Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: two story house with columns

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: parts were truly in ruins

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: the side entrance of the main gate

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: not sure why they cut this tree down but left others

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: another

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: I really like the bas engravings on the walls

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: a queens tomb

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: and huge

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: the tree is a part of the temple now

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: a bad picture but there were these guys all over making drawings and selling them

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: easy to find places without people here

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: ruinous state of the temple

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: cool walkway

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: I'm not sure what these things are but they are all over the temples usually in the center

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: this walkway goes on for a long way

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: the southern entrance to the main temple grounds

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: the bug got himself something

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: a giant tree

Temples of Angkor - Preah Khan: the northern gate to my favorite temple

Temples of Angkor - Preah Neak Poan: not so great for swimming any more

Temples of Angkor - Preah Neak Poan: it gets it's name from the intertwined nagas tails

Temples of Angkor - Preah Neak Poan: the 100 meter board wall to get to the ancient swimming pool

Temples of Angkor - Ta Som: elephants

Temples of Angkor - Ta Som: they really spent a lot of time carving all the stones to decorate the temples

Temples of Angkor - Ta Som: another of the cool tree

Temples of Angkor - Ta Som: the cool tree

Temples of Angkor - Ta Som: it really looks like it wants to fall down

Temples of Angkor - Ta Som: I like to supports they put up to keep the walls from falling down

Temples of Angkor - Ta Som: this temple was never completed as Jayavarman VII died or this would have been a window

Temples of Angkor - Ta Som: a couple of the many children that beg at the temples

Temples of Angkor - Ta Som: this also was a small Buddhist temple with a cool tree in the back

02-02-11: Seattle Public Library 1 of 4

If you know me, you know that I can and frequently do get lost in libraries for hours at a time -- on purpose. Ever since I first saw the Seattle Central Library, I have loved it from afar. Today I went to visit it for the first time and surprisingly, the inside is even cooler than the outside! I took a few pictures with Robert's iPhone because I had to share the experience; however, the quality is sometimes not so great, so take them for what they are. Here is the outside:

The inside is just a normal library, kinda. The whole building is 11 stories tall, so there is a lot of room for books and other library amenitities, like meeting rooms. In fact, the whole third floor is meeting rooms and for some reason they it, "Red Hall." It surprised the heck out of me when I stumbled across it.

The red staircase brings you to another section of completely normal library, computer consoles and job search services. If you want to keep exploring, you have to find the giant lime green escalators to go to the next floor.

There are actually *two* giant lime green escalators, in series. Standing on the landing between the two is kind of trippy because you can look both up and down a giant lime green escalator (GLGE), with only a turn of the head. Here is a shot looking up the second GLGE.

02-02-11: Seattle Public Library 2 of 4

Here is another shot of a GLGE. I included this one because I liked the three textures: the diamond-shaped ceiling struts, the pillowy ceiling tiles, and the smooth escalator walls, with the stairs leading up into the middle.


After you escape the GLGE, you are rewarded with a clear view of the amazing ceiling, looking up into clear blue sky no less.

A bit of a wander will reveal an overlook, where you can enjoy the fact that the walls are all made of crazy diamonds.

Then you can take fun geometric pictures of the diamonds.

02-02-11: Seattle Public Library 3 of 4

If you are really feeling daring, you can use the metal walkway grating to frame the diamonds.

The grating even makes for some good shots all on its own.

If you are feeling *really* daring, you can peep over the edge of the grating and take arial photos of the unsuspecting library patrons below.

Light, diamonds, shadows. Beautiful...

02-02-11: Seattle Public Library 4 of 4

I framed an orange van.

The quickest way down is to use the elevators. I'm sure a very well-meaning artist/architect made the walls surrounding the elevators glass, but the view straight down the 10 story tall shaft made me a little dizzy. (The 11th floor is: STAFF ONLY.) I had to give myself a little pep talk, convincing my yellow-bellied half that the elevator was just a normal elevator despite the see-throughness of its walls.

My photographic binge was not contained to the interior. As I waited for the bus, I enjoyed leaning back to take shots looking straight up from beneath an overhang. All in all, an excellent first date. When can I go back??

Mt. Ranier from porch at sunset

Ok. Ok. I know you don't want to see anymore crappy iPhone pictures of
Mt. Ranier, but this one takes the cake!!

In Seattle, when it rains, it pours. (figuratively, not literally)
When Ranier is visible, take a million pictures to get you through all
the days when it is hiding!

Mt. Ranier from plane

Here is a more breathtaking view of Mt. Ranier, taken from the plane I
took to the John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana/Orange County/Irvine, CA.
(It was alternatively called all three, which confused the hell out of
me!)

Mt. Ranier from porch

Zoom in on the horizon and you will be rewarded with a view of
Seattle's hulking neighbor, Mount Ranier!

Temples of Angkor - Eastern Mebon: the whole temple was covered in these little holes that held the plaster at some point that covered the temple