Then it was onwards to the Jewel in the crown... Angkar Wat.
Words simply can't express how huge, how utterly enormous and how totally and utterly ..( and I hate it when people use this word, but I think in this case I can genuinely say it) AWESOME this place is.
You walk across a 100m long, 10m wide bridge, with Naga as balustrades, to enter through a gate, to find an absolutely jaw dropping site. Another huge bridge, again lined with naga this one must be over half a mile long, to the huge pillared facade of the Temple within.
Words simply can't express how huge, how utterly enormous and how totally and utterly ..( and I hate it when people use this word, but I think in this case I can genuinely say it) AWESOME this place is.
You walk across a 100m long, 10m wide bridge, with Naga as balustrades, to enter through a gate, to find an absolutely jaw dropping site. Another huge bridge, again lined with naga this one must be over half a mile long, to the huge pillared facade of the Temple within.
I stood there in amazement.... I only realised my mouth was hanging open when a fly actually flew in to it. It makes the facade of Buckingham palace look like the toilet block at an outside swimming pool.I am truly amazed that the french bloke who rediscovered these temples in the 1900s after they had been lost to the surrounding jungle for over a thousand years did not just expire with excitement right there on the spot. No wonder this place has been a place of Buddhist pilgrimage since; I too felt that i had finally come to the place I'd been waiting to see all my life.
As you walk along the bridge, you pass the lush green meadows which were probably once lakes, past two buildings the size of small churches, (the North and South library) to the enormous entrance way; 
Here, cool corridors stretch the entire outer length of the buildings, the walls etched with reliefs of battles, Hindu gods, and every day life about the temple, worn smooth by the palms of pilgrims hands over the years. 
It's now roped off to prevent more wearing, butI still think everyone leaned across and touched it. This was originally a Hindu Temple, again changing like others to Buddhist as the religious allegiances of the kings of the time changed. 
Then you walk through an enormous courtyard which used to contain 4 deep pools for the king to bathe in as he wished, and then though another terraced corridor probably 100 metres long, which is one part of the square terrace that houses the centre temple, the Bakan.
Here, cool corridors stretch the entire outer length of the buildings, the walls etched with reliefs of battles, Hindu gods, and every day life about the temple, worn smooth by the palms of pilgrims hands over the years. 
It's now roped off to prevent more wearing, butI still think everyone leaned across and touched it. This was originally a Hindu Temple, again changing like others to Buddhist as the religious allegiances of the kings of the time changed. 
Then you walk through an enormous courtyard which used to contain 4 deep pools for the king to bathe in as he wished, and then though another terraced corridor probably 100 metres long, which is one part of the square terrace that houses the centre temple, the Bakan.
It's enormous. I couldnt fit it into a picture, so here is a wobbly appallingly poor quality video that might give you some idea of the size of this thing.
From the info there: "Originally the principle sanctuary of Angkor Wat's uppermost terrace, the Bakan was open to the four cardinal points and probably sheltered the statue of Vishnu. Later when Angkor Wat became a centre of Buddhist pilgrimage the 4 entrances were filled with Sandstone and carved with a relief of Buddha. 20th Century investigations inside reveal multiple fragments of statues - of particular note one of Buddha seated on a Naga, and a sarcophagus in which bodies would have been placed in a foetal position" (apparently people were buried like this a lot in Temples)
You can no longer climb the Bakan, - it is being restored, however the steps here are so insanely steep you would have to be a totally crazed religious zealot to ever consider it.
From the info there: "Originally the principle sanctuary of Angkor Wat's uppermost terrace, the Bakan was open to the four cardinal points and probably sheltered the statue of Vishnu. Later when Angkor Wat became a centre of Buddhist pilgrimage the 4 entrances were filled with Sandstone and carved with a relief of Buddha. 20th Century investigations inside reveal multiple fragments of statues - of particular note one of Buddha seated on a Naga, and a sarcophagus in which bodies would have been placed in a foetal position" (apparently people were buried like this a lot in Temples)
You can no longer climb the Bakan, - it is being restored, however the steps here are so insanely steep you would have to be a totally crazed religious zealot to ever consider it.
I am staggering now, drenched in sweat and feeling pretty dizzy with all the climbing over and through things and up and down stairs in this heat, so I sit for a while in the shade, in front of the central Buddha in the courtyard, and make an incense offering and I contemplate all I have seen for the day before I return to the Tuk tuk and we head off back though the jungle.
A number of Japanese Universities have paid for a lot of restoration here, particularly of the north and south libraries, and inner terrace, replacing much of the carving that has been destroyed as well as making the buildings safe.
Last but not least was a trip to a place recommended as a good place to see the sunset, right n top of a hill, which overlooks the Wat. The best thing about it is that you can get an Elephant ride to the top! Yaaaaayyy!!!My elephants name was Jitam. He trudged slowly up the hill, dropped me off and was off before I had time to really spend any quality time with him.. I called out "Thanks Jitam!". Jitam simply unleashed a gargantuan stream of urine in reply, which I can only suppose was his way of saying - "not at all, my pleasure". 
At the top of the hill at the base of the temple was a Holy Cow, though quite frankly this one seemed to have far too cheeky an expression on his face to be convincingly holy to me. He looks like he gets up to loads of mischief when unsupervised.
There was an amazing view from the top of the temple, (another scary climb) but rather than a glorious sunset, I could just see a huge storm approaching across the jungle. As the top of the temple filled up of hordes of tourists, and the possibility of a decent sunset receded I decided I'd rather be at the bottom of the hill now, than in a muddy stampede a bit later... so I headed down. the way down was lined with loads of funnel shaped spider webs and termite mounds and jungly stuff which made me feel even more like a brave but exhausted explorer. I made it back to the hotel just as the rain started.
At the top of the hill at the base of the temple was a Holy Cow, though quite frankly this one seemed to have far too cheeky an expression on his face to be convincingly holy to me. He looks like he gets up to loads of mischief when unsupervised.
There was an amazing view from the top of the temple, (another scary climb) but rather than a glorious sunset, I could just see a huge storm approaching across the jungle. As the top of the temple filled up of hordes of tourists, and the possibility of a decent sunset receded I decided I'd rather be at the bottom of the hill now, than in a muddy stampede a bit later... so I headed down. the way down was lined with loads of funnel shaped spider webs and termite mounds and jungly stuff which made me feel even more like a brave but exhausted explorer. I made it back to the hotel just as the rain started.
Frankly I am not sure that I have ever been this utterly filthy and sweaty in my life!
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