What's in a Wat

 Waking up at 4:30 in the morning to do something is (as some of you are quite aware) not my usual idea of a good time, but it had been recommended by guide books, by Trip Advisor (which has become my new guru for travel) and it seemed like a good idea at the time. So the tuk tuk driver was there at the hotel entrance smiling at 5am and we shared the road with other tourist (westerners) zipping along in their tuk tuks to get to Angkor Wat for the sunrise to get 'the photo' of which here is a version.

I had a good time, freezing in my T shirt in the open jalopy of a tuk tuk (a motor bike with an attached caravan that seats 4 westerners max, better for two, no windows you see A LOT) and stumbling in the dark up the ancient walkways along with all the other sun seekers. Met up with a fellow also staying at the hotel and had a nice chat about photography, travel and sunrises. There was a sense of a rock concert feel. All these people gathering for a 'show' in this case is one that happens daily. People milling about with point and shoot cameras instead of lighters, talking about the light coming up instead of how inept the warm up band was. Meanwhile there were the food stand purveyors providing plastic chairs with the hope of getting us to buy breakfast or at least a hot drink. Once the 'show' was over they wanted the chairs back. Once it was over I went in search of a bathroom, it was the kind of day that the pursuit of one was as focused as the pursuit of images of one of the wonders of the world. 

Yes, Angkor Wat as well as Angkor Thom and Banteay Srey, Bayon and Ta Prohm. It's not just one, there are a bunch of them and they are amazing. It makes one think that civilization has been on the decline for quite awhile, not just the last 20 years.