We awoke at 3 a.m. to the fierce calls of Howler monkeys. My best friend Tom could finally show me the sunrise in one of his favorite spots on earth. We excitedly scurried toward the site's main entrance under the glowing moonlight. As we neared the gate, we slowed hoping not to disturb any dozing guards. We scanned the gate and saw no one. "We are home-free" I thought as we started to creep towards the open gate. As we reached the gate, an angry yell came from behind us telling us to stop in our tracks. It worked. We didn't move a muscle. Two heavily-armed guards rushed to see where we thought we were going. After some tense words, we decided to retreat. We would have to find another way in.

As we retraced our steps back toward the jungle lodge, we stumbled across what appeared to be a heavily-trodden path. With no other options, we decided to give it a try. The moonlight quickly disappeared into the dense canopy as we felt our way along the shrinking trail. We kept our headlamps off for fear that our armed friends would lose their patience if they saw us again. The jungle floor was alive with the motion of invisible animals. I bit my lip and hoped for the best.

Finally, up ahead I saw a break in the canopy and moonlight streaming in. The moon illuminated a fork in the path. My sense of direction told me that this fork would lead us in. There was only one problem: this path was lined on both sides with sharpened sticks protruding from the muddy earth. We anxiously walked toward what appeared to be a jungle village. We awaited our first contact, expecting the worst. At that moment, a raucous chorus of startled Howler monkeys cracked into the night. To say we were startled as well would be quite an understatement. We walked on, a little shaken by the calls of our fellow primates. As we reached the first building, we breathed a collective sigh of relief. It was a deserted jungle lodge complex. Our gait became celebratory as we reached the other side of the clearing. We had made it! We entered the park and made for the temples. It was a magnificent sunrise indeed!