The day started off alright; a few of us woke up feeling a bit sick. Whether it was bad water, food poisoning, or the malaria medication, quite a few of us were toilet-ridden this morning. Not the best way to start the morning. After a satisfying breakfast at the hotel, we headed off to the Angkor terminal to collect our tickets to visit the sites. We had three specific temples that we had on the schedule to visit.
The first temple that we visited was called Ta Prohm (pictured above), where Savoun informed us on the state of the temples. There is an ongoing restoration project, in order to maintain and upkeep the quality of the sites for visitors and religious people alike. He had also mentioned that the restoration project was not likely to finish anytime in the near future. In this walkthrough of Ta Prohm, we were able to see the stone blocks used to create the original temple, and how they were restored by modern builders as if it were a jigsaw puzzle. The sponge trees, however, made it difficult to maintain the blocks' original form. As the trees grew, they wedge themselves between the blocks and continue to grow, pushing the blocks from the spots they are supposed to be in. Being a soft wood, the trees have no use, so there was no need to cut them down. I rate this temple site 8 spongey trees.
On our way to the second site, we drove through what is called the Victory Gate. We learned that this gate was constructed as an entrance to the city of Angkor that the king used when returning from victory over an enemy. It was originally over top of a man made moat infested with crocodiles!
Anyway, the second site we visited was called Angkor Thom, which was a bit of a climb. The view from the top was very worth it, though (pictured above). After the visit to Thom, we took a group break to head to get lunch. The food in Cambodia has been on par with the rest of the trip, and we've been eating well. I rate Angkor Thom a solid 37 steep stairs out of 51.
And finally, the moment that we had all been waiting for: Angkor Wat. The largest religious monument in the entire world, visiting Angkor Wat was an experience of a lifetime. The amount of storytelling and detail put into the building was incredible, and left a lasting impression on our students. The carved stories and the immaculate masonry of the construction was jaw dropping, considering the period of time in which it was created. The moat surrounding the compound was large enough to be a lake itself, and the different galleries allowed for multiple levels of discovery. This well-preserved site is an attraction for tourists and religious practitioners alike. Angkor Wat's rating? 10/10 stone points.
We ended the night with a couple hours to relax at the hotel before dinner. Some of us hit the swimming pool, some of us hit the showers, and some of us hit the sheets for a nap. After the regroup, we enjoyed a delicious dinner together as a group before dispersing for the night market or the hotel. Overall, today did not seem to be lacking in excitement. Exploration, adventure, cute animals, and good friends make for a good Jan term overseas.
-Justin Hagedorn
PS. Here's a collage of cute stray dogs we saw today.
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