By Mike Huber
Guys, I apologize (again) for the long gap without writing. I have a massive backlog that I am attempting to catch up on and really have just been constantly doing too much to complete even a short blog. It has been a busy but productive time for me. I’m currently in my 6th country and I’m 8 months into a 1-year journey. I’m in Cambodia.
Cambodia is yet another country that wasn’t on my radar but having been semi-obsessed with experiencing all 7 Wonders of The World I really wanted to see Angkor Wat. I know, I know. It isn’t on the list of 7 Wonders now but that list seems to be ever changing and I didn’t want to miss out in the event it was added again. That, and the other reason is I was about to overstay my visa limit in Thailand (running my visas out seems to be a new talent of mine).
Originally, I booked a flight to Phnom Penh as a forward journey requirement for Thailand entry. As the time got closer to my travel I linked up with a driver in Cambodia who would take me around to see the many Temples. However, upon sending him my flight itinerary he quickly replied “Dude, you are flying into the other side of the Cambodia, Angkor Wat is 360 kilometers from that city.” After 8 months this was really my first error of any consequence. There were two options, a 6-hour bus ride, or just eat the $80 and book a new flight. I chose the latter to save time.
Upon arrival and a minor hiccup going through immigration (I didn’t bring $30 for a visa so I had to “borrow” it from an immigration officer who included a hefty “tip”). It was part of the game and another lesson learned from my poor planning. I can’t complain. Once through customs I met my driver, Kong, outside the airport. And we were off to my hotel in Seim Reap.
The first thing I noticed in Cambodia (beside the fact that they drive on the right side of the road…it has been 8 months since I have been in a country that drives on the right) was the heavy humidity. It was brutal, even though I was in high humidity places over the past three months. This was next level and there just was no reprieve, even in the early morning and evening. Along the drive we discussed my objectives while in Cambodia and the main one was to see Angkor Wat. With the heat and humidity being so oppressive, Kong recommended we start at 0430 the next morning in order to see sunrise at the Temple. This would provide for a magnificent way to begin the day and allow us to get a head start on the heat.
We arrived at Angkor Wat at around 0530 and walked through the darkness and over the moat that guards this UNESCO treasure. All the while the mountainous sandstone silhouette was gaining in color and depth as our path led toward a meeting point between us and the rising sun. Even during off season there was quite the crowd at the reflection pool, at sunrise, to try to get that perfect photo of this stunning homage to Hinduism. It didn’t take long for the heat to follow. This was our queue to seek out shade deep within the Temple to avoid more heat and more crowds, and begin exploring the hidden Temple chambers.
The depth and detail on the Temple was more than impressive. Even with the destruction from past wars and an occasional bullet hole in the sandstone, the overall structure hadn’t lost its mystical feeling. The mysticism was unavoidable as we walked through the Temple’s many chambers.
Of the many experiences along my journey, I think Angkor Wat is one of the best things worth seeing, touching, and experiencing. Whether included in the 7 Wonders of the World or not, it makes little difference in my appreciation of this stunning structure. Even as a massive tourist attraction, this Temple sets the criteria for what an ancient wonder should be. Experiencing it was well worth the trip to Cambodia.
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