 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Angkor Thom - February 2003 |
|
|
|
All that remains of the last great capital of the Angkor period are its stone monuments. The Bayon is at the center of the lost city of Angkor Thom, which at one point housed a million people. |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
This is a temple we stopped at on the 2km drive north to Angkor Thom. Our tour guides were survivors of the Communist Purges and had some sad stories to tell. They pointed out bullet holes and graves around this temple. The entire complex had to be de-mined at one point. It's not a good idea to stray off the trails in Cambodia. |
|
This is the famed South Gate of Angkor Thom. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
It is important to remember that these temples are still in use for religious purposes. These Buddhist monks are sheltering from the jungle sun. |
|
|
|
|
This is an exterior shot of the Bayon, the central temple of Angkor Thom. It is composed of 54 towers and navigating the interior is a bit tricky due to the chaotic floor plan. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
This interior view of the Bayon shows two more of the benevolent faces in the carved rock. |
|
|
|
|
|
As with Angkor Wat, the walls of the Bayon are intricately carved. It is thought that the numerous faces carved throught the Bayon are that of King Jayavarman II, the founder of the Khmer Empire. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is my three-day pass to the Angkor Temples. |
|
|
|
|
|
A shot from one of the courtyards of the maze-like interior of the Bayon. There were beggars, monks, and the occasional well scattered throughout the structure. |
|