Cambodia Day 2- Temple 1: Bayon
Horses in the moat beside the Gate to Angkor Thom
All of the temples in Siem Reap are in a similar area. I was surprised by their proximity to each other (which you can't really fathom when looking at a 2-D map).
54 Gods to the left side of the Angkor Thom causeway
This scene depicts the Cambodia Creation Story: The Churning of the Ocean of Milk. Angels and demons took hold of opposite ends of the king of the serpents wound round a mountain in the middle. The mountain was placed in the ocean and by rotating the mountain in a cosmic tug of war, the actors were able to cause the emersion of a variety of elements ("14 gems & treasures"), including the nectar of immortality.
Gate to Angkor Thom
Gate to Angkor Thom
Bayon
I was a bit disappointed when I first saw the site from a distance. I expected it to be in much better repair. Most likely due to repeated viewings of the first Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie (2001). Refresher: Lara is seeking 2 halves of the Triangle of Light which were hidden at opposite ends of the earth. One was hidden in a Cambodian temple (the other in Siberia). In the scene I am referencing, inside the temple Croft manages to successfully acquire the piece in spite of a menacing huge six-armed (and six-sworded) Brahman statue. This statue has 4 faces: when Lara shoots at one, the head merely rotates to show another. This guardian is based on Bayon.
Bayon
Bayon
Apsara dancers at Bayon
Bayon
Bayon
Bayon
Bayon
Bayon
Bayon
Bayon
Rebecca at Bayon
Bayon
Steep stairs at Bayon
Bayon
Bayon
Rebecca at Bayon
Bayon
Rebecca at Bayon
Bayon
Bayon
Bayon
Rebecca at Bayon
Bayon
Bayon
Bayon
Bas relief at Bayon
Bayon
Elephant in front of Bayon