Today was our BIG day, visiting the Angkor Wat Heritage area,  which includes many temples!  Angkor Wat is one of the most impressive ones but Angkor Thom is actually a larger area.  Angkor translates to City, Angkor Thom means big city and includes many temple sights.   The other temples I will post separately.

We stopped early at Angkor Wat, since our guide heard the crowds were gone.   Today was the Equinox, and crowds of locals came early to watch the sun rise exactly over the main tower.   They had dispersed to go home for breakfast, so we were able to visit ever before the heat is the day.   it reached over 90 today and the heat took it’s tole on me! 

Depending in your perspective you can see 1,3,4, or 5 towers!  Even 10, in the reflecting pools views

Emmett climbed top the very top and has pictures from his views there posted at our Facebook group.

The carvings and designs on the walls were impressive and some quite unique.   The ballistrades are not smooth,  and the design allows breezes to swirl inside the building.  They are specifically designed also to cast shadows in the early light of the silhouette of the Angkor’s towers,  one,  three and five towers.   Amazing.   our guide showed us pictures of these shadows as the sun was already too high for us too see them. 

looking back from the temple side towards the main gate