Our second full day in Cambodia started before sunrise - 5 am to be exact! We were picked up by our "tuk tuk" driver in the darkness and then dropped off at Angkor Wat, ready to watch the sun rise along with tons of other tourists!
Unfortunately, somehow my sickness had gotten worse after it seemed like I was cured the previous day... :( In denial that I was still sick, I got on the tuk tuk and waited for sunrise which seems like forever when you have stomach pain! I immediately regretted going to Angkor. Why hadn't I stayed at the hotel? I had seen Angkor Wat before... been there, done that, got the t-shirt...
When it comes to travel I can be very stubborn. I didn't want to pass up a day of touring a UNESCO World Heritage site for laying in bed watching Cambodian dramas on TV. As long as I could walk, I was going!
I spent the first several hours doing minimal walking around the temples - just finding a shady spot to sit and take in the views while John, Roger, and Ann walked around. At one point I even had a nap, curled up on a rock in a 12th century Khmer temple... I was doing Angkor Wat my own way!
Luckily, after taking some more medicine, I started to feel better in the afternoon and was able to enjoy visiting the temples, including Bayon - our favourite temple, with the huge stone face carvings.
While my second visit to Angkor Wat was not as pleasant as my first, I'm still glad that I went. The Angkor temples are massive and can only be seen in person to appreciate. A day pass to Angkor will cost $20 (not including tuk tuk driver). The best thing about this place is that there are hardly any barriers or signs that say "no entry." You can climb up the huge temple rocks and explore nearly every place at your own pace, without anyone telling you that you can't. Angkor is definitely a place that brings out the explorer in you... I can't help feeling a bit like Indiana Jones when I'm there!
Unfortunately, somehow my sickness had gotten worse after it seemed like I was cured the previous day... :( In denial that I was still sick, I got on the tuk tuk and waited for sunrise which seems like forever when you have stomach pain! I immediately regretted going to Angkor. Why hadn't I stayed at the hotel? I had seen Angkor Wat before... been there, done that, got the t-shirt...
When it comes to travel I can be very stubborn. I didn't want to pass up a day of touring a UNESCO World Heritage site for laying in bed watching Cambodian dramas on TV. As long as I could walk, I was going!
I spent the first several hours doing minimal walking around the temples - just finding a shady spot to sit and take in the views while John, Roger, and Ann walked around. At one point I even had a nap, curled up on a rock in a 12th century Khmer temple... I was doing Angkor Wat my own way!
Luckily, after taking some more medicine, I started to feel better in the afternoon and was able to enjoy visiting the temples, including Bayon - our favourite temple, with the huge stone face carvings.
While my second visit to Angkor Wat was not as pleasant as my first, I'm still glad that I went. The Angkor temples are massive and can only be seen in person to appreciate. A day pass to Angkor will cost $20 (not including tuk tuk driver). The best thing about this place is that there are hardly any barriers or signs that say "no entry." You can climb up the huge temple rocks and explore nearly every place at your own pace, without anyone telling you that you can't. Angkor is definitely a place that brings out the explorer in you... I can't help feeling a bit like Indiana Jones when I'm there!
GLAD everything turned out well despite the rocky start!!! :}
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