Dwellers and Guardians
Oct. 1st, 2024 09:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smokingbootI have things that should be done soon, October things. I should do them today because if tomorrow's news is bad, I'm going to find it really hard to focus. But today is not a great day either because I am focusing on tomorrow... and because I'm so bloody tired!
Right, move the focus, see if it helps.
Remembering Cambodia and the temple complex at Lolei - was it Lolei? Our guide suggested we begin each batch of photos with one of the appropriate temple signs so we knew which photos belonged to which temple. This was sound advice and I should have followed it. One of the buildings at what I now guess may have been Lolei had more than its fair share of dwellers and guardians. Puppets, temple dancers, deities, legendary beings? I had no clue and still don't.
Sunbeams moved and I waited a while, watching the head that seemed almost ready to lift and speak, introducing itself in the light.
Elsewhere in contrast to some barely-guessed presence, humanity said Hi.
I did not approach closer to try identifying the figure at the centre, though I got the distinct feeling it would be all right if I did. Still, I stood back and paid attention to the tender offerings of incense and water. This was a comforting place.
Less comforting were the dogs, reason enough for our rabies shots, though they all looked healthy and happy enough. Someone was undoubtedly taking care of less frequented temples in the Ankhor area because there was no mess or smell, no evidence of dog presence except for the dogs themselves. Apart from photobombing our pics with their arses, they were genial. Not genial enough to factor out if one wanted to return at night but maybe that was the point.
After all, in a place with gods and ghosts and legends all around, when that sense of being close to other worlds permeates the air thick as the heat itself, what grounds and reassures like the grin of a dog?
Right, move the focus, see if it helps.
Remembering Cambodia and the temple complex at Lolei - was it Lolei? Our guide suggested we begin each batch of photos with one of the appropriate temple signs so we knew which photos belonged to which temple. This was sound advice and I should have followed it. One of the buildings at what I now guess may have been Lolei had more than its fair share of dwellers and guardians. Puppets, temple dancers, deities, legendary beings? I had no clue and still don't.
Sunbeams moved and I waited a while, watching the head that seemed almost ready to lift and speak, introducing itself in the light.
Elsewhere in contrast to some barely-guessed presence, humanity said Hi.
I did not approach closer to try identifying the figure at the centre, though I got the distinct feeling it would be all right if I did. Still, I stood back and paid attention to the tender offerings of incense and water. This was a comforting place.
Less comforting were the dogs, reason enough for our rabies shots, though they all looked healthy and happy enough. Someone was undoubtedly taking care of less frequented temples in the Ankhor area because there was no mess or smell, no evidence of dog presence except for the dogs themselves. Apart from photobombing our pics with their arses, they were genial. Not genial enough to factor out if one wanted to return at night but maybe that was the point.
After all, in a place with gods and ghosts and legends all around, when that sense of being close to other worlds permeates the air thick as the heat itself, what grounds and reassures like the grin of a dog?
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2024-10-01 04:08 pm (UTC)Fingers crossed for tomorrow.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-02 08:02 am (UTC)