2/5 Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat, the largest monument of the Angkor group and the best preserved, is an architectural masterpiece. Its perfection in composition, balance, proportions, relief's and sculpture make it one of the finest monuments in the world.
Wat is the Khmer name for temple (the French spelling is "vat "), which was probably added to "Angkor "when it became a Theravada Buddhist monument, most likely in the sixteenth century. After 1432 when the capital moved to Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat was cared for by Buddhist monks.
It is generally accepted that Angkor Wat was a funerary temple for King Suryavarman II and oriented to the west to conform to the symbolism between the setting sun and death. The bas-reliefs, designed for viewing from left to right in the order of Hindu funereal ritual, support this function.
After breakfast we boarded a Tuk-Tuk for our transportation for the day, Basically a small motorcycle with a rickshaw trailer attached. A nice cool way to travel about and the price is right.
We visited three of the 72 Temples found at this Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. To say the heat was oppressive would be on the low scale of how hot it was. We consumed much water and Lynn and I later shared a coconut water. Simply put it was miserable to the MAX!!! But that being said it was worth it to see this amazing site.
As we are here for an extra day on our own we have arranged for a Tuk-Tuk to take us to the sight for sunrise. I hope the haze clears.
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