…Next to the Lotus flowers…
There are two phases of the sunrise at Angkor Wat. Arriving in the pure dark about 6:00am, lead by the flashlight of my guide, we walk down a 31-foot wide sandstone causeway, down the main entrance on the western side of Angkor Wat. There are grooves in the walkway, so I take care with my footing. As I navigate my way, I am currently surrounded by water on two sides of me. A 623-foot wide moat completely surrounds Angkor Wat, a rectangular shaped area, approximately one mile by three-quarters of a mile in size.
We then pass through the main entrance gate of the surrounding rectangular outer wall, which itself measures 3,363 feet by 2,625 feet. A few newly-constructed steps, compared to the early to mid-12th century laterite brick and stone of Angkor Wat, lead up through the entrance gate, then back down.
A 1558-foot sandstone pathway continues leading towards the main entrance to the central temple of Angkor Wat. However, before that are two pools of water. We head off to the left hand side pool. After what seemed like a 5 to 10 minute walk, this will become my viewing spot for the sunrise at Angkor Wat.
Flocks of people are already there, walking beside me in the dark, and then all settling into a large group trying to get the best seat in the house. The front edge of the pond, the one directly facing the central temple of Angkor Wat, is already filled with a crowd. I wander over to the left side of the pond, find a seat, and wait. It is still too dark to clearly see the grandness of what I am about to witness.
Then the sun begins to lighten the sky. This is phase one. As the five towers of Angkor Wat appear on the horizon, the tallest of which is 180 feet above the ground, and all five of which are topped with the symbolic lotus-bud, cameras start clicking away. I click too, but from this vantage point, many of my photos have people on the left edge who have sat down in front of me. Thus at times, I decide to just watch the towers. Part of the largest single religious monument in the world was appearing before my very eyes, as the light increased. Watch. Breathe. Feel.
Soon phase one of the sunrise was over, and with the light of the morning sky, one can now sense the enormous size, and significance, of Angkor Wat, which was originally built as a Hindu temple, and as a shrine dedicated to honor the Hindu deity, Vishnu. This place is grand, I think. And I haven’t even walked around it yet, or looked inside.
Also built as a mausoleum for King Suryavarman II (r 1112-1152), the King identified himself with Vishnu, and an 11-foot tall statue of Vishnu, made out of a single block of sandstone, exists within Angkor Wat. Today Angkor Wat, along with many other temples and structures in the surrounding area, is a place of pilgrimage for Buddhist Cambodians, the dominant religion of Cambodia since the 14th century.
After some more time of staring at the majestic lotus-bud towers that have appeared, and while other people are starting to leave, my guide advises me that we are going to stay and wait for another 20 minutes or so for phase two of the sunrise. Phase one was spectacular enough, what could phase two offer, I thought? Many people by now have actually begun to disperse, either to go look at the inside of Angkor Wat, or to go back to their hotels for breakfast. Why don’t they know about phase two, I wonder? But no matter. It was better with less people around.
When phase one was occurring, I had noticed some flowers on the surface of the pond below the view of the towers, and with the sky being lighter now, I could see that the flowers were amazing pink Lotus flowers, which had just awakened with the morning sun. I decided to move down the left side of the pond about 50 more feet, getting somewhat closer to the central structure of Angkor Wat, in order to find a new seat for phase two. And what a seat I found! If only I had known about this seat for phase one.
Soon phase two begins. I am immediately grateful to my guide for telling me to wait. The sun rises higher on the horizon and begins to peek itself through a couple of the lotus-bud towers of Angkor Wat. Like a star brilliantly radiating through (well, the sun is a star after all), I cannot help but to watch, stare really, at the light shining so brightly. Yes, I begin to click away with my camera.
The reflection of the sun on the pond, through the towers of Angkor Wat, makes the Lotus flowers dance with their shadows. It is one of the most brilliant sights I have ever seen…The ancient brick and stone of a thousand years, the sun like a large flashlight, and the flowers waking up to the day. Peaceful. Calming. Dazzling.
So I think to myself that the best place to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat, in my opinion, is next to the Lotus flowers.
Sweet Travels!