We each purchased a three-day pass to the Angkor Heritage Site at the main entrance gates. They issue you a photo I.D. card, which must be shown each time you enter the park. It's very official-looking, and keeps people from sneaking in without paying.

On the first day we went directly to Angkor Wat, the most famous of the Angkor Heritage Site. It was constructed in the early to mid 12th century in the form of a massive temple mountain dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. As soon as we got out of the car, we were bombarded with people selling souvenirs, drinks, postcards and t-shirts. We promptly turned away from the noise and started down the long stone walkway leading to the temple entrance. There were several Cambodian weddings taking place while we were there, and the traditional wedding costumes were wonderfully ornate.

The visual impact of Angkor Wat is stunning and it's in amazing condition, although they were repairing the walkway at the main entrance. The temple itself is 1km square, with a moat and exterior wall around the compound. Nearly every surface (both inside and out) is covered with beautiful bas-reliefs and carvings that tell stories. The building consists of three levels, surmounted by a central tower. The top level of the central tower houses four Buddha images, each facing a different cardinal point. The temple has served as a Buddhist temple since Theravada Buddhism became Cambodia's dominant religion in the 14th century. There are many areas to explore; at one point, we wandered down a dirt road towards the outer wall and were pestered by Khmer people selling postcards and trinkets. (At this point we made a mental note to avoid isolated areas where we could be cornered by locals and goaded into buying their wares.)

The second part of our day was spent at the sprawling Angkor Thom. This compound was built just after Angkor Wat in the late 12th to early 13th century (although some components were built earlier than that). Angkor Thom is a 3km square walled and moated royal city, and was the last capital of the Angkorian empire. Our first stop, and our favorite, was the Bayon state-temple. This is located in the middle of Angkor Thom. Giant faces are carved into nearly every surface - particularly towers and gateways. There are 37 standing towers, most of which have four faces oriented to the four cardinal points. These wonderful Khmer faces have inspired many copies and miniature replicas, sold at souvenir shops all over Asia. Who the faces represent is a matter of debate but they may be Loksvara, Mahayana Buddhism's compassionate Bodhisattva, or perhaps a combination of Buddha and Jayavarman VII.

The massive compound of Angkor Thom is interspersed with wooded areas, hiding some of the smaller temples from all the big tourbus groups. We found ourselves wandering through the woods for this very reason - to escape the crowds. We visited Baphuon (mid 11th century), which is mostly collapsed but undergoing restoration. Next we wandered over to Phimeanakas (late 10th to early 11th century), a very tall temple. We also found the Terrace of the Leper King, named for the statue that sits at the top (it was only a replica, as the original is housed safely in a museum). Our walk through the woods also brought us to Preah Palilay, a sandstone and laterite tower in a cool, shaded forest setting. We also stumbled upon the very early Tep Pranam (9th century), a long walkway with a Buddha figure at the far end. We passed by the Terrace of the Elephants, an impressive 2.5m wall spanning the heart of Angkor Thom. Elephants and garudas (giant bird-men) are carved into the full length of the wall.

We crossed the dirt road and continued our walk through the Preah Pithu Group. This consists of five temples set in a nice, quiet area. Well, it was quiet until the seven-year-old boy started giving us unsolicited commentary on the ruins, and then begged us for money until we caved in. These temples are in relatively rough shape, but are peaceful and secluded with jungle behind them. This concluded our day, as we were exhausted.