Angkor Thom

*Published on **2018-10-05** by **Kelley @ traverse this earth** | Categories: Travel, angkor wat, solo travel*

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With the amount of darkness that I found in Cambodia’s past, you might think I had an issue here. Luckily enough I fell in love long before I heard about Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, visited [The Killing Fields](http://www.traversethisearth.com/2018/09/25/the-killing-fields/) and [S21](http://www.traversethisearth.com/2018/09/28/the-victims-of-s21/) and [it’s horrors](http://www.traversethisearth.com/2018/10/02/tuol-sleng-genocide-museum/). When I first landed myself in Cambodia I actually came into Siem Reap, like most, with the goal of seeing Angkor Wat. What I found first was Angkor Thom. I ran into a girl I met while in Thailand in one of my first hostels. Travelers often run into one another like that. She introduced me to a guy who said he would bike there in the morning. Of course I joined.

Even though we set out before sunrise we still didn’t make it quite in time to see the first whispers of morning. It didn’t especially matter though. Rolling up without doing our homework we found that Thom didn’t open until 7:30. I can’t say I was too upset about it. We enjoyed the rest of morning’s onset at a lake just across from the Wat.

And this guy joined us.

But my thought is that he’s seen this sunset a few times. As the start of our adventure got closer we moved toward the entrance. For some reason I was enthralled by the minute details of the place. I remember seeing ants crawling along the rope leading up to Angkor Thom. (I’ve always loved ants.)

I love their teamwork and their feistiness. This one was not too keen on me being so close. Of course, that made him my favorite.

Then, it seemed as if the first remnants came out of nowhere. I am there, starting at Angkor Thom.

Approaching Thom we could see that the “security gate” was still up. They were waiting until the last minute to let people in. And by people I mean me and my two friends. There was no one else. Just standing outside gave me a sense of the massive gravity of what I was about to see.

Imagine you are a French dude running around the wilds of Cambodia in 1860 and you stumble upon this sleepy looking face.

Of course, we’re talking about no background here. No information, no lonely planet, no books, no internet, no inkling from anyone that this place exists. Being that it was built in the 12th Century, it’s in a lot of disrepair. But still, YOU have found it.

Here I am, hundreds of years later, watching a few sticks thrown together to serve as the security gate being pulled away. It’s absolutely silent except for the sound of birds and three humans’ footsteps as we walk in together.

This moment, in particular, is one that is burned into my brain permanently. The sun is still still on it’s way up. There is no one inside. The songs of the animals around us are in full swing and I can sincerely imagine the significance and the sheer weight of finding these walls.

Though the touch of man is apparent, the magnitude remains.

There are some spots that are left to nature to fend for themselves.

It’s staggering to see the the push of time on rocks so huge.

The slow movement of a tree pushes its way through also.

It’s fascinating to see where people have decided that this place needs help and where they have left it alone.

We are inside enjoying being a little lost, pretending to be explorers ourselves.

I’m moved by the amount of detail I see.

Just when we think we’ve found the edge, Angkor Thom opens into something deeper.

It feels like there is absolutely no end to this place.

Finally, we turn the corner and there is nothing left to find. It feels like we have been there for hours, though I know we have not.

The sides of the Wat feel a little spooky with some of the biggest spider webs I’ve seen in my life. The age of the building shows clearly here.

We agree to head toward the door and find our next conquest. I watch in awe as one last spectacular wall slides by.

I purposefully hang back until the crunch of footsteps is gone. And I take a deep breath before moving on.

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