Sundown in Siem Reap

Our second evening in Siem Reap was much more pleasant than the first.
Having an English speaking tour guide and having gained a grasp of the Cambodian currency, we felt like we could function again.
Wan took us to get tickets for the next day at the temple area and we caught our first glance at the ominous Angkor Wat.

Having arrived shortly before sundown the tourists were thinning out fast which gave us a clear run through of the enormous temple. The temple area covered many acres and at one time was the center of a community of about a million people. For some unknown reason the area vacated and the city was reclaimed by the jungle; the magnificent temples became the playground of wild animals and monkeys.
We climbed as high as we could and watched the sun set beyond the ancient spires of the famed temple. The grounds were empty now and almost deathly silent as darkness crept in. Shadows from the pointed towers grew increasingly long and the only sounds were the eerie chirping of bats stirring within the crumbling ruins of the temple peaks. A thick feeling of reverence descended as if the massive stone walls were releasing the mystical chants of ancient monks busy with their evening prayers from a time long forgotten. We sat in silence overwhelmed with a feeling of gratefulness and wonder, thankful that we endured the trials of the Cambodian border to witness this amazing event.

Wan took us on a tour of the town before returning us to our hotel. The night was alive with activity and street vendors were plentiful pleading with weary travelers to buy their wares. We did buy a couple of T-shirts which only attracted more vendors. Children surrounded us showing us magnets, books, trinkets and many other souvenirs. One kept putting a small flute in my pocket and then thanked me for the $1 purchase. To them it was a game and we played along with them for awhile before moving on.

We smelled cannabis driving through the downtown market area and asked the TukTuk driver about it. He said its illegal here but they don't usually bother the tourists that have it. He also told us about a place called "Happy Pizza" that puts it in the pizza but said it can make you crazy for days. We decided to stick to our boring rat sandwiches.

We ate dinner at the night market and returned to our room excited about the next day's return to the temples.