This online shoebox contains random pictures, notes, whatever. I've been a professional writer-photographer for so many years now. It's a damn good excuse to carry a camera around.
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Tuesday, Mar 9, 2010 9:14 AM
Posted By Lester V Ledesma
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It must be the smile...
Then again, it must be the wealth that he's promising. Rub his body and you'll get rich. That's
kinky.... :P
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Monday, Jan 4, 2010 1:01 AM
Posted By Lester V Ledesma
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#3 - The Bayon by Moonlight
Well past midnight, under glistening moonlight, the Bayon Temple forms an imposing sight. In the
darkness I head inside one of Angkor's most celebrated temples, a tiny flashlight in my hand to
illuminate the way. The atmosphere is eerie as I clamber over centuries of rubble, past empty halls
populated by long-dead monks, and up towards the top gallery where my subject awaits.
I find him with a wave of my torch. His smile is gentle, and his sheer size is truly humbling (and
just a little bit terrifying under the current conditions). Under daylight he is a postcard and a
landmark; a relic for tourists to gawk at. But tonight, spotlit against a brilliant pre-dawn sky, he
becomes who he really is: Jayavarman VII, builder of the Bayon Temple. King of the Khmers.
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Categories:
arts,
culture,
travel,
Asia,
Portrait,
religion,
landscape,
Lester,
Ledesma,
Buddha,
cambodia,
angkor,
Bayon
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Saturday, Oct 17, 2009 2:33 AM
Posted By Lester V Ledesma
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A media boat cruises by a parade float bearing the likeness of the Hindu god Ganesh, during the
Rap Bua festival in Samut Prakan, Thailand.
Held to commemorate the end of the Buddhist lent period, this occasion is characterized by
crowds of devotees throwing lotus buds into the lap of a revered Buddha statue.
Speaking of Ganesh, the Hindus are celebrating Diwali night this weekend. Better head to the
nearest Bhangra beach blowout if there is one in your area.
And what is Ganesh doing in a Buddhist festival? Let's just say the Thais have no problems mixing
- and worshipping - icons from different faiths :)
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Categories:
arts,
culture,
travel,
Asia,
Festival,
religion,
Lester,
Ledesma,
Thailand,
Buddha,
Bangkok
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Friday, Oct 2, 2009 12:34 AM
Posted By Lester V Ledesma
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Imagine going up the Bayon Temple late at night when its pitch-dark and there's nobody there.
When you get to the top, imagine turning on your flashlight to see Jayavarman VII's massive face
staring at you:
When that happens, try to smile back :)
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Categories:
arts,
culture,
travel,
Asia,
Portrait,
religion,
Lester,
Ledesma,
Buddha,
cambodia,
angkor
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Sunday, Sep 27, 2009 12:58 PM
Posted By Lester V Ledesma
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A half-finished statue of Buddha - perhaps left behind when Angkor was abandoned in the 1400's
- becomes the centerpiece in a shrine inside the south gate of Angkor Wat:
Her head shaved by tradition, an elderly Cambodian lady pays a visit to Angkor Wat:
A store on wheels makes its rounds outside Siem Reap:
An apsara dancer entertains tourists at the Temple Bar in Siem Reap:
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Categories:
arts,
culture,
travel,
Asia,
Portrait,
religion,
architecture,
Lester,
Ledesma,
Buddha,
cambodia,
angkor
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