Wander in Angkor Wat

“Looking up at the 40 steps that led to the pinnacle of the structure, I had considered giving the climb a miss. It looked daunting and, besides, centuries ago only kings and priests were allowed access. Perhaps a commoner and foreigner like me had no right to climb the steps, I thought, and so for a good one hour, I watched others struggle up the steep 70° stairs. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw an elderly, barefooted monk effortlessly climbing the narrow steps. There and then I decided I wasn't going to let an irrational fear of heights stand in my way.And so up I went, and was I glad I did. When you stand up there and look into the forests (which has largely been cleared), you can almost see the old Khmers riding on their elephants and the villagers going about their daily chores. As the sun sets with you perching on Angkor Wat's highest structure, you feel insignificant and small, humbled by the knowledge that one of the world's greatest civilisations once thrived here.”

“There were many of us who climbed the steps going in, and at first I was worried that once inside, the scene would look like a concert hall bustling with overwhelming crowd. Magically, once I stepped my feet inside, I found myself wandering through long corridors by my lonesome and alighting out into open spaces with almost no one in sight aside from my brother. It was like I entered another world and purposely got myself lost.”

“Standing on the causeway, as groups of tourists filed past, I felt for a brief moment as if I was trapped in a weird time zone, somewhere between the present and the past. As I cross the moat to explore the vast temple grounds, I was amazed by the serenity of the place despite the busloads of holidaymakers wandering about. Angkor Wat has been described as "commercialised" and "touristy," but the ruins are still a humbling place where you can experience the genius of a lost civilisation. The intricate carvings on the temple walls tell of a political and cultural world removed from ours. The many bas-reliefs are like 3-D photo albums and more amazing than any modern visual creations I have seen.”

“We rounded a corner in our tuk tuk, the road here better kept than most of the others we’d been on. It was paved, not, dirt, to accommodate for the heavier flow of traffic – cars and tour buses and tuk tuks and scooters. The air smelled of diesel, the sky overcast, the air humid, sticky, and still. There was no breeze. There was never a breeze. [...] But seeing Angkor Wat, stretched out on the other side of the water, like it has for centuries, reminded me of the feeling I had when I first started traveling. When everything felt new and amazing. For the first time in a very long time, I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

“Upon reaching one end of the temple, I separated myself from my brother and wandered alone toward another section. The wind blew in from all directions, and the wide windows overlooked an open field dotted with lush trees and a lake. As perplexing and mystifying as its architectural design and geographical positioning, which have scholars forever debating its meaning, Angkor Wat managed to solve a personal puzzle that has haunted me for as long as I can remember—my curiosity about this place.”