Magic

*Published on **2018-10-19** by **Kelley @ traverse this earth** | Categories: angkor wat, solo travel, Travel*

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I’ll tell you a secret. Not all days are fabulous when you’re traveling. Some days it’s deathly hot and you can’t go outside or maybe your flight is delayed or cancelled. Your bus breaks down or someone cheats you out of money. You end up with bedbugs, the bathroom is disgusting, you miss a bus, you break your phone, you get lost. There are a zillion things that making traveling a heartbreaking thing to do. But every once in a while a gem like this day shows up and you know its worth it. Pat and I started out with a little exploring. As I said in earlier posts, Angkor Wat is not just one building. ([Angkor Thom](http://www.traversethisearth.com/2018/10/05/angkor-thom/), [A Change of Perspective](http://www.traversethisearth.com/2018/10/09/a-change-of-perspective/), [Life Lessons](http://www.traversethisearth.com/2018/10/12/flying-at-angkor-and-life-lessons/), [Finally, Angkor Wat](http://www.traversethisearth.com/2018/10/16/finally-angkor-wat/)) ‎ It is a complex and we wanted to see it all.

We started by traipsing around and finding buildings that looked super different than the ones we saw before. After a lot of places that looked a bit the same, it was really nice to see something different.

And there were quite a few.

Baphuon really jumped out of the Angkor box in being built. [Canby Publications – Baphuon](http://www.canbypublications.com/angkor-cambodia/baphuon.htm)

We climbed up for a look.

I’ll have to say, it was stunning.

I sat around looking out over the ruins I’d climbed for quite a while. I can still see these quiet moments in my mind.

Then it was time to do some more exploring.

We spent the entire day just wandering and investigating. Seeing new places. Taking super cool travel pics. It’s much different traveling with a friend than on your own. The biggest difference is that you get to actually be in your photos. (Thanks Pat!) Look at me being a fancy traveler.

One of the last buildings we hit is the one that I loved for it’s powerful sights. Welcome to Ta Prohm.

I think this one is temple people journey to Angkor Wat for as well as the massive center building itself. This one is one of the most visited temples in Cambodia. Views like these are not an every day event.

In Khmer, the language spoken in Cambodia, this is the spung tree. We know it in English as the Silk Cotton Tree. The ones seen here are estimated around 500 years. I mean, that’s twice as old as the Unites States itself. A little mind boggling. You can see how the time has passed by looking at the roots of the trees laying like a fat snake across the building.

With the passage of time and weight a little help is needed.

Honestly, it was a gorgeous and humbling thing to stand next to.

Of course the size of the tree wasn’t the only thing astonishing thing about it. The height was unreal.

I mean really, really unreal. For real.

The other super cool looking tree is called the Strangler Fig.

It’s easy to see where the name came from. The roots reminded me of melted marshmallows being pulled apart.

So many trees standing like soldiers, fighting time and man just for a chance at life was out of this world. Being greeted with so many awe inspiring shots was pure bliss as a photographer.

I almost broke a finger taking so many photos. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. This day is famous in my mind. Other than the first morning I visited the tiny temple in Angkor Thom, this day is what I come back to when I think of Angkor. Both of these days for me are and always will be absolutely laced with magic.

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