Even with crowds of people migrating towards it, Angkor Wat dwarfs them and makes all those heading to the sanctum behind its stone walls seem fleeting in their passage. At no point as I walked the stone bridge across the moat did I feel that there were simply too many people. The gargantuan nature of the complex defied such a sensation. I passed beyond the outer wall and entered the massive courtyard further along where the iconic five-tiered temple of the Wat itself looms with timeless power. Unfortunately during my visit (and this season, if not year, in general) safeguarding construction is being undertaken on the main structure, highlighted by large green curtains. No matter though, Angkor Wat provided an unexpected amount of roaming room.
I'll mention now that one of the most impressive things about Angkor, besides the architecture, obviously, is just how freely visitors can roam. Once you've bought your pass (one day, three day or one week) and have passed into the territory you are at liberty to explore as freely and extensively as you wish until closing time in the early evening. For two of the three days I rented a bicycle, which I overall preferred to the popular
tuk-tuk method, and enjoyed taking as much time as I wanted to explore every corner a given temple if I so chose to.
As far as I can tell from my map I managed to visit every temple within the main area of Angkor, consisting of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the temples along what are known as the "short circuit" and the "long circuit". I could go into detail to describe each, but rather than do that I'll suffice by posting some of my pictures here, though if ever it could be said that pictures won't properly convey a place, this would be a prime example.
