I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated by the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Images of ancient stone temples being slowly demolished by huge trees haunted my imagination. Hey, I even sat through the painful Tomb Raider TWICE just to see the scenes that were shot on location in Cambodia. So, after nearly a year of playing the homebody, when I finally decided to head out into the world once more, there was only one destination that I considered – Angkor Wat.

Most folks tack this trip onto other adventures in Southeast Asia, but I really wanted to spend a bit more time here so I could see more of the numerous ruins -- maybe even have time to revisit some of the ones I liked best. So I spent a very hot, very humid week exploring many of the temples in the region – some beautifully restored, some remote and overgrown.

This trip was especially interesting because it was the first time I traveled by myself, without a tour group. I must say the freedom was certainly exhilarating, but I did miss the advantages of traveling with a photographer who had already scouted the location. And, because I harbor certain Auntie Mame tendencies, I decided to schlep along my 17 year old nephew Dylan, which was a blast (although I didn’t really breathe easily until I returned him back to his parents at the end of the trip!)

Normally I do a lot more people photography when I travel, but this trip was specifically to see the ruins, and I pretty much kept the camera aimed squarely at the architecture. So what follows is a LOT of pictures of old buildings (with a few monkeys thrown in). Many people complain of getting burnt out on the temples after a few days of heavy touring, and I imagine not everyone has my interest in the ruins, so 74 pictures may seem a little excessive to you, but I hope instead it gives you a sense of the magnificence of Angkor Wat. It really is awe-inspiring.

Ancient Angkor by Michael Freeman and Claude Jacques was an excellent resource for planning this trip, not to mention a great book for the armchair traveler. Dates and names are drawn from this valuable book (cuz lord knows I wasn't taking notes while our guide was rattling them off!).