration hasn't even begun to scratch the surface, and its possible to visit the temples by any combination of elephant, hot-air balloon, tour bus or bike/cyclo/moto. I opted for a motorcycle with a friendly, English-speaking driver, though the allure of this faded somewhat after spending several hours rattling down rocky, dusty, unpaved roads to more distant ruins (when I got back to my hotel and took a blessedly cold shower, the water ran red with dust that had caked on my face and arms.)
At any rate, here are a few photos from the first day (I found an internet cafe that accepts my USB card!); as always, more to follow.
The smiling faces of the Bayon temple at Angkor Thom.
One of my favorite places so far - Ta Prom, a ruined temple reclaimed by the jungle.
Angkor Wat resident.
