Angkor Wat & Wat Thom

Angkor, a place of longing!

In May 1993, after traveling from north to south through Vietnam, we stood at the border to Cambodia. These were troubled times; just at that moment, the first free elections since the 1960s were taking place. The Khmer Rouge had not yet given up; they were still waging their war in the border region with Thailand until the late 1990s. We heard from other travelers that their train from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap had been shot at, resulting in two fatalities. Since then, 32 years have passed until our second attempt.

Right on the morning after our arrival in Siem Reap, we rent a motorcycle and head randomly towards Angkor Wat. Without much thought, we buy the largest package: seven days, seven entries to the temple complexes. Seven days that we are allowed to spread out over a month.

The first impression, the vastness of the temple complexes, is overwhelming. We stroll between the temples, walk through endless corridors, climb up and down, allowing Angkor Wat and Wat Thom to first leave their mark on us. And we realize: It is alive. Not just tourism. The temples are also fully integrated into the religious life of Cambodia. We have booked our hotel in Siem Reap for a week; we are very likely to stay longer.