My Cambodian Christmas

I have so much that I want to share about my recent trip to Cambodia, that I really don’t know where to start. I guess I could have started at the beginning, (I remember hearing that it’s a very good place to start) but talking about how I got super sick on the plane didn’t seem that exciting. Instead, I decided to start with Christmas.

This was the first year I have ever experienced a hot climate for Christmas and only my 2nd year away from home for the holidays. Because of the occasion my friend, co-worker, and travel companion, Russ and I decided to mark the occasion in a different way. We decided our first glimpse of Angkor Wat and its beautiful temples should be at sunrise on Christmas Morning. It was definitely not something I will forget, and it made for an extremely different Christmas compared to the ones I’m used to in Indiana.

At 4:45 Christmas Morning our very nice Tuk-Tuk driver picked us up and took our groggy selves loaded up with our cameras and bags to see the sun rise over the most iconic temple of the vast complex. We walked with the crowds through the dark, (Russ was super smart and brought a flashlight) and found a spot to stand and wait for the sun to catch up with us.

I know it’s a bit cheesy, but watching the temple slowly come out of the darkness was the most beautiful unwrapping of a Christmas gift I could have ever asked for. Even with the crowds, (because what’s Christmas without crowds) and the constant sounds of photos snapping, it still felt magical.

I could not have hoped or asked for a better way to start exploring the allure of Angkor Wat on a hot Christmas morning.

After the sun rose, we went exploring. Even though at some points in visiting so many temples over the course of 3 days I felt a bit burned out, entering the temples in this way with such fresh eyes was amazing.

The detail found in even the smallest and most unexpected places is phenomenal.

That and I’m a sucker for trees and elephants.

The thought of how much time and work went into every inch of each place still blows my mind.

I fell in love with all the colors in the stone.

I could not have asked for a better introduction to the famous beauty of Angkor Wat, and even though there was so much to be seen, this was the perfect way to start an amazing trip and an unforgettable Christmas.