During my maiden (and solo) visit to Angkor Wat, I glimpsed the majestic Cambodian structure at sunrise. Seeing the inky sky gradually awaken over the site and then illuminate it with a shrimp-colored hue was a magical experience. But in the years since, I’d read that the sunrise experience had lost some of its luster, due to massive crowds.
Returning a few years later, Shawn and I decided to arrive at a more gentlemanly hour — well after sunset. Still, we traveled via Siem Reap’s red clay roads, on the back of a bumpy tuktuk.
Built in the early 12th century, Angkor Wat is thought to be the world’s largest religious building – initially Hindu and now Buddhist. Its sandstone walls have weathered harsh tropical sunshine and war with grace.
In lieu of more text, I shall let the beautiful temple show herself off via the images that follow.
Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All rights reserved.
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