![\"redhair\"](\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/redhair.jpg\" "\\"redhair\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nSo that was cool. Practically every shopkeep past whom I now walk offers to sell shoes to me. I guess word\u2019s getting out there\u2019s a barefoot farang in town \u2013 but why doesn\u2019t word get out he\u2019s not interested in the purchase of footwear? It\u2019s even spreading to non<\/em>-shop-owning folk. Here\u2019s a conversation I had with a young teenager:<\/p>\n Him: <\/strong>Do you want to buy some shoes? Then he turned and strode off.<\/p>\n So, yesterday, Sunday, was Day 3 at the temples. The itinerary called for the Big Circuit in the morning, then Angkor Wat in the afternoon. But also, on a later day to return to Angkor to study the Bas Reliefs. I thought, why not do both on the same day, and eliminate some traveling between sites?<\/p>\n Plus, it was cloudy again, so I figured that\u2019d be a great time to visit the Temple, and then in the afternoon, if the sun had come out, it\u2019d be a great time to be under cover in the galleries. And this is precisely how the weather played out; so, yay for me.<\/p>\n Huhn, they say it\u2019s better to visit Angkor in the afternoon. Something to do with the quality of the light (or what). But, I dunno, I thought the quality of the light was just fine in the morning.<\/p>\n Yes, very fine indeed.<\/p>\n As far as the temple complex is concerned, sure enough, it is quite beautiful. I kept having to tell myself, \u201cThis is not a dream; you are visiting Angkor Wat\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019re hundreds of these Devata<\/a> carvings around and about. Fifteen hundred, specifically, if I\u2019m to understand it correctly.<\/p>\n Also, finally<\/em>, a Buddha not<\/em> all duded up in modern raiment.<\/p>\n Making the dizzying climb up the stairs (this is the only temple in the Park in which they\u2019ve got amusement-park-style line control for the stairway) affords one an even closer view of the central Prasat (check the bird flying in the upper right).<\/p>\n Also, as always, a look down<\/em> at the treetops.<\/p>\n And, what the Hell, an opportunity for an Art Photo (heh heh, I guess I need another visit to the exhibition in Vientiane to remind myself what artistic photography really<\/em> looks like).<\/p>\n I exited out the East entrance, and walked back to the West entrance via a perfectly wonderful little trail betwixt the outer wall and the moat.<\/p>\n Almost criminal that such a great walk was so under-populated \u2013 I saw only two other people during the whole of the forty minutes or so it took to return to the West Entrance. Just myself, the cicadas, and the beautiful trees.<\/p>\n The \u201cmoat\u201d is more like a friggin\u2019 river, by the way. However you call it, it\u2019s crazy awesome.<\/p>\n Back at the West Entrance to look around a little more, the fellow on the right here asked me to take a picture with himself and his friend. Sure, no problem. Then he wanted to get a picture with myself<\/em>. Okay\u2026if you want to\u2026 I thought that getting one with my camera as well would be kinda clich\u00e9, but now I rather regret not having done. Oh, well.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve generally tried to keep people out of photos of the Temples (not so easily accomplished!); but I think they rather nicely add to the ambience in this shot. Well, what I really<\/em> think is that it\u2019s basically impossible for a black-and-white photo to look anything other<\/em> than \u201crather nicely\u201d.<\/p>\n Off, then, to visit a few nearby smaller temples, before returning for the study of the reliefs. What\u2019s this, then? Mausoleum Xing? Entering Derby Zone? Nah, just a speedbump warning.<\/p>\n I preferred the Victory Gate to the South Gate, speaking strictly of the gates<\/em> themselves. But the South Gate’s roadside statuary beat out the Victory\u2019s. Most of \u2018em had their heads still attached, and all.<\/p>\n The story behind Baksei Chamkrong is pretty cool.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s true about its being a \u201cjewel\u201d\u2026but those stairs are a bit of a fright on the downward direction! Well, I did end up making it all the way back down.<\/p>\n At Phnom Bakheng, another great nature walk winding one\u2019s way up the hill to get to the temple. Elephant rides offered in the afternoons, for $15. My favourite part about the temple, though, was the view of nearby Angkor.<\/p>\n Speaking of which, back to, for the studying. My impression is that Angkor\u2019s murals are not quite<\/em> as impressive as Bayon\u2019s \u2013 though they\u2019re plenty impressive enough.<\/p>\n They\u2019re more numerous, for sure. This is just half of one of eight presentations.<\/p>\n There\u2019s certainly a dark side to the artistry, alas.<\/p>\n
\nMe [Laughing]: <\/strong>No, thanks.
\nHim:<\/strong> Why are you not wearing shoes?
\nMe: <\/strong>They\u2019re very bad. Shoes are very bad for you.
\nHim:<\/strong> No, they\u2019re not.
\nMe: <\/strong>Yes, they are. Shoes are very bad.
\nHim: <\/strong>Then why everyone is wearing them?
\nMe:<\/strong> They\u2019re idiots.
\nHim:<\/strong> No\u2026that\u2019s you<\/em>.
\nMe: <\/strong>Well\u2026maybe I am<\/em> an idiot. But, why don\u2019t you try it and see how you like it?
\nHim: <\/strong>No.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n