First light at Angkor

This morning I was up at the crack of dawn for the second day in a row—a habit I don’t want to get into. This time, I wasn’t rising to catch a bus, but to make it to Angkor Wat for the sunrise.
The morning was still, dark, and cool. The drone of my tuk tuk engine was the only sound. I stopped at the ticket office to buy my pass for the day and then was deposited in front of Angkor Wat—not that I could see a lick of the historic temple in the pitch black. Thankfully, as a seasoned traveler, I was smart enough to bring a flashlight, so I didn’t stumble along blindly through the darkness alongside the other groggy tourists.
I found a secluded spot just off to the side of the main entranceway and settled onto some cool stone steps to watch the sunrise.
The morning sun gradually warmed the sky and, still hidden just below the horizon, silhouetted Angkor in a halo of bright pinks and oranges. As it slowly brightened, the early light streaked blue and eventually yellow as the sun crept little by little over the stonewalls of ancient temple. I felt serene and happy as I was bathed in the cool morning sunshine. And despite the early wake-up, I was fully energized for my full day tour of the immense and striking complex of temples.

(Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2040118&l=fee5c&id=5902101)