16th Sep 2006 (Part 2)
After grabbing a quick bite, stir fried chicken on fried noodles (for a discount price) and some iced tea I headed towards Bayon.
As I walked towards Bayon I felt like as if I was part of an “Indiana Jones” movie.
Bayon is a class apart unlike other temples of Angkor, Bayon is rich with its depictions on the bas-reliefs surrounding it.
As I walked in I was stared by numerous huge colossal smiling faces.
These faces represent Lokeshvara, who projects Buddha consciousness.
The structure of Bayon represents a microcosm of the mythological cosmos.
Originally, there were forty-nine towers but now only thirty five stood the test of time.
It is said that Bayon has gone through lot of remodeling and restructuring as it faced kings of different generations. The now standing faces, they say, represent the King Jayavarman VII, the king becomes the god thus expanding his power throughout the universe.
Bayon, enjoys the reputation of holding the best of Khmer art, on its bas-reliefs.
I shot pictures for all possible angles walking around the Bayon, I still couldn’t get enough of it.
Hastily driving away I headed over to my next stop: Phnom Bakeng, the sunset point.
The tuk-tuk driver left me at the base of this little hill and after a steep walk-through on a muddy track for 15 minutes I reached this structure which invited me again with its steep staircase. By this time I was sweating profusely due to the humidity in the air and the steep walk up. I gathered some more strength and climbed the steps to find some hundred tourists waiting for the sun to set. I looked around to find the best spot. I was hoping to see Angkor Wat and other temples from the birds-eye view but it was quite disappointing I could see Angkor but not completely. I tried a few stunts by climbing up the rocks to get the best view but my efforts went in vain. Anyway, I shot a couple of pictures of whatever it was just for the record’s sake and then I walked back to my tuk-tuk driver.
Through the lens 
Recent Comments