16 October 2007

Asia » Cambodia » North » Angkor
October 23rd 2007

Published: October 23rd 2007

Today was unique with a vist to the fantastic Bayon Temple via elephant! Bayon is different from most other temples in that it has huge faces on every tower facing north, south east, & west. The faces are serene, not the usual depictions of fierce warrier faces in the carvings on the walls below. We entered the complex through the south gate to the swaying silent gait of our elephants. Once though... Read Full Entry

Photos are below

Photos: 30, Displayed: 21

Doorway to Angkor Thom

The size of the complex is staggering, considering all the finished stone work that made it up, no just piling up rock walls as my euopean ancestors did during the same time period! There are multitudes of entranceways everywhere!

Kendal & kids

Just after we had finished with the Bayon temple and were walking to the nexzt site, these kids who were there with their parents came up and kept saying "hello" over and over. They weren't trying to sell anything, just apparently wanting to use the only English word they knew. They were all smiles for the camera until I counted to three and pressed the shutter button......

Phimeanakis temple

A short walk from Bayon was this baby. And yes, the steps are as step as the look. These are the south steps, I climbed the west set which had a handrail.

Terrace of the Elephants

This must have been spectacular when it was first built as is it very impressive now.

Doorway

Doorway from Elephant Terrace to royal compound.

Garudas

Mythical creatures from the Elephant Terrace area.

Royal swan

Even though it looks like a chicken with an atitude, it's a representation of a swan. It's used in various forms of modern Cambodian imagery too.

Wall of the Elephants

At the base of the terrace there is a huge carved panel of almost life-size elephants. If you look closely you can even see a tiger attacking one of them.

Section of 12 towers

Just beyond the Elephant Terrace there is a cleared area with the remains of 12 towers. Without a wide angle lense I could only catch three of them.

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16 October 2007

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