Biking Through A Dream

Back with part two. I think I'm going through vacation withdrawal as I'm adapting back into Korean winter. No motivation lead me to not posting this, but I'm deskwarming and there's only so much Facebook, Korean course, lesson planning, travel planning, shopping and reading that you can do in one week. So I'm bringing in the blogging.

Day two of our temple tour was phenomenal. Rather than tuk tuk it out, we rented a couple bicycles to ride out to the temples. Way cheaper. Not going to lie, was a little bit sketched out at first with the thought of riding in the roads with all the tuk tuks, motorcyclists and cars, but it really wasn't bad and I wish we could have actually done more of it. So we biked out to the temples which seemed to take less time than it did to ride the tuk tuk out. Off to Angkor Thom!

The temple was unbelievable. The detail on these temples were incredible. This particular temple has over 150 faces carved into the temple structures as well as other detailed pieces. Just seeing it in person blew my mind. I don't think I can really describe it, but walking through these temples and knowing that they were built almost 1000 years ago with none of the equipment that we have, it's just mind boggling. And the fact that the religion is still alive there within the temple walls is a little surreal. So different from the west where religion is generally hush hush unless you're prepared to get some sort of backlash, here you are walking through a spiritual landscape that is held so highly amongst its people. It was just unreal to be a part of it for a little while. We got to climb a high tower that was easily 70 degrees minimum with no steps, only the rocks that hold it up, and on top was a Buddhist shrine with a monk where you can make prayers. So there you have the 360 degree view of the temple underneath your feet and a prayer shrine, just unreal.

After visiting a few other temples surrounding Angkor Thom we bike back to the hostel before the sun goes down. But we take the scenic route that goes around almost all of the temples. I will never be able to shake the sight of us biking passed Angkor Wat as the sun is setting behind the temple peaks while bouncing off the surface of the moat. You want to feel like you're living in a dream? It's right there waiting for you. The first night I was a little bummed out that we didn't get to check out the sunset on top of the temple, but after witnessing this and getting to bike beside the moat all the while the sun is setting made all those trivialities disappear. This was definitely one of the greatest highlights of my life, hands down. No regrets.

We top off the night with dinner and then off for some Australian Day celebrations at Angkor What? where the drinks are cheap and you get a t-shirt...some regrets.