{"id":2219,"date":"2012-03-23T22:35:52","date_gmt":"2012-03-23T15:35:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/?p=2219"},"modified":"2012-03-24T09:25:47","modified_gmt":"2012-03-24T02:25:47","slug":"pictures-telling-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/2012\/03\/23\/pictures-telling-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"Pictures Telling Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yesterday, Thursday, was time for the second visit to Angkor.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The morning was all about trees. Specifically, at Ta Prohm \u2013 a pretty big temple in its own right; but the gawkers are on-hand to witness the spectacle that is the battle between nature\u2019s insistence and the maintenance (or not) of the built environment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/trees15.jpg\" alt=\"trees1\" width=\"650\" height=\"430\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/trees25.jpg\" alt=\"trees2\" width=\"650\" height=\"430\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">They\u2019re storming the walls! But they\u2019ve also made a serious beach-head at the temple structures themselves.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/trees35.jpg\" alt=\"trees3\" width=\"650\" height=\"486\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/trees53.jpg\" alt=\"trees5\" width=\"650\" height=\"430\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amazing! Also kind of a problem, \u2018cause it\u2019s such a big attraction that it\u2019s difficult to gain a few moments\u2019 time to get a photo without somebody in the frame posing for their own pictures. It\u2019s worth the wait, however.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The vendors inside the park are incredibly insistent \u2013 to the point, really, of annoyance. Even right inside the temples, they\u2019re there hounding one to purchase from the some incense with which to properly respect the shrine.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The temptation is to ignore them, or even tell them off. But it does occur to me that as much of a pain in the ass as it is to have to politely repeat hundreds of times over, \u201cNo, thank you,\u201d it must be a even bigger pain in the ass to have to repeat the sales pitch hundreds of times over\u2026and to have to do this day after day after day.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And, what the Hell, some of them are even kind of cool. This guy, when twanging away at his little twanging implement here, would have a look on his face suggesting that he was delivering to the potential buyer an experience superseding even the epiphany. After which, while following one down the path for many yards\u2019 distance, he\u2019d whisper in one\u2019s ear, \u201cEasy to play. I give you special price!\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Unfortunately, he turned out to be rather camera-shy; so his song-and-dance here is rather more subdued than usual.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;\">\t\t\t\t<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Angkor Wat Vendor\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;\"  src=\"https:\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/photos\/6859698260\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, at Ta Keo, some more trees. As in, \u201cWe\u2019re high up above the trees; this is a rush!\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/takeo4.jpg\" alt=\"takeo\" width=\"650\" height=\"430\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also at Ta Keo, a cool look up through the top of the central Prasat. In fact, there are many such cool looks to be seen within the Park\u2019s confines \u2013 just happen to really like this particular shot.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/takeo23.jpg\" alt=\"takeo2\" width=\"650\" height=\"430\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finished off this area of the Park by catching up with the two missed temples from Day 1. These turned out to be smaller than I\u2019d assumed upon briefly checking them from the road. Small, but quite beautiful structures the both of them (they\u2019re located across the street from each other).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/thommanon3.jpg\" alt=\"thommanon\" width=\"650\" height=\"430\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And some particularly great sandstone carving work here.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">For the afternoon of Day 2, the instructions were to return to Bayon (the first temple in Day 1\u2019s itinerary) and \u201cstudy\u201d the Bas-Reliefs. Not one to buck authority, I done as I was told. And, man, speaking of epiphanies!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Spent a couple of hours drinking them all in \u2013 and may later return for yet more study.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/bayon2.jpg\" alt=\"bayon2\" width=\"650\" height=\"431\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And if you\u2019re into depictions of elephants, there are plenty of these \u2013 mostly in the middle of some crazy battle scene, though, the poor fuckers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/bayon3.jpg\" alt=\"bayon3\" width=\"650\" height=\"431\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Horses, too, along with plenty of fish and birds.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/bayon4.jpg\" alt=\"bayon4\" width=\"650\" height=\"431\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wow, I\u2019ve not yet even visited Angkor; but feel I could die happy having witnessed these stories.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last on the list for Day 2 is a visit to the most popular place from which to view the sunset, Phnom Bakheng. And I arrived to this temple at more less the perfect time to do so. But preferring not to ride back to town in the dark, elected to postpone this one \u2018til later.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Figure I\u2019ll use one of my two extra days (i.e., it\u2019s a five-day itinerary, and I\u2019ve a seven-day pass) to get a tuk-tuk to and fro\u2019, leaving no worries about sticking around past nightfall.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the way out of the park, my klutzism reared its head again. Well, more like absent-mindedness, if you like. Was riding on the road\u2019s wide dirt shoulder, and came into the monkey area. Got to being so interested in what they were up to, that I crashed into a post supporting a guard rope. Pinched\/smashed my foot between the post and the bike\u2019s pedal.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It hurt real good one for a while, but doesn\u2019t seem to have swollen very much. A little painful to walk on one day later; but I think it\u2019ll be fine in a day or two. Let this be a warning: come to a complete stop before beginning to watch the monkeys!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">To-day, Friday, the most interesting moment came while running a gauntlet of tuk-tuk drivermen. Was approached by what I assumed to be another of them; who, instead, first establishments my place of residence, then asked for a big favour.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">To wit, he showed me on his cell phone a text he\u2019d received, and wondered would I read it out.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">fry an egg.<br \/>\nearn.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">After many requests for me to clarify the difference in pronunciation between \u201cearn\u201d and \u201can\u201d, he thanked me, shook my hand, and was off. I was sure that he\u2019d be using this request as an entr\u00e9e to sell me some item or service. But I guess sometimes people just wanna know the difference between \u201cearn\u201d and \u201can\u201d.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I like gentleman\u2019s arrangement of this old classic. Eerily, I\u2019d had this song in my head a couple of days ago.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;\">\t\t\t\t<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Siem Reap Street Musician\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;\"  src=\"https:\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/photos\/6862165730\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yesterday, Thursday, was time for the second visit to Angkor. The morning was all about trees. Specifically, at Ta Prohm \u2013 a pretty big temple in its own right; but the gawkers are on-hand to witness the spectacle that is &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/2012\/03\/23\/pictures-telling-stories\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-culture","category-grandeur"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2219"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2219\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}