On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Dagaetch
In 2015 I took a break from real life and traveled for 6 months!
As an (amateur) photographer, this was a destination I was really excited about. It was also practically the only thing I did in Cambodia. I spent a few days in Siem Reap, but was experiencing a bit of burnout and didn’t do much.
In fact I had hit a serious rough patch here; I loved my time in Southeast Asia, but it was such an extreme cultural difference and, for me, an extreme lifestyle difference after 10 years of just working a job and living my life, that even with taking things slowly and not trying to do too much, I needed a break. After leaving Siem Reap I flew back to Bangkok and spent some reward miles to stay at a nice Western style hotel, where I ordered room service and took a few days to recover my excitement about traveling. Then I spent a few days on a Thai beach where I apparently didn’t take any memorable photos. But coming up next is my favorite place in the world, New Zealand!

Every good photo tour starts with a sunrise picture. On this particular day, the pre-dawn light was the best outcome. This picture doesn’t provide any real sense of scale, but the entry to the temple complex is quite large, with multiple structures and paths.

As I had specifically sought out a photography tour (rather than a historical one), my guide encouraged me to experiment with framing. Here he pointed out that the tree branches were perfectly placed to reach out to the temple complex, highlighting the melding of the natural environment with the human created buildings.

Virtually all of the faces that I saw had these enigmatic expressions on them. It’s very easy to let your imagination contemplate the history they have witnessed, and how they view it all with a slight smile, as if to say “this is how it goes”.

This is one of my favorite photos. My guide said that the living trees simply grew around elements of the statuary, and in time, some of them would be totally encompassed. I wonder if now (8 years after I took the photo) this little smiling figure remains visible, or if this image is now among the only proof it ever existed.

For all that the complex has been modified in more recent years to accommodate visitors, I loved how it felt like part of the natural environment. Here, the trees encompassed and embraced this particular structure, to the point where I occasionally wasn’t sure where wood stopped and stone began.

Another example of the blending between nature and structure. Much of the day had a very “Indiana Jones” feel to it, as though we were wandering forgotten ruins of a lost civilization. It was a very satisfying adventure for the part of me that loves the idea of exploration.

One thing I hadn’t processed in advance was how complicated so much of the architecture was. The different blocks all carved to match, and yet stand apart from each other. The sheer artistry involved in creating these figures!

My tour guide took me by a local school. He said that the school received some money for allowing tourist visitors…looking back, I don’t know how I feel about that, but at the time I just went along with it. This classroom was working without a teacher, which was unfortunately common according to my guide. I noticed this one student concentrating hard. In the years since, I’ve thought about them occasionally, wondering if their work paid off, if they were able to succeed despite so many roadblocks, and how their lives have gone.

As we were walking along a road, we came across this little boy escorting a cow. He was very excited to meet me and show off his radio!
YY_Sima Qian
Lovely photos! Bring back memories.
eclare
The photo of the tree encasing the statue is haunting. Thanks for these!
raven
Awesome.
HinTN
No matter how well informed I think I am about this world and our cultures, things like these photographs and commentary remind me how provincial and undereducated I really am. Thank you for this! I’m with @eclare: on the beauty of that shot.
AM in NC
Wow on the photos, and wow on the whole “taking a break from life and traveling for 6 months” thing! What was it like going back to real life after such an adventure? And what was your general itinerary, if you don’t mind?
Thanks for sharing your photos and comments with us!
Anyway
Love your pictures and the narration – very cool. Thanks for sharing.
Paul in Jacksonville
I’ve been to New Zealand twice, the first time exploring the South Island and the second exploring the North Island. I agree with you, it’s also my favorite place to visit. My overall impression is that no matter how good the photo, it doesn’t do justice to what you are seeing. What was your favorite place?
Dagaetch
@AM in NC: Returning to reality definitely took some time, hah. My grandmother passed away shortly after I returned, I was grateful that I had a chance to see her and tell about my adventures before she died. My niece was born 3 months after I returned. So there was a lot going on. But weirdly that made it easier I think…I wasn’t just going right back to the daily grind.General itinerary: two months in Southeast Asia, one month in New Zealand, one month in Australia, two months in Europe (mix of East and Central).
@Paul in Jacksonville: Completely agree on the photo thing, it’s really hard to encompass how awe-inspiring NZ is. Favorite place…yes. haha. I don’t know. I loved the entire place.
arrieve
Wonderful photos and story. I will probably never get to Cambodia so it’s a treat to see interesting pictures of Angkor Wat.
Except for maybe Finland, it seems like schools all over the world are starved for money. I’ve had school visits on the itineraries of tours in several countries, mostly in Africa, and they’ve usually asked us to bring books and/or school supplies from home. The children usually seem to love having visitors, so I’m okay with it.
Albatrossity
Spectacular shots! And the commentary is great as well. Thanks!
munira
Great photos. Also love the smile in the tree.
cope
Lovely pictures and narrative, thank you. Some of the statuary sure is suggestive of Central American works.
Thanks again, looking forward to the next chapter.
Embra
The smile in the tree is a wonderful subject, but I really admire your photo composition of the sunlight on the trees framed through the building openings. That one really draws me in.
stinger
What a thoroughly wonderful installment of On The Road!
BigJimSlade
Great set – thanks for sharing!