I rented a bike yesterday and headed back to Angkor Wat at 6 am to avoid the heat. The temperature here hadn't bothered me too much but the last couple days have been worse. I've been a bit sick--just a sore throat--so maybe that's why. Riding through the jungle in the early morning felt great though and there weren't as many people around. I was able to get some good sketches done but my favorite is the gateway to Angkor Thom, the walled city next door to Angkor Wat. Going through that tiny gate--it's just big enough for a medium-sized car--feels like stepping through a portal to another world. As amazing as the buildings are I'd rather hang around the gates all day.
As midday approached I cycled back to the guesthouse to get some lunch and have a nap in the shade. Then around 4 pm it was cool enough to see some new temples. I decided to check out to the furthest temple, Preah Khan, which was cool but they're all starting to look the same. I was happy to get a sketch of an elephant tree eating a crumbling wall done before the park closed. The return trip to town brought back lots of memories from my cycle tour through western Canada. It was a good to sketch my legs a bit except the bike was a little small. And, boy, did that rear break screech! Watching dusk fall over the most around Angkor Wat as lightning strikes in the background will be one of my best memories from this trip.
Now I'm off to find some fruit and a pool to cool off in.
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