I started today by visiting Angkor Wat. What an honour to be here visiting this amazing citadel. I was really pinching myself today.

Angkor Wat is just the largest of a whole complex of temples that I am looking forward to exploring in the next few days.

Ankwar Wat immediately impresses with its size. I dont think photos do it justice. And it also feels very tranquil and peaceful. Little shrines dot the buildings and they are tended by monks. It is nice that it still has a living presence. It does make it feel more alive and vibrant.

I sat, meditated and reflected in a few different locations. The scale of tbe place is so vast that even though there are many tourists I could easily find empty buildings. The coolness inside was deeply refreshing on such a hot day.

Ankwor Wat was originally  built by the great Khmer King Suryavaraman ii in the twelfth century, probably as his mausoleum. Originally a Hindu temple devoted to Vishnu, it became Buddhist in the thirteenth century. It was greatly restored by the other great Khmer King, Javaraman ii. He restord after it was sacked by the Chams, the great rival of the Khmer. He raised an army and drove them out in the thirteenth century. It seems that it became Buddhist around this time also as the religious orientation of the Khmer people changed from Hindu to Buddhist. It is the worlds largest religious monument sitting on a site of 400 acres. It is sorrounded by an incredible moate 190 meters wide also putting anything comparable in Europe firmly in the shade.

It has also been more or less continually inhabited by monks since the 16th century.

There are some lovely carving here also

There was a really lovely atmosphere pervading the place. I could feel the tranquility seeping into me. The soundscapes were lovely too with forest sorrounding the temple, sometimes some chanting and today there was even a brass band ! Ill leave you with there sounds

And some pictures of monkeys! Why not?