I had about four hours of restless sleep before dragging myself out of bed at 05.00 and made like a zombie for the cold shower to try and get myself going again. It felt like a bit of a chore to be honest, but I knew I would regret it if I didn't make it out to see the sun rise over Angkor that had been recommended to me. I rented the bike for the day and set off in the dark of the early morning. There wasn't too much traffic on the roads at that time and it was pleasantly cool for the ride to Angkor that took about half an hour.
There were quite a few tuk-tuks and buses that passed me on my bike, taking other tourists to see the sunrise as well (although I felt better than them as they didn't have to work as hard for it as me!). I pulled into the parking area outside Angkor Wat and there was already a steady stream of people making their way over the causeway by the moat to the main entrance. Fortunately, the kids that sell the books and souvenirs must have still been in bed or making their way to Angkor, as there was no sign of them at this early time of the morning.
The sky was slowly starting to change colour, from a dark blue to a dark purple, to red and then to orange. I took a seat on the ledge of a smaller temple and watched the day begin over Angkor Wat, the black silhoutette of the five towers gradually becoming more defined as the light changed.
I walked into the temple itself and was glad to find that the majority of the crowd that had arrived early remained outside, taking photos in the grounds out front. The lack of people was a bonus as I was able to walk around the perimeter of the temple, with the bas-reliefs telling their stories of battles and myths, without seeing another soul. It was a special moment, and one that I was grateful for considering the number of people that come to see this place.
I left Angkor Wat at around 08.00 and cycled to a few more monuments. I made another trip to the so-called 'mountain-temple' of the Bayon to see it in the morning light. I also took a look at The Terrace of Elephants, The Terrace of the Leper King (what a great name!), and the Royal Palace, but I kept it brief as, although it was still only 09.00, it was already starting to get very hot and the sun was strong. I didn't fancy spending the rest of the day cursing the elements, or turning this experience into a complete pain in the arse, so I decided to head back to town and come back in the afternoon when the worst heat had gone out of the day.
I got back to town and sat in the Blue Pumpkin cafe for a few hours, made use of their wi-fi and air-con, had a few drinks and lunch – much better than killing myself with temple overload! I went back to the guesthouse and had a siesta, and set off back to Angkor once more, arriving there at 16.00. I managed to fit in a few more temples, including yet another visit to Angkor Wat to see the sun set (you can't accuse me of not being thorough!). On the way there, I met Pete & Anna, and we hung out for an hour or so, before returning to town through the rush hour traffic.
We all met up with Rory later in the evening, had a few drinks and some food. It wasn't a late one as Rory had to get up for his first day at work, and I was looking forward to catching up on some sleep after a long day at the temples. Maria & Simon were also arriving before midday the next day and I wanted to make sure that I was well rested whenever we finally met.
