8:00 am. Our first temple, and one of the main attractions - the Bayon. It looks impressive from the outside, and I am sure it will be even more impressive up close.
Bayon is a must see temple. This one and Angkor Wat. Bayon temple is one of the most recognizable images connected to Khmer art and architecture. It has 37 standing towers with famous images of what people think is likness of the King Jayavarman VII. Very impressive are also the bas-reliefs on the exterior walls. It's been constructed over a period of one century.

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → We got off the tuk tuk and walked to the temple. There is a worker at each sites entrance checking the day passes of each person. At these prices, Angkor Wat is a huge business. The price seems steep, but thinking about it, how many temples I am going to see, and the effort and money it takes to restore and maintain these artifacts having so many tourists come to visit each year, I don't think it's actually a high price to pay.

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → After a few steps up, entering my first temple.

Photo:  Angkor Wat, Cambodia → There are many passages and walkways leading to different parts of the Bayon temple. It's quite dense.

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → The most distinctive feature of Bayon are the towers with face carvings.

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → You just walk around and explore, trying to imagine the times when all this was painted and well maintained.

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → Finally, a good shot of the faces. You could take so many photos from different angles. It's early morning, the sun is not completely out, so these are not ideal conditions for taking photos. It's still a bit gloomy. We have a plan on returning here at the end of our explorations, and I will take lot's of photos at that time.

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → I really like these faces. They are so mysterious. Sometimes they look to me like a female face, sometimes I agree that this could be the young King.

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → There are many superb relief sculptures around the temple.

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → Even the roof is a sculpture. All carved in stone. Very impressive.

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → The entrance to one of the towers.

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → The area around the temple is like a terrace. I wonder what was happenig there centuries ago... Were there stalls selling religious items? Food? Or simply people gathering place?

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → Many of the reliefs are in exceptional shape. I am not surprised that many of these temples were targeted in the past by thieves to sell pieces of it on the black market.

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → Looking up at one of the faces. This is what you will see coming up close and personal...

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → There was this walkway with pillars on one side of Bayon, with an orange clothed statue of a mediating person at the end of it.

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → The orange color made a great contrast against the stone.

Photo:  Bayon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia → We spent almost an hour at Bayon. Definitely a great introduction to the temples of Angkor Wat.

Bayon is an impressive temple. It was a good decision to go there right away after the sunrise. We avoided all the tourist crowds and had the temple basically to ourselves. Now back off to the next place - Terrace of the Elephants.
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