You know that feeling you get when you know you’re being watched?
Welcome to The Bayon, an ancient temple built almost a thousand years ago by the Buddhist King Jayavarman VII (not to be confused with King Jayavarman VI…easy mistake to make for a rookie historian!).
While we can’t be 100% sure, it’s suspected that this guy had some pretty big wraps on himself, so much so that he thought he’d build a temple to honour the Buddha…only the Buddha looks suspiciously like himself. Hmmm…funny that…
Regardless, this temple was pretty freaky! Everywhere you turn you come face to face, literally, with one of the 216 giant faces scattered throughout the temple (I tried to get Karen to count them, but she wasn’t sure what to do when she ran out of toes, so I went back to trusty old Google instead).
It was still relatively early in the day (considering it was a 4am start!), but after spending a few hours at Angkor Wat we were keen for a bite to eat. So after a bit of snooping around we found ourselves a hidden corner, took off our not-yet-broken-in shoes, and relaxed under the serene gaze of Big ‘J’ the 7th.
In hindsight it’s a little strange that I didn’t take more photos, but I suspect I was too busy exploring the narrow corridors and numerous nooks and crannies to get the camera out!
If you ever find yourself with the opportunity to visit The Bayon, don’t think twice, just do it!
The Bayon
Temple Monk
Blessings in the Dark
