I arranged for a 5:00 a.m. ride with a tuk tuk driver and skipped the sunrise at Angkor Wat in hopes of being the first to arrive at Ta Prohm that morning.

Built in 1186 A.D., its original name, Rajavihara, means royal temple.

The disheveled blocks, the jungle, the mist, the quiet and an absence of distraction contributed to incidental meditation.

There's a surreal beauty where nature overtakes architecture, something sensual about nature's and time's touch.

I came to Ta Prohm to be close to something ancient, to feel the power of nature, to steal a moment of beauty.